CONTENTS:- Preface; List of Contributors; List of Illustrations; 1. Evolution of My Own Thinking; 2. My Concept of Total Revolution; 3. Panchayat Raj as the basis of Indian Polity; 4. Class Organization, Class Struggle and Social Change; 5. The Struggle for Tibet's Freedom; 6. Jayaprakash; 7. Who was this Man?; 8. In Search of the Holy Grail; 9. JP; 10. The Gentle Titan; 11. Light versus Darkness; 12. Democracy and People's Movement in Bihar; 13. Indian Socialism - Netaji and Loknayak; 14. Gandhi, Lohia and Jayaprakash; 15. Change with Continuity; 16. My Reminiscences of the Life of the Late Jayaprakash Narayan; 17. Social Significance of Jayaprakash Narayan - A New Area of Study and Policy Making; 18. What Jayaprakash Narayan Means for Theory; 19. Jayaprakash Narayan - In Quest of Truth; 20. Jayaprakash Narayan - A Profile; 21. Mission Betrayed?; 22. Social Implications of JP - A New Dimension; 23. JP's Message; 24. A Turning Point in Sarvodaya Movement; 25. JP's Movement - A Positive Role; 26. A Life-Long Revolutionary; 27. Jayaprakash Narayan and Civil Liberties Movement; 28. JP's Concept of Total Revolution; 29. Jayaprakash Narayan - A Political Morality" Re-examined; 30. Concept of Lok-sakti (Power of the People) in Jayaprakash Narayan's Philosophy; 31. JP on Alternative Polkity and Social Change; 32. Social Capital through Participatory Democracy - JP's Total Revolution Revisited; 33. Towards a Re-evaluation of Lok Nayak; Books and Materials Consulted; Bibliography; Index; Illustrations.
DESCRIPTION
Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, popularly known as 'JP', has been a beacon light in both pre-and post-independence India. His life and ideas are being keenly studied by academics and activists in many parts of the globe. In the words of Gandhi: "JP is an outstanding general in India's fight for freedom. Any country will be proud of such jewels among men". The epithet Loknayak was lovingly conferred on him by millions of his admirers. If Gandhi's life reflects an 'experiment with truth' the JP's life essentially signifies an experiment with freedom. His sage of freedom started from a stint in revolutionary violence and in different phases of his life his deep search for freedom passed through, Non-cooperation, Marxism, Democratic Socialism, Sarvoday and Total Revolution was unique. In his youth he was hero of heroes during August Revolution and towards the end of his life he provided leadership in a movement to save India from an imminent threat of losing even the basic structure of Indian Democracy. JP's deep deep involvement in in public life for more than half a century, without any attachment to power and position could be treated as a parallel to Gandhi's. In personal life his detachment should be regarded as unprecedented among worldly men. The present book is not just commemorative episode in the life of great leader of the 20th century in his own facile pen, some eloquent and intimate accounts from his front-ranking compatriots and writings by some brilliant academics as well. Probably, JP's relevance would be felt more in the 21st century, when this volume may stimulate further thinking on alternative society and polity, goals that JP aspired for all through his life.
