The first President of free India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was born on December 3, 1884 in Ziradei village in Siwan district of Bihar to Mahadev Sahay and Kamleshwari Devi. Rajendra Prasad was youngest among his siblings and his father Mahadev Sahay was a Persian and Sanskrit language scholar. Being the youngest in a large joint family "Rajen" was deeply loved and he was intensely attached to his mother and elder brother Mahendra. In Zeradei's assorted population, people lived together in great accord. Rajendra Prasad's earliest memories were of playing "kabaddi" with his Hindu and Muslim friends similarly. In keeping with the old customs of his village and family, Rajen was married when he was just 12 years old to Rajvanshi Devi.
Rajendra Prasad was a bright student and he stood first in the entrance examination to the University of Calcutta and was awarded Rs.30/month as scholarship. He then joined the well-known Calcutta Presidency College in 1902. However, his scholarship, incongruously has posed as the first ordeal of his patriotism. Gopal Krishna Gokhale had started the Servants of India Society in 1905 and asked Rajendra Prasad to join but as he had a sense of duty and responsibility toward his family and education, after much consideration and reflection he refused Gokhale. However, the decision was not rest easy on him and he evoked, "I was miserable" and for the first time in his life his performance in university demurred and just cleared his law examinations. Having made his choice, he set apart the obtrusive thoughts, and focused on his studies with improved dynamism. In the year 1915, he passed the Masters in Law examination with honours, winning a gold medal and subsequently, he completed his Doctorate in Law as well.
As a proficient lawyer, he realized it would be only a matter of time before he would be caught up in the commotion of the fight for independence. While Gandhiji was on a fact finding mission in Chamaparan district of Bihar to address grievances of local peasants, he called on Rajendra Prasad to come to Champaran with volunteers. Dr. Prasad rushed to Champaran. In the beginning, he was not impressed with Gandhiji's manifestation or discussion; however, with time he was deeply moved by the commitment, fervour and valour that Gandhiji displayed. Here was a man alien of the parts, who had made the cause of the people of Champaran his own. Dr.Prasad decided that he would do everything he could to help, with his skills as a lawyer and as a fervent volunteer.
Gandhiji's persuasion significantly changed many of Dr. Prasad's views, most importantly on caste and untouchability. Gandhiji made Dr. Prasad comprehend that the nation, working for a common cause, "became of one caste, namely co-workers." Dr. Prasad reduced the number of servants he had to one, and sought ways to simplify his life. He no longer felt shame in sweeping the floor, or washing his own utensils, tasks he had all along assumed others would do for him.
Whenever the people suffered, Dr. Prasad was present to help condense the pain. In the year 1914 floods wrecked Bihar and Bengal and Dr. Prasad became a volunteer distributing food and cloth to the flood victims. In 1934, Bihar was traumatized by an earthquake, which caused immense damage and loss of property and the quake, devastating by itself, was followed by floods and an outbreak of malaria which heightened misery and Dr. Prasad as pacifist went forward with relief work, collecting food, clothes and medicine. His experiences here led to similar efforts elsewhere too. Dr. Prasad was not allowed to assist because of Government restrictions. Even so, he set up relief committees in Sind and Punjab for the homeless victims who flocked there.
Dr. Prasad called for non-cooperation in Bihar as part of Gandhiji's non-cooperation movement. Dr. Prasad gave up his law practice and started a National College near Patna, 1921. The college was later shifted to Sadaqat Ashram on the banks of the Ganga. The non-cooperation movement in Bihar spread like wildfire. Dr. Prasad toured the state, holding public meeting after another, collecting funds and galvanizing the nation for a complete boycott of all schools, colleges and Government offices. He urged the people to take to spinning and wear only khadi. Bihar and the entire nation was taken by storm, the people responded to the leaders' call. The machinery of the mighty British Raj was coming to a grinding halt. The British India Government utilized the one and only option at its disposal-force. Mass arrests were made. Lala Lajpat Rai, Jawaharlal Nehru, Deshbandhu Chittranjan Das and Maulana Azad were arrested. Then it happened. Peaceful non- cooperation turned to violence in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh. In light of the events at Chauri Chaura, Gandhiji suspended the civil disobedience movement. The entire nation was hushed. A murmur of dissent began within the top brass of the Congress. Gandhiji was criticized for what was called the "Bardoli retreat." Dr. Prasad stood by his mentor, seeing the wisdom behind his actions. Gandhiji did not want to set a precedent of violence free India and in March 1930, Gandhiji launched the Salt Satyagraha. He planned to march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi seashore to break the salt laws. A salt satyagraha was launched in Bihar under Dr. Prasad. Nakhas Pond in Patna was chosen as the site of the satyagraha and group after batch of volunteers were arrested while making salt. Many volunteers were injured and Dr. Prasad called for more volunteers. Public opinion forced the Government to withdraw the police and allow the volunteers to make salt. Dr. Prasad then sold the manufactured salt to raise funds. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment.
