Among the illustrious sons of Bihar,
the name of Dr Anugrah Narayan Sinha shines like a polestar. Anugrah Babu’s
ancestors were from Dev in Aurangabad district in Bihar. Anugrah Narayan Road
railway station on the Gaya-Dehri-on-Sone segment on the Grand Chord reminds
travellers of the importance of this place. Anugrah Narayan Sinha was
associated with the freedom struggle since the Champaran Satyagraha launched by
Gandhiji. During the freedom struggle, the harmony between 'Bihar
Vibhuti' Anugrah Narayan Sinha, 'Bihar Kesari' Shri Krishna
Sinha and the 'Iron Man of Bihar' Krishna Ballabh Sahay was
exemplary.
The triumvirate of Anugrah Babu, Sri
Babu and K.B. not only participated in the freedom struggle shoulder to
shoulder but were architects of modern Bihar after independence as they carried
out unprecedented work for the development of the State. Together they challenged
the communal forces and succeeded in maintaining harmony in the
society. People still remember the camaraderie between this triumvirate of
leadership who were instrumental in making Bihar one of the most progressive
states of India in the initial decades after independence. Though the winds of
time did shake the foundation of this friendship in 1957, it emerged unscathed
stronger than ever without a shade of animosity between them.
After the elections
in 1937 under the provisions of the Government of India Act 1935,
the Congress, after initial hesitation, decided to form the Government and
staked its claim after Md Yunus failed to prove the majority. Shri Krishna Sinha
and Anugrah Babu were members of the Central Legislature (Council of
States) and were not directly associated with the politics of Bihar. On
the other hand, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad supported the candidature of Syed
Mahmud, a prominent leader of Bihar. It was understood that Syed Mahmud would be elected
the Prime Minister (The State Chief was called Prime Minister and not Chief Minister
in those days). But Dr Rajendra Prasad had other ideas. At the last
moment, he asked Shri Krishna Sinha to contest the leadership election. Anugrah
Babu exhibited a large heart and not only accepted Dr Rajendra Prasad’s
decision but along with Krishna Ballabh Sahay canvassed to win the support of
legislators in favour of Sri Babu. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad did not hide his
displeasure to Dr Rajendra Prasad’s decision and wrote about this episode in
his memoir ’India Wins Freedom’. During 1937-1939, despite the limited powers
that the Act of 1935 extended to the elected government, this trinity succeeded
in establishing an efficient administrative system in Bihar and took many decisions
that effectively improved the condition of farmers, labourers and unemployed
youth. During this period, Anugrah Babu and Krishna Ballabh Babu worked
together as members in several Select Committees that were constituted to
address different issues. It was customary during those days to refer
legislation for review to Select Committee before laying the legislation on the
Table of the House. The members of the Select Committee were the stakeholders
concerned and members of all parties. Each provision of the legislation was
discussed threadbare during the meetings of the Select Committee it was recommended
for adoption by the House. This practice is now almost defunct causing an impasse in the smooth implementation of legislation. The opposition to the Kisan Bill, which
has sparked controversy after it became law is one such example. Anugrah Babu
and Krishna Ballabh Babu worked together either as Chairman or member of the
Select Committees constituted to review the Chotanagpur Tenancy (Amendment)
Bill, 1937, the Bihar and Orissa Irrigation Works (Amendment) Bill,
1939 and many other legislations.
In 1946 the issue
of leadership came to the fore once again. This time at the request of the then
Congress President Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Anugrah Babu once again gave up his
candidacy for the post of Prime Minister in favour of Shri Krishna Sinha and
accepted the post of Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister in this
cabinet. Krishna Ballabh Babu was the Revenue Minister in this cabinet. This
was the period the whole country witnessed unprecedented communal
riots. With their wisdom, this triumvirate kept these riots under control
in Bihar. This was abhorred by the leaders of the Muslim League who tried
to create a rift in society by planting stories in the 'Star of India'- a newspaper that
was known for its biased reporting. Krishna Ballabh Sahay countered this by
using the same Press to put across the Government’s point of view. During this
period a newspaper named 'Dehat' prominently printed a statement
of Krishna Ballabh Babu in which he had compared 'Shri Krishna Sinha and Babu Anugrah
Narayan Sinha akin to the two eyes of Janani-Janmabhoomi. These two eyes of
Bihar kept an eye on the disturbing elements of the society and were hence
successful in checking communal riots in the state'.
