View source for Jayaprakash Narayan

{{#seo:
|title=Jayaprakash Narayan – Indian Freedom Fighter and Political Reformer
|description=Jayaprakash Narayan, also known as JP, was a revolutionary freedom fighter, social reformer, and political leader who led the Total Revolution movement against corruption and authoritarianism in India during the 1970s.
|image=Jayaprakash Narayan.jpg
|keywords=Jayaprakash Narayan, JP Movement, Total Revolution, Indian politics, Emergency India, Freedom Fighter, Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan
}}
{{Infobox deceased
| name           = Jayaprakash Narayan
| image          = Jayaprakash Narayan.jpg
| image_caption  = Jayaprakash Narayan in later years
| birth_date     = {{Birth date|1902|10|11}}
| birth_place    = [[Sitabdiara]], [[Bihar]], [[British India]]
| death_date     = {{Death date and age|1979|10|08|1902|10|11}}
| death_place    = [[Patna]], [[Bihar]], [[India]]
| nationality    = Indian
| occupation     = Activist, Politician, Social Reformer
| years_active   = 1920s–1979
| known_for      = [[Total Revolution]], [[JP Movement]], Anti-Emergency Protest
| spouse         = Prabhavati Devi
| awards         = [[Bharat Ratna]] (posthumous, 1999)
| resting_place  = Jayaprakash Park, Patna
| age_at_death   = 76
| website        = [https://pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/president-k-r-narayanan-presents-bharat-ratna-to-jayaprakash-narayan-posthumously/ Official Government Portal]
| notable_works  = Total Revolution, Leadership during Emergency (1975–77)
}}

'''Jayaprakash Narayan''' (11 October 1902 – 8 October 1979), popularly known as '''Loknayak''', was an Indian freedom fighter, political leader, and social reformer. He is best known for leading the [[Total Revolution]] movement and for his pivotal role during the [[Emergency (India)|Emergency]] period under Indira Gandhi.<ref>https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jayaprakash-Narayan</ref>

== Early Life and Education ==
He was born in [[Sitabdiara]] village in Bihar and pursued higher studies in the United States. There, he studied Marxism, sociology, and political science at institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Iowa.<ref>https://www.thebetterindia.com/107959/jayaprakash-narayan-facts/</ref>

== Role in Indian Freedom Movement ==
After returning to India, JP joined the [[Indian National Congress]] and later became a founding member of the [[Congress Socialist Party]] in 1934. He participated actively in the freedom struggle and was imprisoned several times by the British colonial government.<ref>https://www.culturalindia.net/reformers/jayaprakash-narayan.html</ref>

== Total Revolution ==
In the 1970s, deeply concerned by corruption and authoritarianism in Indian politics, Jayaprakash Narayan initiated the idea of a "Total Revolution" (Sampoorna Kranti), which called for transformation in social, political, economic, and educational spheres.<ref>https://indianexpress.com/article/india/remembering-jayaprakash-narayan-5452683/</ref>

== Emergency Period ==
He emerged as the face of resistance during the [[Emergency (India)|Emergency]] (1975–77) declared by then Prime Minister [[Indira Gandhi]]. His leadership was instrumental in uniting opposition parties, leading to the formation of the [[Janata Party]] which defeated the Congress Party in the 1977 elections.<ref>https://scroll.in/article/850127/the-man-who-could-not-be-silenced-how-jayaprakash-narayan-changed-india</ref>

== Legacy ==
* Revered as the "Loknayak" or People's Leader.
* Declined all political posts including that of Prime Minister.
* A key inspiration for leaders like [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]], [[Nitish Kumar]], and [[George Fernandes]].
* Posthumously awarded the [[Bharat Ratna]] in 1999.
* Numerous parks, roads, and institutions across India are named in his honor.

== Notable Works ==
* Leadership in the [[Total Revolution]] movement
* Founding the [[Congress Socialist Party]]
* Inspiration for youth-led JP Movement (1974)
* Resistance against Emergency

== Awards ==
* [[Bharat Ratna]] (1999, posthumous)
* Commemorated by India Post with a stamp
* Honored in school textbooks and public institutions

== See Also ==
* [[Emergency (India)]]
* [[Indian Independence Movement]]
* [[Indira Gandhi]]
* [[Total Revolution]]
* [[Ram Manohar Lohia]]

== References ==
<references/>