Rajendra Prasad: Difference between revisions

{{short description|Indian independence activist, lawyer, scholar and first President of India (1884-1963)}}

| caption            = President Prasad in 1958

| primeminister      = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]

| vicepresident      = [[Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan]]

| spouse              = {{marriage|[[Rajavanshi Devi Prasad]]|1896|1962|end=d.}}

'''Rajendra Prasad''' (3 December 1884&nbsp;– 28 February 1963) was an Indian [[Indian independence movement|independence]] activist, lawyer, scholar and subsequently, the first [[President of India]], in office from 1950 to 1962.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.presidentofindia.nic.in/former.html |title=The President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811235644/http://presidentofindia.nic.in/former.html |archive-date=11 August 2013 |website=Presidentofindia.nic.in |access-date=12 December 2013}}</ref> He was an Indian political leader and lawyer by training. Prasad joined the [[Indian National Congress]] during the [[Indian Independence Movement]] and became a major leader from the region of [[Bihar]]. A supporter of [[Mahatma Gandhi]], Prasad was imprisoned by British authorities during the [[Salt Satyagraha]] of 1931 and the [[Quit India movement]] of 1942.  After the constituent assembly [[1946 Indian provincial elections|1946 elections]], Prasad served as Minister of Food and Agriculture in the central government. Upon independence in 1947, Prasad was elected as President of the [[Constituent Assembly of India]], which prepared the [[Constitution of India]] and served as its provisional [[Parliament of India|parliament]].

 

When India became a republic in 1950, Prasad was elected its first president by the Constituent Assembly. As president, Prasad established a tradition of non-partisanship and independence for the office-bearer, and retired from Congress party politics. Although a ceremonial head of state, Prasad encouraged the development of education in India and advised the Nehru government on several occasions. In 1957, Prasad was re-elected to the presidency, becoming the only president to serve two full terms.<ref>[[President of India|President's Secretariat]] [[National Informatics Centre]]</ref> Prasad stayed in office for the longest term of around 12 years. Post the completion of his tenure, he quit the Congress and set up new guidelines for parliamentarians which are still followed. Prasad played a major role in forming the Bihari Students Conference in 1906 and served as the president of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the Constitution of India.

Rajendra Prasad was born in a [[Kayastha]] family in Ziradei, in the [[Siwan district]] of Bihar.<ref>{{cite book|author=Janak Raj Jai |title=Presidents of India, 1950–2003 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r2C2InxI0xAC&pg=PA1 |date=1 January 2003 |publisher=Regency Publications |isbn=978-81-87498-65-0 |pages=1–}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title= Dr. Rajendra Prasad: A Brief Biography |author= Tara Sinha |year= 2013 |publisher= Ocean Books |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=tZ8wBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA13 |isbn= 978-81843-0173-1 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180510204127/https://books.google.com/books?id=tZ8wBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA13#v=onepage&q&f=false |archive-date= 10 May 2018 |df= dmy-all }}</ref> His father, Mahadev Sahai Srivastava, was a scholar of both [[Sanskrit]] and [[Persian languages]]. His mother, Kamleshwari Devi, was a devout woman who would tell stories from the [[Ramayana]] and [[Mahabharata]] to her son. He was the youngest child and had one elder brother and three elder sisters. His mother died when he was a child and his elder sister then took care of him.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X3cc0mlKiBwC&pg=PA2|title=Biographies of the First Three Presidents of India|publisher=Sura Books|year=2007|pages=2–4|author=N. Sundarajan|isbn=9788174787361}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopaedia Of Indian War Of Independence (1857-1947)|editor=M.K. Singh|publisher=Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd|year=2009|page=99|quote=His father, Mahadev Sahai, was a Persian and Sanskrit language scholar; his mother, Kamleshwari Devi, was a devout lady who would tell stories from the Ramayana to her son}}</ref>

When Prasad was five years old, his parents placed him under the tutelage of a [[Mawlawi (Islamic title)|Maulavi]], an accomplished Muslim scholar, to learn the [[Persian language]], [[Hindi]] and [[arithmetic]]. After the completion of traditional elementary education, he was sent to the Chapra District School. Meanwhile, in June 1896, at the early age of 12, he was married to Rajavanshi Devi. He, along with his elder brother, Mahendra Prasad, then went to study at T.K. Ghosh's Academy in [[Patna]] for a period of two years. He secured first in the entrance examination to the [[University of Calcutta]] and was awarded Rs. 30 per month as a scholarship.

