Lalu Prasad Yadav - Gopalganj to Raisina: My Political Journey

Praise for the Book

This autobiography of Shri Lalu Prasad makes a fascinating read. It depicts a life of immense struggle, adventure and enterprise. I had the privilege of having him as a colleague in my Cabinet during UPA-I. He was a very successful Railways Minister whose work was highly appreciated both in India and abroad. He gave me full support in carrying out my onerous responsibilities as Prime Minister.

Dr Manmohan Singh, Former Prime Minister

I am confident that Laluji will be back soon on the centre stage and will guide us all to a better tomorrow.

Dr Farooq Abdullah, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha

All throughout, his life has been dedicated towards that last man of our society. Right from his days as a student leader, till his tenure as Chief Minister of Bihar and then as Union Railways Minister, Laluji has done commendable work and made an impeccable mark for himself.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha

Lalujis story is an incisive and remarkably candid memoir. He is one of Indias most influential political stalwarts. It is also a commentary on Indias recent political history.

Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister, West Bengal

Laluji is a leader of the masses. Undeterred by challenges and controversies, he rose to become Chief Minister of Bihar and Union Minister of Railways. During his entire political career, he spoke daringly, and did not mince words while attacking his opponents. His fight was against the unjust and feudal class and for the upliftment of the marginalized and impoverished in society.

Sharad Pawar, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha

Published by

Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd 2019

7/16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj

New Delhi 110002

Copyright Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nalin Verma 2019

Photos courtesy:

Chirag Babu: 122

Nagendra Kumar: 2336

The views and opinions expressed in this book are the authors own and the facts are as reported by him which have been verified to the extent possible, and the publishers are not in any way liable for the same.

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-93-5333-313-3

First impression 2019

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the publishers prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

This book is about the life of one of Indias most colourful, compelling and even controversial political personalities, all of which makes it a unique and fascinating story. Lalu Prasad Yadav has been an indefatigable champion of social justice and has fought relentlessly for the welfare of the weaker sections of society. He has been uncompromisingly fierce in preserving and protecting Indias secular traditions and values of religious pluralism. His reputation for being a very effective communicator is well known and he has endeared himself to even his political opponents by his wit and humour.

This book is about his lifes journey with its many twists and turns, with its many highs and lows, with its accomplishments and disappointments, with its bouquets and brickbats. It is a remarkable story of a man who overcame many obstacles and challenges to become the mass leader that he is. Over the decades, he has built up a legion of admirers as well as an army of critics. But what unites those who stand with him and those who oppose him, is the acceptance of the fact that he simply cannot be ignored; that he occupies a distinctive place in our public life. This narrative is an engaging and informative chronicle of the life and times of a man who has not only lived through recent history, but has also decisively shaped it in so many ways.

Sonia Gandhi

Chairperson

Congress Parliamentary Party

13 September 2018

Introduction

WOH SHAAN SALAMAT REHTI HAI

On 27 December 2017, I tweeted: Had people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Junior and Babasaheb Ambedkar failed in their efforts, history would have treated them as villains. They still are villains for the biased, racist and casteist minds. No one should expect any different treatment. Powerful people and powerful classes always managed to divide society into the ruling and the ruled classes. And whenever anyone from the lower rung of hierarchy challenged this unjust order, they would be deliberately punished.

The tweet may have surprised new-generation netizens. Coming from me, it might have sounded unusual to those who had nurtured perceptions on the basis of false propaganda spread about me by my political detractors, through condescending news channels. But Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi have lived in my thought process and actions ever since I entered student politics in the early 70s. They have been my role models and will remain so. The toiling masses and the persecuted minorities are aware of my rebellious and non-compromising streak. I have not used the names of great emancipators of mankind only to conduct some armchair academic exercises. I have acted upon and even tried to replicate what Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr, Ambedkar and Gandhi did in their battle against discrimination and injustice in their various sociopolitical contexts.

What was Mandelas offence, for which he was persecuted, virtually declared a terrorist and kept in jail for 27 long years? He fought against apartheidthe policy of White dominance, discrimination and injustice. He questioned the racial segregation of Blacks, and was charged with sedition. Mandela continued his battle, defying all odds, and eventually freed the Blacks from the shackles of White dominance and racial discrimination in South Africa.

Take the example of Martin Luther King Jr. A woman, Rosa Parks, was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, after she refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a White male in 1955. The incident moved King Jr, who organized a boycott of the Montgomery buses, which lasted for 385 days and culminated in a court in the United States (US) ending racial segregation on all public buses. Racists bombed the rights activists house. He was tortured and assassinated by the enemies of society in 1968. Though he was assassinated way back in 1968, the unrelenting struggle for the right to equality and dignity for Blacks in the US continued long after he was gone. His struggle came to fruition in 2008, when the seemingly impossible happeneda Black became the President of the United States of America, not just for one term but for two in succession.

Babasaheb Ambedkar was born in the Mahar caste, and was treated as an untouchable by the Brahminical order and other Manuvadi forces. He and other untouchable students were segregated in school and were not allowed to mingle with students of other castes. When they needed water, someone from a higher caste would pour water into their cupped palms from a height, for the untouchables were not allowed to even come in contact with the vessel. But the humiliation and other hurdles that he suffered did not deter this brave warrior son of Mother India from going abroad for higher studies. His struggle, commitment to the oppressed, and unmatched genius resulted in the Indian National Congress (INC) asking him to become the chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution of India. Since Independence, Babasaheb has been held and celebrated as the architect of the Constitution by friends and even foes (the Manuvadi forces). He remains a source of inspiration for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs) and other oppressed classes of the country, even after more than 60 years of his death; so much so that even the Manuvadi forces, who subscribe to the caste hierarchy, today claim to be the champions of Babasahebs legacy. It would not be out of place to mention here a passage in one of the sacred texts that reflects the caste conundrum: