JAYAPRAKASH NARAYAN, DEMOCRATIC THEORY AND PRACTICE by Sally McGushin B.A.Hons, LI.B. in the Department of Political Science submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts University of Tasmania June 1992 ii This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other higher degree or graduate diploma in any tertiary institution. To the best of this candidate's knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person, except when due reference is made in the text of the thesis. v7/' /z60 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In presenting this thesis I would first like to acknowledge both my supervisor, Dr Philip Eldridge, who has remained a constant guide, and my family who have remained with me throughout. There are many other people and institutions which have been of assistance to me in the course of my research, especially in India. Firstly, I would like to thank the Jayaprakash Institute of Social Change, Calcutta, which sponsored my time in India. In particular I would like to pay tribute to the late Sugata Dasgupta, a former Director of the Institute, for his initial encouragement. In addition I was helped by the A N Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna, especially Dr Sachchidanand, and by the Xavier Institute of Social Service. I am very conscious of the fact that their cooperation greatly facilitated my work in Bihar. The Gandhian Institute in Benares was most supportive too. Particular thanks must go to all friends associated with the voluntary organisations that I visited for their time, patience, assistance, hospitality and encouragement. These include those specifically mentioned in the dissertaion, that is: IMSE, SAREEK, NBJK and those associated with the CYSV in Bodh Gaya and at the National Maidan in Patna. However I also spent time with many other organisations whose time and support were invaluable to my research, and whom I will attempt to name individually: Prayas (Bihar), Sokhodeora Ashram (Bihar), Simultala Ashram (Bihar), Samanvay Ashram (Bihar), Visual Aids for Human Consciousness (West Bengal), the Socio Economic Development Programme (West Bengal), the Centre for iv Communication and Cultural Action (West Bengal), Rural Welfare Society (West Bengal), Unnayan (West Bengal), the Historical Institute (Calcutta), the Gandhi Peace Foundation (New Delhi and Calcutta), AVARD (New Delhi), Sarva Seva Sangh (Benares), Rural Communes (Bombay) and Community Aid Abroad (Pune). There were also many individuals whose advice and opinions I greatly valued, especially Sri Sachchidananand (Patna), Sharad Kulkarni (Pune) and Comrade M A Rasul from CPI(M) (Calcutta). Geoffrey Ostergaard (University of Birmingham, UK) was most helpful in enabling me to reflect constructively on the time that I had already spent in India and the plan for my return trip. Needless to say I also appreciated the many friendships generated throughout my stay in India, not to mention the companionship and foot slogging endured by my husband Gerry. At home I have been pleased to know all staff and students, past and present in the department of Political Science. They have all played an important role in my own personal development and the subsequent shaping of my thesis. I must especially thank colleagues with whom I have shared study rooms, seminars and tutoring responsibilities; and particular thanks go to Beth, Jennie, Indra, Rosemary, Liz and especially Beverley who has spent many agonising hours helping me present this dissertation in a legible form. TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS GLOSSARY xii ABSTRACT xx INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 1. THE RELEVANCE OF GANDHI'S VOLUNTARIST STYLE OF POLITICS 13 I. INTRODUCTION 13 II. GANDHI 14 III INDIA'S CONSTITUTIONAL PATH 20 IV THE COMMUNIST PARTIES 26 V THE NAXALITES 27 VI M N ROY 33 VII .CONCLUS ION 34 2 EVOLUTION OF JP'S THOUGHT 38 I. INTRODUCTION 38 II. JP PRE-INDEPENDENCE 39 III. SARVODAYA PERIOD 42 IV. IDEAS ABOUT LINKING VILLAGE LEVEL VOLUNTARY ACTION TO WIDER STRUCTURES 50 V. POSITIVE ACTION 58 VI. BIHAR MOVEMENT 67 VII ELECTION OF THE JANATA PARTY 78 VIMP'S LAST STEPS 81 vi IX CONCLUSION 81 3. LIMITATIONS OF JP'S IDEAS IN THE CONTEXT OF HIS POLITICAL ACTION 83 I. JANATA 83 II. REASONS FOR JANATA FAILURE 88 III. SARVODAYA AND POLITICS 94 IV. CONCLUSION 101 4. BIHAR AND WEST BENGAL BACKGROUND 104 I. BRITISH LEGACY 104 II. BIHAR 109 III. WEST BENGAL 119 IV. CONCLUSION 134 5. BACKGROUND AND IDEOLOGY OF THE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS 136 I. INTRODUCTION 136 II. CYSV 140 III NBJK AND LOK SAMM 147 IV. rmsE 151 V. S AREEK 159 VI CONCLUSION 163 6. