Bihar movement
Also called: JP movement · Topic: The Emergency (1975-77) and the Crisis of Democratic Order · NCERT: Class 9, Ch 6 "Democracy"; Class 12, Ch 6 "The Crisis of Democratic Order"
Meaning
The Bihar movement was a student protest that began in Bihar in March 1974. The students protested against rising prices, food shortages, unemployment and corruption. They invited Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) to lead them. He agreed on two conditions: the movement must stay non-violent, and it must not be limited to Bihar. Because of this, it became a national movement against Indira Gandhi's government. It is also called the JP movement.
Example
JP demanded that the Bihar government be dismissed. Bandhs (shutdowns) and gheraos (surrounding officials to press demands) followed, but the government refused to resign. In June 1974 JP called for "total revolution" (Sampoorna Kranti). In 1975 he led a huge march to Parliament, and opposition parties presented him as the alternative to Indira Gandhi.
Don't confuse with
- Gujarat Navnirman movement: it started earlier (January 1974) and ended in President's rule and fresh state elections. The Bihar movement did not bring down its state government. Instead, it grew into a national movement under JP.