Introduction

Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first President of independent India, known to be
one of the greatest political leaders as well as social reformers, who in spite
of being a product of the Western culture was a true Indian at heart. A
lawyer by profession, this disciple of Gandhiji was one of the most crucial
leaders of the Indian national movement from Bihar. His contribution to the
Indian freedom struggle remains unforgettable. He was one of the
prominent leaders of the Indian Nationalist Movement alongside Jawaharlal
Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel and Lal Bahadur Shastri. He was one of those
passionate individuals who gave up a lucrative profession to pursue a greater
goal of attaining freedom for the Motherland. He took up the helms of
designing the Constitution of the nascent nation by heading up the
Constituent Assembly post-independence. To say it succinctly, Dr. Prasad
was one of the chief architects in shaping the Republic of India.

OR

Dr. Rajendra Prasad was one of the noblest personalities of our time. A scholar of
vast erudition, a humanist to the core with a feeling of love for all, a deeply
religious man inspired by lofty ideals, a fearless patriot and national

hero, who placed service above self, being always in the vanguard of our struggle
for freedom as a devoted follower of Mahatma Gandhi, and an enlightened and
successful

guide of fhe country after her emancipation from alien domination, he has left a
legacy of inspiration for generations to come. His life in many respects illumines
the pages of history of our country, particularly those which relate to the
successive phases of our national movement.

Early Life And Education

Dr. Rajendra Prasad, son of Mahadev Sahai, a Persian and Sanskrit scholar, and
Kamleshwari Devi was born in Zeradei, siwan, Bihar on December 3, 1884. Being the
youngest in a large joint family he was greatly loved. He was strongly attached to
his mother and elder brother Mahendra. At the young age of five, he was sent to a
Muslim scholar who gave him lessons in Persian, mathematics and Hindi. He was
raised in a landowning family of modest means. In Zeradei’s diverse population,
people lived together in considerable harmony. His earliest memories were of
playing “Kabaddi” with his Hindu and Muslim friends alike. From his childhood,
Rajendra Prasad had the habit of going to bed early and waking up before dawn.
During winter when the nights were long, he got up early and roused

his mother also from sleep. The pious lady then recited bhajans and narrated some
stories from the Ramayana, which “had a deep influence” on the boy. “Going to bed
at

sunset and waking up early became with me”, writes Rajendra Prasad, “a habit which
I could never shake off and it continued while I was in college.”

In keeping with the old customs of his village and family, he got married to
Rajvanshi Devi when he was barely 12 years old.

After Rajendra Prasad had received elementary education in the village, his
parents sent him for English education to Chapra with elder brother, Mahendra
Prasad.

Through undivided attentiveness in the class and conscientious devotion to studies,

the boy Rajendra Prasad stood first in the class test held at the end of the year
and secured such high marks that the head master of the school, gave him a double
promotion. It was here, teacher Rasik Lai Roy who had made an abiding impression
on Rajendra Prasad. Rasik Lai Roy’s selfless love for his pupil, whom always
encouraged his students to work hard for obtaining high position in the
examinations and even gave free tuition, was a source of inspiration to Rajendra
Pra^ad.

By virtue of his intelligence, and undivided attention to studies, stood first in the
Entrance Examination of the University of Calcutta, the jurisdiction of which then
extended ^over Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Assam. This was Rajendra Prasad’s grand
reward for his unflinching devotion, to duty. His excellent merit got him the first
rank in the entrance examination of the Calcutta University. He was awarded a
scholarship of Rs. 30 per month. In 1902, he joined the Presidency College of
Calcutta, taking science as his subject, and was taught by veterans like A.J.C. Bose
and P.C. Roy. Later he decided to switch his focus to arts stream. Prasad lived with
his brother in the Eden Hindu Hostel. A plaque still commemorates his stay in that
room. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was instrumental in the formation of the Bihari
Students' Conference in 1908. It was the first organization of its kind in the whole
of India. The move produced the entire political leadership of the nineteen
twenties in Bihar. In 1907, Rajendra Prasad passed with a Gold medal in the
Masters degree in Economics from University of Calcutta..By 1915, he completed
his degree in Law.

and soon joined the Calcutta High Court as a lawyer. In 1916 he was transferred to
the Patna High Court and founded the Bihar Law Weekly. Later he also went to
finish his doctorate in Law in the subsequent years.