This was
frustrating for some of the local Muslim League leaders who did not like such a
comparison. Objecting to K. B. Sahay’s statement Syed Amin Ahmed drew attention
to the atrocities on Muslims in the state. Describing the condition of
Bihar as better than Bengal, Krishna Ballabh Babu, quoted a couplet
from Tulsidas 'Ramcharitmanas' to remind Amin Ahmed to refrain from
giving importance to communalism. In a debate in Bihar Legislative Assembly, K.
B. Sahay countered the communalist forces in a strongly worded statement-‘Sir,
my friend Mr Saiyid Amin Ahmad is angry with the Editor of ‘Dehat’
for having praised the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the Hon’ble Finance Minister
(Sri Krishna Sinha and Sri Anugrah Narayan Sinha respectively) and with me for
having called them as the two eyes of the province. I am obliged to him that he
did not give it a communal shape. Cannot he suppress his jealousy a bit? ‘Je par dosh lakhahi sah saakhi, par
hit ghrit jinake man maakhi; vachan vajra jehi sada piyaara, sahas Nathan par
dosh nihaara’. I bow down with
sincerity before the wicked whose conduct remains indifferent even towards
their well-wishers. Amin Sahib’s conduct will adversely affect his community without
any reason and it is better not to be misled by
Suhrawardy Sahib, the Prime Minister of Bengal because the condition of
Bihar is better than Bengal’.
After independence,
along with the country, Bihar marched ahead on the path of development. In
Bihar, the trinity of Shri Babu, Anugrah Babu and
Krishna Ballabh Babu started a new chapter of development with better
coordination and administrative acumen. Bihar became the first state in
the country to abolish the zamindari and the credit for it goes to the
collective leadership of Sri Babu, Anugrah Babu and Krishna Ballabh Babu. K. B. Sahay went on to clear the numerous
doubts raised by Dr Rajendra Prasad during their meeting at New Delhi on 14th
May 1948 where he was unequivocally supported by Sri Krishna Sinha and Anugrah
Narayan Sinha. Dr Rajendra Prasad had raised doubts regarding several clauses
and provisions of the Zamindari Abolition Bill. These apprehensions pertained
to Section 2(k), Section 4(a) and Section 21 of the Bill. All these sections
pertained to the Government’s decision on the proposed compensation package
to zamindars.
At the end of the First
Five Year Plan (1951-1956), Bihar was one of the leading states of the
country. This was announced by Anugrah Babu in the Bihar Legislative
Assembly. During 1951-52-1960-61 the average growth rate of agriculture in
the country was 32.3% while in Bihar this growth rate was 50.3%. On the
other hand, Bihar was ranked third in terms of industrial investment in the
country during this period. The then state of Bihar was known throughout
the country for its excellent law and order. Presenting the police budget
in the Bihar Legislative Assembly in 1956, Krishna Ballabh Babu gave this
information and presented the comparative statistics of crimes in different
states of the country. There is no reason why Dr. Paul Henson Appleby, a leading expert
in public administration, had counted Bihar as one of the best administered states
in the country, though critics do not hesitate to refute this fact in the same
manner as an indifferent Press refused to acknowledge the genius and the legacy
of Krishna Ballabh Babu. Even during the Third Five Year Plan
(1961-62-1966-67), Bihar was at par with other provinces in agricultural and
industrial development - the country's largest industrial complex was
established by Krishna Ballabh Babu in 1964 at Adityapur, which was spread in 31000
acres of land. It took twelve years for another industrial estate of such
magnitude and scale to come up when in 1976 NOIDA was developed as an industrial
estate. This is indicative of the fact that K. B. Sahay was a visionary far
ahead of his time. In 1964, Krishna Ballabh Babu organized an 'Industrial
Conclave ' in Patratu to invite private investment for the development
of industry in Bihar. Such a concept was visualised by another visionary leader
a full forty years later in 2003 in another province when 'Vibrant Gujarat' was
organised as an annual affair to invite investments for industrial development. Despite
such far-reaching decisions, Bihar slid because it Biharis negated the
leadership of K.B. while Gujarat supported its leader and catapulted him on the
national stage. To hide their failure, the present leadership of Bihar blame
the ‘landlocked’
topography of the state responsible for the industrial backwardness of the
State. But Bihar was always a ‘landlocked’ state
and its topography did not change in the Sixties. Krishna Ballabh Babu never
let these shortcomings come in the way. Even in the Sixties, he took decisions that
were far ahead of its time that a nation adopted twelve to forty years later. Any
other leader would have drawn praise from the Press and the media. But it
wasn’t so in K. B. Sahay’s case. The Bihar Press and the Socialist leaders went
hoarse over K. B. Sahay’s effort to industrialise the State and dismissed it as
corrupt practice biased in favour of a handful of business houses. The same
narration is being repeated today. In the hindsight, it may be decisively
concluded that the genius of Krishna Ballabh Babu was never evaluated in the correct
perspective. A yug-purush like K. B. Sahay was disgraced by an
insensitive Press and Media and an opposition that was too myopic in its
outlook.