His service on the various fronts of the movement for independence raised his profile considerably. Dr. Prasad presided over the Bombay session of the Indian National Congress in October 1934. Following the resignation of Subhash Chandra Bose as the President of the Congress in April 1939, Dr. Prasad was elected President. He did his best to heal the rifts created between the incompatible ideologies of Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhiji. Rabindranath Tagore wrote to Dr. Prasad, "I feel assured in my mind that your personality will help to soothe the injured souls and bring peace and unity into an atmosphere of mistrust and chaos..." As the freedom struggle progressed, the dark shadow of communalism which had always lurked in the background steadily grew. To Dr. Prasad's dismay, communal riots began spontaneously burst all over the nation and in Bihar. He rushed from one scene to another to control the riots. Independence was fast approaching and so was the prospect of partition. Dr. Prasad, who had such fond memories of playing with his Hindu and Muslim friends in Zeradei, now had the misfortune of witnessing the nation being ripped into two.
In July 1946, when the Constituent Assembly was established to frame the Constitution of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected its President. Two and a half years after independence, on January 26, 1950, the Constitution of independent India was ratified and Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected the nation's first President. Dr. Prasad transformed the imperial splendor of Rashtrapati Bhavan into an elegant "Indian" home. Dr. Prasad visited many countries on missions of goodwill, as the new state sought to establish and nourish new relationships. He stressed the need for peace in a nuclear age. In 1962, after 12 years as President, Dr. Prasad retired, and was later awarded the Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian award. With the many tumults of his vigorous and accomplished life, Dr. Prasad recorded his life and the decades before independence in many books, among the more noted of which are "Satyagraha at Champaran" (1922), "India Divided" (1946), his autobiography "Atmakatha" (1946), "Mahatma Gandhi and Bihar, Some Reminisences" (1949), and "Bapu ke Kadmon Mein" (1954). Dr. Prasad spent the last few months of his life in retirement at the Sadaqat Ashram in Patna and died on February 28, 1963.
Birth : December 3, 1884
Death: February 28, 1963
Achievements: First President of independent India; President of the Constituent Assembly; President of Congress in 1943 and 1939.
Rajendra Prasad was a bright student and he stood first in the entrance examination to the University of Calcutta and was awarded Rs.30/month as scholarship. He then joined the well-known Calcutta Presidency College in 1902. However, his scholarship, incongruously has posed as the first ordeal of his patriotism. Gopal Krishna Gokhale had started the Servants of India Society in 1905 and asked Rajendra Prasad to join but as he had a sense of duty and responsibility toward his family and education, after much consideration and reflection he refused Gokhale. However, the decision was not rest easy on him and he evoked, "I was miserable" and for the first time in his life his performance in university demurred and just cleared his law examinations. Having made his choice, he set apart the obtrusive thoughts, and focused on his studies with improved dynamism. In the year 1915, he passed the Masters in Law examination with honours, winning a gold medal and subsequently, he completed his Doctorate in Law as well.
As a proficient lawyer, he realized it would be only a matter of time before he would be caught up in the commotion of the fight for independence. While Gandhiji was on a fact finding mission in Chamaparan district of Bihar to address grievances of local peasants, he called on Rajendra Prasad to come to Champaran with volunteers. Dr. Prasad rushed to Champaran. In the beginning, he was not impressed with Gandhiji's manifestation or discussion; however, with time he was deeply moved by the commitment, fervour and valour that Gandhiji displayed. Here was a man alien of the parts, who had made the cause of the people of Champaran his own. Dr.Prasad decided that he would do everything he could to help, with his skills as a lawyer and as a fervent volunteer.
Gandhiji's persuasion significantly changed many of Dr. Prasad's views, most importantly on caste and untouchability. Gandhiji made Dr. Prasad comprehend that the nation, working for a common cause, "became of one caste, namely co-workers." Dr. Prasad reduced the number of servants he had to one, and sought ways to simplify his life. He no longer felt shame in sweeping the floor, or washing his own utensils, tasks he had all along assumed others would do for him.