Career

Post his post-graduation, Rajendra Prassad joined as a Professor of English at

the Langat Singh College of Muzaffarpur, Bihar and later became its Principal.
He left the job in 1909 and came to Calcutta to pursue a degree in Law. While
studying Law at the University of Calcutta, he taught Economics at the Calcutta
City College. He completed his Masters in Law during 1915. He then went on to
pursue a Doctorate degree in Law from the Allahabad University.

At the time he set himself up as a legal practitioner in Calcutta in 1911,

apprenticed to Khan Bahadur Shamsul Huda, he had also joined the Indian National
Congress and was elected to the AICC.

A year earlier, he impressed Sir Asutosh Mukherjee so deeply that the latter
offered him a Lectureship in Presidency Law College. Gopal Krishna Gokhale, one of
the greatest political leaders of India in those days, had met him in Calcutta a year
earlier and had exhorted him to join the Servants of India Society in Poona, but
the pressure of his family held him back. In 1916, Rajendra Prasad joined the Patna
High Court after its establishment and founded the Bihar Law Weekly.. He
continued his law practice in Bhagalpur (Bihar) while continuing his advanced
academic degrees. Dr. Prasad eventually emerged as a popular and eminent figure
of the entire region. Such was his intellect and his integrity, that often when his
adversary failed to cite a precedent, the judges asked Rajendra Prasad to cite a
precedent against them.
Though he practised law in the High Court of Bihar and Odisha from 1915 to
1920 and was simultaneously appointed as part of the Senate and Syndicate of
Patna University, Dr Rajendra Prasad’s life took a turn when he met Mahatma
Gandhi in 1916.
Influence of Gandhiji

Like many of his contemporaries, the political consciousness of Dr. Rajendra Prasad
was greatly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi. While Gandhiji was on a fact finding
mission in Chamaparan district of Bihar to address grievances of local peasants, he
called on Dr. Rajendra Prasad to come to Champaran with volunteers. He rushed to
Champaran. Initially he was not impressed with Gandhiji’s appearance or
conversation. In time, however, he was deeply moved by the dedication, conviction
and courage that Gandhiji displayed. Here was a man alien of the parts, who had
made the cause of the people of Champaran his own. He decided that he would do
everything he could to help, with his skills as a lawyer and as an enthusiastic
volunteer.
Gandhiji’s influence greatly altered many of his views, most importantly on caste
and untouchability. Gandhiji made Dr. Rajendra Prasad realize that the nation,
working for a common cause, “became of one caste, namely co-workers.” Following
his example, Dr. Prasad embraced an austere and simplified life. He readily gave up
on luxuries like servants and riches. He renounced his pride and ego, no longer felt
shame in sweeping the floor, or washing his own utensils, tasks he had all along
assumed others would do for him. He reduced the number of servants he had to
one, and sought ways to simplify his life.

Humanitarian
Dr. Prasad was always ready to help people who were in distress. Whenever the
people suffered, he was present to help reduce the pain. He volunteered his
services for the relief work during the great flood that affected Bengal and Bihar
in 1914. He distributed food and clothes to the victims himself. When the
earthquake of Bihar occurred on January 15, 1934, Rajendra Prasad was in jail. He
was released two days later. He set himself for the task of raising funds and set
up the Bihar Central Relief Committee on January 17. He oversaw collection of
relief funds and collected over Rs 38 Lakhs. The way the relief was organized, it
amply demonstrated the administrative acumen of Dr. Rajendra Prassad. During the
Quetta earthquake in 1935, he set up the Quetta Central Relief Committee in
Punjab, although he was prevented by the British to leave the country. This led to
his being elected the President of the National Congress in the same year in
Mumbai.