However, we come
back to the main topic of the ups and downs of the political relationship
between Anugrah Babu and Krishna Ballabh Babu. The Congress came to power once
again after the second Legislative Assembly election in 1957. Anugrah Babu had
loyally remained on the sidelines till but he did nurture the ambition of
leading the State. For the first time, he declared his candidature for the Congress
Legislature Party leader and this brought him face to face with Sribabu. In
fact, over the years, Sribabu's affection for leaders of his caste, especially
Mahesh Prasad Sinha, and his obsession with grooming his political career had
alienated him from other leaders. As a result, for the first time, Anugrah
Babu challenged Sribabu for the post of leader. Krishna Ballabh Babu sided
with Anugrah Babu as his rivalry with Mahesh Prasad Sinha turned him away from
Sribabu. Anugrah Babu was defeated in the election for the leader of the
Congress Legislature Party. Putting aside all rivalry, Anugrah Babu went
ahead to meet Sribabu at his residence on the day he was defeated. Both leaders
hugged each other and all animosities melted away in thin air, though Anugrah
Babu did dismiss the contest an outcome of the mutual rivalry for supremacy between
Krishna Ballabh Babu and Mahesh Prasad Sinha. Krishna Ballabh Babu did not
react to Anugrah Babu's statement. He did not favour the public display of
differences. After holding Krishna Ballabh Babu responsible for his failed
ambition, Anugrah Babu did not live long. He died on July 5 of the same
year (1957). Thus Bihar lost a ' Chief Minister ' who
could never become a Chief Minister.
In 1957, Shri
Krishna Sinha constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Jayaprakash
Narayan to perpetuate the memory of Anugrah Babu. It should be noted that
around this time there was some vigorous correspondence about Krishna Ballabh
Babu, in which Jayaprakash Narayan had even advised Sribabu to rise above caste
interests and pay attention to other capable leaders. He was pointing
towards Krishna Ballabh Babu. Even though there were differences of opinion
among these leaders, it is a fact these weren’t personal and where the issue of
the state or the nation came, they came to work together in the overall
interest of the State. Today this culture is extinct. Jayaprakash Narayan
included Krishna Ballabh Babu in this committee, to which Sribabu did not
object. On the recommendation of this committee, 'Anugrah Narayan Sinha
Institute of Social Studies' was established in the memory of Anugrah
Babu in Patna in 1958. This institute was inaugurated by
the then President, Dr Rajendra Prasad.
After becoming in
1963 Chief Minister Krishna Vallabh Babu constituted a Committee in the
Chairmanship of Jai Prakash Narayan to recommend autonomy to the institute 'Anugrah
Narayan Sinha Institute of Social Studies'. K. B. Sahay wanted to bring out the
institute of government hurdles to enable it to carry out its mandate
freely. Apart from Lok Nayak other members of this Committee were also renowned
educationists and included Dr Balabhadra Prasad, Vice-Chancellor of
Allahabad University, Dr K. K. Dutt, Bihar Vidhan Sabha
Speaker and well-known litterateur Dr Laxmi Narayan Sudhanshu and University
Grants Commission Deputy Chairman Mr K.S.V. Raman. Based on the
recommendations of the Advisory Committee, the 'Anugrah Narayan Sinha
Institute of Social Studies Bill 1963’ was introduced in the Bihar Legislative
Assembly, granting greater autonomy to this hallowed institution. The Bill
couldn’t be passed due to prolonged discussion on it by Socialist members of
the House. It may be noted that though the leadership of the Advisory Committee
was held by Jayaprakash Narayan, the most powerful Socialist leader of the
period, the Bill faced the severest opposition from Socialist leaders who
opposed the Bill not only as a member of the Select Committee but also on the floor of the House when the Bill came up for debate.