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION 165 I. INTRODUCTION 165 II. LOK SAMM AND NBJK 166 1. Structure 166 2. Participation 170 3. Field Workers 173 4. Funding 175 v ii III. CYSV 177 1&2. Structure and' Participation 177 3. Field Workers 179 4. Funding 180 IV. IMSE 181 1&2. Structure and Participation 181 3. Field Workers 183 4. Funding 184 V. SAREEK 189 1. Structure 189 2. Participation 191 3. Field Workers 193 4. Funding 195 VI. COMPARISON OF ORGANISATIONS 196 VII.CONCLUSIONS 199 7. EXPANDING LOKNITI THROUGH CONSTRUCTIVE WORK 201 I. JAYAPRAKASH NARAYAN 201 II. CYSV 202 III. NBJK 203 IV. SAREEK 206 V. IMSE 214 VI. CONCLUSION 218 8. GOOD GOVERNMENT 220 I. INTRODUCTION 220 II. CYSV 221 viii III. NBJK AND LOK SAMM 228 1. Elections and the Party Process 228 2. Awareness of and Participation in Government Programmes 230 3. Struggle 231 IV. SAREEK 233 1. Elections and the Party Process 233 2. Awareness of and Participation in Government Programmes 235 3. Struggle 237 V. IMSE 237 1. Elections and the Party Process 237 2. Awareness of and Participation in Government Programmes 238 3. Struggle 242 VI. CONCLUSION 244 9. OVERVIEW OF VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS IN RELATION TO ACHIEVEMENT OF JP'S GOALS 246 I. BIHAR AND WEST BENGAL. SOCIO- CULTURAL CONTEXT 246 II. COMMON THEMES BETWEEN JP'S IDEAS AND THE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS 248 1. Trained Motivators 249 2. Organisational Structure 252 3. Coalition Building or Networking 254 4. Constructive Programme 257 5. Funding 258 6. Demands on Government 260 III. CONCLUSION 263 ix CONCLUSION 265 BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. General Background 272 2. By And About Jayaprakash Narayan 278 3. Voluntarist Idiom, Including Gandhian Traditions And Tagore (Excluding Those Works Specifically Concerned With JP) 281 4. Marxist Traditions, Including M N Roy, Mao Tse-Tung, CPI(M) And The Naxalites 284 5. Voluntary Organisations/Movements 286 6. Newspapers And Bulletins 289 x ABBREVIATIONS AVARD Association of Voluntary Agencies for Rural Development BCSS Bihar Chhatra Sangharsh Sarniti (Bihar Student Struggle Committee) BDO Block Development Officer BLD Bharatiya Lok Dal (National People's Party) CCP Chinese Communist Party CFD Citizens for Democracy CISRS Christian Institute for the Study of Religion CPI Communist Party of India CPI(M) Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(ML) Communist Party of India (Marxist- Leninist) CPSU Communist Party of the Soviet Union CSP Congress Socialist Party CYSV Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Vahini (Student and Youth Struggle Movement) DC District Commissioner DMK Dravidia Munnetra Kazhagam (Dravidian People's Party) EZE Protestant Central Agency for Development Aid (Germany) ICDS Integrated Child Development Scheme xi Indian Institute of Technology IMSE Institute for Motivating Self Employment INTUC Indian Trade Union Congress IRDP Integrated Rural Development Programme NBJK Nay Bharat Jagriti Kendra (New Indian Development/Awareness Institute) PS P Praja Socialist Party (People's Socialist Party) RLS Rashtriya Lok Sarniti (National People's Committee) RCPI Revolutionary Communist Party of India RS S Rashtriya Swayemsevalc Sangh (National Voluntary Service Organisation) SAREEK Society for the Advancement of Rural Economy, Education and Kultur SGBK Sarbik Gram Bikash Kendra (Total Village Development Centre) XISS Xavier Institute of Social Service. x i i GLOSSARY Adivasi aboriginal/tribal Alcali Dal one of the major moderate Sikh parties; it formed an alliance with the CPI(M) in the 1977 elections. anchal a cluster of villages anganwadi health workers antyodaya uplift of the poorest ashram place of abode, generally religious bandh strike Bania moneylending and land-owning caste in Bihar bargadar sharecropper benami being nameless or fictitious or fraudulent as with the purchase of land under a false name or land held in another name. bhadralok educated Bengali caste class formation of Brahmins, Kayasthas and Vaidyas. Bharat India or the nation Bharatiya Indian Bharatiya Lok Dal name of a political party, meaning National People's Party bhindi okra or lady's finger (green vegetable) bhoodan voluntary renunciation of land or land gift Bhumihars upper caste in Bihar Brahman highest and priestly caste charkha spinning wheel chhatra students chhatra sangharsh samiti students' struggle committee chhatra yuva sangharsh samiti student and youth struggle committee chhatra yuva sanghharsh vahini student and youth struggle movement chulla clay stove, usually fuelled by wood crore a unit of measure equalling 10,000,000 dacoit bandit dan gift dharna a form of non-violent moral pressure used as a political weapon; e.g. a sit in. Dravidia Munnetra Kazhagam Dravidian People's Party gherao picket or surround goondas thugs gram village x iv gramdan gift of village, that is, transfer of most (ideally all) private land to the village community gram kosh village collective fund gram sabha village assembly,