In March 1974 students came together in Bihar to protest against rising prices, food scarcity, unemployment and corruption. After a point they invited Jayaprakash Narayan (JP), who had given up active politics and was involved in social work, to lead the student movement. He accepted it on the condition that the movement will remain non-violent and will not limit itself to Bihar. Thus the students’ movement assumed a political character and had national appeal. People from all walks of life now entered the movement. Jayaprakash Narayan demanded the dismissal of the Congress government in Bihar and gave a call for total revolution in the social, economic and political spheres in order to establish what he considered to be true democracy.
Students’ protests in Gujarat and Bihar, both of which were Congress-ruled States, had a far-reaching impact on the politics of the two States and national politics. In January 1974 students in Gujarat started an agitation against rising prices of food grains, cooking oil, and other essential commodities, and against corruption in high places. The students’ protest was joined by major opposition parties and became widespread leading to the imposition of President’s rule in the state. Similarly, In March 1974 students came together in Bihar to protest against rising prices, food scarcity, unemployment, and corruption.
The National Coordination Committee for Railwaymen’s Struggle led by George Fernandes gave a call for a nationwide strike by all employees of the Railways for pressing their demands related to bonuses and service conditions. The government was opposed to these demands. So, the employees of India’s largest public sector undertaking went on a strike in May 1974. The strike by the Railway employees added to the atmosphere of labor unrest. It also raised issues like the rights of the workers and whether employees of essential services should adopt measures like strikes.
In the elections of 1971, Congress (Indira Gandhi) had given the slogan of garibi hatao (remove poverty). However, the social and economic condition in the country did not improve much after 1971-72. |