On 20 February
1964, during the discussion on this bill, Krishna Ballabh Babu, explaining the
intention of reconstituting this advisory committee, said that - "people of eminence have
been kept in the Advisory Committee of this institution to give sound advice to
this institution. Shri Jayaprakash Narayan takes great interest in the
work of this institution and so the Committee was constituted in his
Chairmanship. Our colleagues Shri Kapil Dev Singh, Shri Karpoori Thakur
and Shri Tej Narayan Jha have suggested that an effort should be made to pass
this bill in this session and it is also the desire of Shri Jayaprakash Narayan
that the government should implement its recommendations as early as possible. I,
therefore, submit that the Select Committee may submit its report at the earliest
possible so that we may discuss the Bill in April and pass the law. In the end,
I would like to request the issue should not be politicised. We must remember
that this institution has been created in the memory of an illustrious son of
the soil. We will not be loyal to that person if the Bill becomes an
issue to score political points. We want good this organization to do good work
for which we propose to grant it more autonomy. Whatever name you put for this,
but there should not be politics behind it'.
Krishna Ballabh
Babu wished that the Select Committee should give its report as soon as
possible i.e. by 31st March, and the Bill is passed in April during the same
session of the Assembly after discussion in the Assembly for a couple of days.
The aim was to coincide it with the birth celebrations of Anugrah Babu on 18th
June as a token of tribute to this illustrious son of the State. But it was not to be. Due to various reasons, the matter swirled
between the Select Committee for the next two months and finally the session of
the Legislative Assembly ended on 20th April 1964. In this dilemma, the
day of the date of birth of Anugrah Narayan Sinha came and
went. Similarly, the day of his death anniversary i.e. 5th July also
passed.
Finally, the seventh session of the Third Assembly of the Bihar Legislative Assembly was
convened on 20th July 1964 and on the same day Krishna Ballabh Babu laid the
Bill on the Table of the House, as reported by the Select Committee. Once
again the opposition engaged in the discussion of certain amendments in the
bill and suggested sending it to the Select Committee again. It was clear
that the opposition was adopting a policy of avoidance. When Krishna
Ballabh Babu stood up to speak on this debate on 21st July, he looked more
restrained than the other day. Pointing to Kamadeva Babu he said 'I do not want to say too much on what
Kamadeva Babu has proposed. I had said that the recommendations made by
the Select Committee should be reviewed within the ambit of the
recommendations. But I am sad to note that my friends in opposition have too
many suggestions to make but not specific to the recommendations of the Select
Committee. Kamdeo Babu talked about many things but my problem is I could not
understand those things because these have nothing to do with the
recommendations of the Select Committee. I am reminded of an anecdote that
I read in my childhood. When a novice was asked to write a letter, he excused
saying that he had pain in his feet. When he was pressed about how pain in the leg
can affect his letter writing, he replied that after writing the letter he will
be asked to deliver it because no one will be able to decipher what he wrote.
So the pleas of Kamdev Singh is such that only he understands what he has
pleaded. My friends in opposition have questioned the activities of the
institute. Though I do not interfere in the day to day activities of the institute
I have come to know that this institute has done wonderful work in economic
studies and is certainly an asset to the government engaged in the development
of the State. The purpose of this bill is that it should be made a separate
body. However, representatives of the government should remain in it so
that it continues to get funds from the government and (being autonomous) it
can get funds from outside also. Government is the representative of the
people and therefore its representative will be on its Board. I believe the
amendments recommended by the Select Committee serve the purpose of this Bill. Therefore,
I urge the House to consider the Bill.'
When the Assembly
met again on 22nd July 1964, Krishna Ballabh Babu appealed to the members to
set aside their petty differences and consider passing the Bill as a tribute to
Anugrah Babu- "it is a holy institution. Let there be no politics
here." The opposition leaders finally acceded to the appeal and the
Bill was passed by the Bihar Legislative Assembly. On 8 October 1964, the
Gazette Notification related to this was issued by the Government of Bihar.
(Credits: ( i ) Proceedings
of the Bihar Legislative Assembly ( ii) ' Politics and
Governance in Indian States ' - Harihar Bhattacharya and Subrata
Mitra ( iii) ' India Wins Freedom ' - Maulana Abul
Kalam Azad ( iv) ' My Memoirs ' - Anugrah Narayan
Sinha ( v) Intra-Party Conflict in Bihar Congress- Ramashray
Rai)
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