Prasad joined the [[Presidency College, Calcutta]] in 1902, initially as a science student. He passed the F. A. under the [[University of Calcutta]] in March 1904 and then graduated with a first division from there in March 1905.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rss.bih.nic.in/rss_drp_life_events.htm|title=Major Life Events of Dr. Rajendra Prasad - First President of India|first=Rajendra Smriti|last=Sanghralaya|website=rss.bih.nic.in|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130303105548/http://rss.bih.nic.in/rss_drp_life_events.htm|archive-date=3 March 2013}}</ref> Impressed by his intellect, an examiner once commented on his answer sheet that the "''examinee is better than examiner''".<ref name=TOIMiglani>{{cite news|last1=Miglani|first1=Neha|title=Evaluators for preserving flawless answer sheets|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Evaluators-for-preserving-flawless-answer-sheets/articleshow/13309297.cms|access-date=28 February 2015|work=The Times of India|date=20 May 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927053547/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Evaluators-for-preserving-flawless-answer-sheets/articleshow/13309297.cms|archive-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> Later he decided to focus on the study of arts and did his M.A. in Economics with a first division from the University of Calcutta in December 1907. There he lived with his brother in the [[Eden Hindu Hostel]]. A devoted student as well as a public activist, he was an active member of [[Dawn (Bengali educational society)|The Dawn Society]].<ref>{{cite book|author=राजेंद्र प्रसाद |title=राजेंद्र बाबू: पत्रों के आईने में |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XsynRkUMJT4C |year=2007 |publisher=प्रभात प्रकाशन |isbn=978-81-7315-654-0}}</ref> It was due to his sense of duty towards his family and education that he refused to join [[Servants of India Society]], as it was during that time when his mother had died as well as his sister became a widow at the age of nineteen and had to return to her parents' home. Prasad was instrumental in the formation of the Bihari Students Conference in 1906 in the hall of Patna College. It was the first organisation of its kind in India and produced<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/First-president-Rajendra-Prasad-remembered/articleshow/55779017.cms|title=First president Rajendra Prasad remembered - Times of India|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161205041048/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/First-president-Rajendra-Prasad-remembered/articleshow/55779017.cms|archive-date=5 December 2016}}</ref> important leaders from [[Bihar]] like [[Anugrah Narayan Sinha]] and [[Krishna Singh (politician)|Krishna Singh]] who played a prominent role in the Champaran Movement and [[Non-cooperation Movement]]. The organisation provided political leadership to Bihar in the upcoming years.

Rajendra Prasad served in various educational institutions as a teacher. After completing his M.A in economics, he became a professor of English at the [[Langat Singh College]] of [[Muzaffarpur]] in [[Bihar]] and went on to become the principal. However, later on he left the college to undertake legal studies and entered the [[Ripon College, Calcutta]] (now the [[Surendranath Law College]]). In 1909, while pursuing his law studies in [[Kolkata]] he also worked as Professor of Economics at [[City College, Kolkata|Calcutta City College]]. In 1915, Prasad appeared in the examination of Masters in Law from the [[Department of Law, University of Calcutta]], passed the examination and won a gold medal. He completed his Doctorate in Law from [[Allahabad University]] in 1937.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rss.bih.nic.in/rss_drp_life_events.htm |title=Major Life Events of Dr. Rajendra Prasad&nbsp;– First President of India |publisher=Rss.bih.nic.in |access-date=10 July 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130303105548/http://rss.bih.nic.in/rss_drp_life_events.htm |archive-date=3 March 2013  }}</ref>

In 1916, he joined the High Court of Bihar and Odisha. In 1917, he was appointed as one of the first members of the Senate and Syndicate of the Patna University. He also practised law at [[Bhagalpur]], the famous silk town in Bihar.

===Role in the Independence Movement===

Prasad had a major role in the Independence Movement.

Prasad's first association with [[Indian National Congress]] was during 1906 annual session organised in Calcutta, where he participated as a volunteer, while studying in Calcutta. Formally, he joined the [[Indian National Congress]] in the year 1911, when the annual session was again held in Calcutta.<ref name="Joining">{{cite news |title=Remembering Dr Rajendra Prasad, First President of Independent India |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/remembering-dr-rajendra-prasad-first-president-of-independent-india-2410213.html |access-date=24 May 2020 |work=News18 |agency=Network18 Media & Investments Limited |publisher=Network18 Group |date=3 December 2019}}</ref> During the Lucknow Session of Indian National Congress held in 1916, he met [[Mahatma Gandhi]]. During one of the fact-finding missions at [[Champaran]], [[Mahatma Gandhi]] asked him to come with his volunteers.<ref name="Weekly"/> He was so greatly moved by the dedication, courage and conviction of Mahatma Gandhi that as soon as the motion of [[Non-cooperation movement|Non-Cooperation]] was passed by [[Indian National Congress]] in 1920, he retired from his lucrative career of lawyer as well as his duties in the university to aid the movement.

Two and a half years after independence, on 26 January 1950, the Constitution of independent India was ratified and Prasad was elected the nation's first president. Unfortunately, on the night of 25 January 1950, a day before the Republic Day of India, his sister Bhagwati Devi died. He arranged her cremation but only after his return from the parade ground.

As President of India, Rajendra Prasad duly acted as required by the Constitution, independent of any political party. He travelled the world extensively as an ambassador of India, building diplomatic rapport with foreign nations. He was re-elected for two consecutive terms in [[1952 Indian presidential election|1952]] and [[1957 Indian presidential election|1957]], and is the only President of India to achieve this feat. The [[Mughal gardens|Mughal Gardens]] at the [[Rashtrapati Bhavan]] were open to public for about a month for the first time during his tenure, and since then it has been a big attraction for people in Delhi and other parts of the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/feb/20visit.htm|title=Record visitors at Mughal Garden|website=www.rediff.com|access-date=2 March 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101180617/http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/feb/20visit.htm|archive-date=1 January 2011}}</ref>

Prasad acted independently of politics, following the expected role of the president as required the constitution. Following the tussle over the enactment of the [[Hindu Code Bill]], he took a more active role in state affairs. In 1962, after serving twelve years as the president, he announced his decision to retire. After relinquishing the office of the [[President of India]] on May 1962, he returned to [[Patna]] on 14 May 1962 and preferred to stay in the campus of Bihar Vidyapeeth.<ref>[http://rss.bih.nic.in/rss_about.htm About Rajendra Smriti Sanghralaya, Sadakat Ashram, Patna, Bihar, India] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826102336/http://rss.bih.nic.in/rss_about.htm |date=26 August 2011 }}. Rss.bih.nic.in. Retrieved on 12 December 2013.</ref> His wife died on 9 September 1962. A month before Indo-China War. He was subsequently awarded the [[Bharat Ratna]], the nation's highest civilian award.