Long before the Gandhian era had set in the country a true Gandhian was born in a small village in North Bihar. Jawaharlal Nehru, life long associate of Rajendra Prasad both in the struggle for independence and later in the Government after attaining independence described him as ‘Bharat”. Gandhiji, speaking of him said, “There is at least one man who would not hesitate to take the cup of poison from my hands.” Such was this man of extraordinary qualities.
Despite a peasant background, Rajendra Prasad had a brilliant academic career. He obtained First class First in all the examinations he took. He started his legal career in Calcutta as junior lawyer to Khan Bahadur Shamsul Huda. Impressed by his brilliance, he was offered a teaching assignment in Law College in Calcutta. But he plunged wholeheartedly into freedom struggle and the service of the people. He was earning as much as Rs.4000 every month when he gave up legal practice in 1920 at the call of Mahatma Gandhi.
Rajendra Prasad was in jail when on January 15, 1934 a devastating earthquake rocked Bihar. He was released two days later. Though ailing he immediately undertook the task of raising funds and organizing relief. The fund sponsored by him more contributions than the Viceroy’s fund. Never in the history of India had a single individual had organized relief to earthquake victims on such a grand scale in an efficient and effective manner. Rajendra Prasad became the President of the Congress party twice before independence.
His stewardship of the Constitution Assembly was exemplary. At its very first meting, he had announced that though the Assembly worked under limitations it would outgrow them and function as a sovereign body that recognized no outside authority. His elevation as the first President of India in 1950 raised doubts in some quarters - could a person who was temperamentally a peasant, who lived and dressed like one, impress as the Head of the state of a big country like India?
His performance as President received admiration of one and all. He lived a life of utter simplicity. During his visits to the holy places like Varanasi, he bathed like a common man. Without any hitch, he could sit down on the floor with people and at times share their food. He was common man’s President.
R. Venkataraman in his “My Presidential Years” said, “Dr. Rajendra Prasad continued the practice of the Viceroys and visited Simla for one month every year. Not only this he started the practice of sojourn in Hyderabad to give an opportunity to the people in the South to meet him. Dr. Rajendra Prasad never mixed religion with public life. He embodied the true Hindu concept of life. On the wall of his study and his bedroom in Rashtrapati Bhavan had his favourite couplet from Tulsi Ramayan – ‘Hariyai na himat visariyai Na Hari Ko Nam. Jahi Vidhee Rakhiyai Rama Vahi Vidhee Rahiyee’ (Have courage and do not lose touch with God, whatever role, he allots to you that you must fulfil)”.
Rajendra Prasad’s devotion to duty was unparalleled. Way back in 1947, he could not attend the funeral of his son’s wife, because his presence was required at Patna to curb communal riots. He put his grief aside and tried to stop further killing of innocent people. Similarly on January 25, 1960, when his sister who has been both a sister and a mother to him passed away, he sat near her death bed, numb with grief. The following day on January 26 he went to Janpath to take the Republic Day salute. Private grief gave way to public duty. Returning at noon, he took the body of his sister to the banks of the river Yamuna for the last rites. In the evening he was present again for the’ At Home’ hosted by him at Mughal Gardens.
After completing two terms in Rashtrapati Bhavan, Rajendra Prasad moved to Sadaqat Ashram in Patna. His last days were days of agony. The Chinese aggression shattered him completely.
Despite a peasant background, Rajendra Prasad had a brilliant academic career. He obtained First class First in all the examinations he took. He started his legal career in Calcutta as junior lawyer to Khan Bahadur Shamsul Huda. Impressed by his brilliance, he was offered a teaching assignment in Law College in Calcutta. But he plunged wholeheartedly into freedom struggle and the service of the people. He was earning as much as Rs.4000 every month when he gave up legal practice in 1920 at the call of Mahatma Gandhi.
Rajendra Prasad was in jail when on January 15, 1934 a devastating earthquake rocked Bihar. He was released two days later. Though ailing he immediately undertook the task of raising funds and organizing relief. The fund sponsored by him more contributions than the Viceroy’s fund. Never in the history of India had a single individual had organized relief to earthquake victims on such a grand scale in an efficient and effective manner. Rajendra Prasad became the President of the Congress party twice before independence.
His stewardship of the Constitution Assembly was exemplary. At its very first meting, he had announced that though the Assembly worked under limitations it would outgrow them and function as a sovereign body that recognized no outside authority. His elevation as the first President of India in 1950 raised doubts in some quarters - could a person who was temperamentally a peasant, who lived and dressed like one, impress as the Head of the state of a big country like India?
His performance as President received admiration of one and all. He lived a life of utter simplicity. During his visits to the holy places like Varanasi, he bathed like a common man. Without any hitch, he could sit down on the floor with people and at times share their food. He was common man’s President.
R. Venkataraman in his “My Presidential Years” said, “Dr. Rajendra Prasad continued the practice of the Viceroys and visited Simla for one month every year. Not only this he started the practice of sojourn in Hyderabad to give an opportunity to the people in the South to meet him. Dr. Rajendra Prasad never mixed religion with public life. He embodied the true Hindu concept of life. On the wall of his study and his bedroom in Rashtrapati Bhavan had his favourite couplet from Tulsi Ramayan – ‘Hariyai na himat visariyai Na Hari Ko Nam. Jahi Vidhee Rakhiyai Rama Vahi Vidhee Rahiyee’ (Have courage and do not lose touch with God, whatever role, he allots to you that you must fulfil)”.
Rajendra Prasad’s devotion to duty was unparalleled. Way back in 1947, he could not attend the funeral of his son’s wife, because his presence was required at Patna to curb communal riots. He put his grief aside and tried to stop further killing of innocent people. Similarly on January 25, 1960, when his sister who has been both a sister and a mother to him passed away, he sat near her death bed, numb with grief. The following day on January 26 he went to Janpath to take the Republic Day salute. Private grief gave way to public duty. Returning at noon, he took the body of his sister to the banks of the river Yamuna for the last rites. In the evening he was present again for the’ At Home’ hosted by him at Mughal Gardens.
After completing two terms in Rashtrapati Bhavan, Rajendra Prasad moved to Sadaqat Ashram in Patna. His last days were days of agony. The Chinese aggression shattered him completely.
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