Monday, 5 July 2021

'THE LEGACY': 15: BIHAR VIBHUTI ANUGRAH NARAYAN SINHA AND KRISHNA BALLABH SAHAY (05/07/2021)

 






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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