Whenever the people suffered, Dr. Prasad was present to help condense the pain. In the year 1914 floods wrecked Bihar and Bengal and Dr. Prasad became a volunteer distributing food and cloth to the flood victims. In 1934, Bihar was traumatized by an earthquake, which caused immense damage and loss of property and the quake, devastating by itself, was followed by floods and an outbreak of malaria which heightened misery and Dr. Prasad as pacifist went forward with relief work, collecting food, clothes and medicine. His experiences here led to similar efforts elsewhere too. Dr. Prasad was not allowed to assist because of Government restrictions. Even so, he set up relief committees in Sind and Punjab for the homeless victims who flocked there.
Dr. Prasad called for non-cooperation in Bihar as part of Gandhiji's non-cooperation movement. Dr. Prasad gave up his law practice and started a National College near Patna, 1921. The college was later shifted to Sadaqat Ashram on the banks of the Ganga. The non-cooperation movement in Bihar spread like wildfire. Dr. Prasad toured the state, holding public meeting after another, collecting funds and galvanizing the nation for a complete boycott of all schools, colleges and Government offices. He urged the people to take to spinning and wear only khadi. Bihar and the entire nation was taken by storm, the people responded to the leaders' call. The machinery of the mighty British Raj was coming to a grinding halt. The British India Government utilized the one and only option at its disposal-force. Mass arrests were made. Lala Lajpat Rai, Jawaharlal Nehru, Deshbandhu Chittranjan Das and Maulana Azad were arrested. Then it happened. Peaceful non- cooperation turned to violence in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh. In light of the events at Chauri Chaura, Gandhiji suspended the civil disobedience movement. The entire nation was hushed. A murmur of dissent began within the top brass of the Congress. Gandhiji was criticized for what was called the "Bardoli retreat." Dr. Prasad stood by his mentor, seeing the wisdom behind his actions. Gandhiji did not want to set a precedent of violence free India and in March 1930, Gandhiji launched the Salt Satyagraha. He planned to march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi seashore to break the salt laws. A salt satyagraha was launched in Bihar under Dr. Prasad. Nakhas Pond in Patna was chosen as the site of the satyagraha and group after batch of volunteers were arrested while making salt. Many volunteers were injured and Dr. Prasad called for more volunteers. Public opinion forced the Government to withdraw the police and allow the volunteers to make salt. Dr. Prasad then sold the manufactured salt to raise funds. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment.
His service on the various fronts of the movement for independence raised his profile considerably. Dr. Prasad presided over the Bombay session of the Indian National Congress in October 1934. Following the resignation of Subhash Chandra Bose as the President of the Congress in April 1939, Dr. Prasad was elected President. He did his best to heal the rifts created between the incompatible ideologies of Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhiji. Rabindranath Tagore wrote to Dr. Prasad, "I feel assured in my mind that your personality will help to soothe the injured souls and bring peace and unity into an atmosphere of mistrust and chaos..." As the freedom struggle progressed, the dark shadow of communalism which had always lurked in the background steadily grew. To Dr. Prasad's dismay, communal riots began spontaneously burst all over the nation and in Bihar. He rushed from one scene to another to control the riots. Independence was fast approaching and so was the prospect of partition. Dr. Prasad, who had such fond memories of playing with his Hindu and Muslim friends in Zeradei, now had the misfortune of witnessing the nation being ripped into two.
In July 1946, when the Constituent Assembly was established to frame the Constitution of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected its President. Two and a half years after independence, on January 26, 1950, the Constitution of independent India was ratified and Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected the nation's first President. Dr. Prasad transformed the imperial splendor of Rashtrapati Bhavan into an elegant "Indian" home. Dr. Prasad visited many countries on missions of goodwill, as the new state sought to establish and nourish new relationships. He stressed the need for peace in a nuclear age. In 1962, after 12 years as President, Dr. Prasad retired, and was later awarded the Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian award. With the many tumults of his vigorous and accomplished life, Dr. Prasad recorded his life and the decades before independence in many books, among the more noted of which are "Satyagraha at Champaran" (1922), "India Divided" (1946), his autobiography "Atmakatha" (1946), "Mahatma Gandhi and Bihar, Some Reminisences" (1949), and "Bapu ke Kadmon Mein" (1954). Dr. Prasad spent the last few months of his life in retirement at the Sadaqat Ashram in Patna and died on February 28, 1963.
Birth : December 3, 1884
Death: February 28, 1963
Achievements: First President of independent India; President of the Constituent Assembly; President of Congress in 1943 and 1939.