Political Career

Dr. Prasad entered the political arena in a quiet, light-footed manner. He

attended as a volunteer in the 1906 Calcutta session of the Indian National
Congress and formally joined the party in 1911. He was subsequently elected to
the AICC.

In 1917, Mahatma Gandhi visited Champaran to support the cause of the

peasants’ revolting against the forceful cultivation of Indigo by the British
authorities. Gandhi invited Dr. Prasad to the area to undertake a fact finding
mission regarding the claims of both the peasants and the British. Although
skeptical initially, Dr. Prasad was mightily impressed by Gandhi’s demeanor,
dedication and philosophy. Gandhi undertook the ‘Champaran Satyagraha’ and Dr.
Prasad offered his whole-hearted support to the cause.

The decades that followed were years of intense activity and much suffering. He
was the first leading political figure in the Eastern Provinces to join forces with
Gandhi ji at a time when the latter was without a large and effective following.
Another such leader from the West who joined Gandhi ji was Vallabhbhai Patel.
During the Nagpur Flag Satyagraha, Rajendra Prasad and Vallabhbhai became
closer. He cherished Sardar's friendship as one of the most pleasant memories of
his life. He often went to Sabarmati and toured the country with Gandhi ji.
Role in the Nationalist Movement

Rajendra Prasad was so shocked by the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in Amritsar in

1919 that he endorsed Gandhi's call for a noncooperation movement against
British Raj. In 1920, when Gandhi announced the commencement of the Non-
cooperation movement, Dr. Prasad gave up his lucrative law practice and
dedicated himself to the cause of freedom. He led the programs of non-
cooperation in Bihar. He toured the state, holding public meetings and making
heartfelt speeches for the support of movement. He undertook collection of
funds to enable the continuation of the movement. He urged people to boycott
Government schools, colleges and offices. He was part of the group which
founded the Bihar Vidyapeeth, an open rejection of the British education
system, at Mahatma Gandhi’s request to boycott Western institutions; even
enrolling his son as one of the students. Prasad also began to write articles, for
notable revolutionary papers, such as Searchlight and Desh, while also collecting
funding for the same. He travelled far and wide, lecturing, explaining and
gathering people to join the freedom struggle.

He started the National College in Patna in 1921. He upheld the ideas of

Swadeshi, asking people to boycott foreign goods, peruse the spinning wheel and
wear only khadi garments. He became very much involved in the Quit India
movement launched by Gandhi in 1942. He led protests and demonstrations in
Bihar (Patna in particular). The nationwide uproar demanding independence
instigated the British Government to undertake mass arrest of all influential
Congress leaders. His open rebellion did not go unnoticed by the British. Dr.
Prasad was arrested from Sadaqat Ashram, Patna and was sent to Bankipur
Central Jail where he spent 3 years imprisonment. He was released on 15 June
1945.

Congress presidency and other offices

1. The Government of India Act of 1935 awarded provincial autonomy to the

people of India. Under the provisions of the Act, elections were to be held in
the provinces in 1937. Congress won a majority in most of the provinces of
British India, including Bihar. Rajendra Prasad was a member of the
Parliamentary Board and played a key role in choosing candidates for
election.

2. When Subhash Chandra Bose resigned from the presidency of the Congress
in 1939, Gandhi persuaded Rajendra Prasad to accept the difficult job,
having the full support of his Working Committee.

3. Congress was again faced with a similar crisis in 1947 when Acharya Kriplani
resigned, and Prasad again took on the presidency, always trusted by his
colleagues.
 4. Just prior to independence, Rajendra Prasad was invited to join the viceroy's
Indian government in 1946. He was put in charge of Food and Agriculture,
and he created the popular national slogan "Grow More Food."

5. Prasad was then elected chairman of the Constituent Assembly, an important

and challenging job, from which he guided, regulated, and controlled the
drafting and adoption of India's Constitution from August 1947 until 26
January 1950.

First president of India

When the Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950, Dr Rajendra
Prasad took office as the first ever president of India. While candidates backed
by Nehru contested his presidency, every election that took place saw Rajendra
Prasad win by massive margins. His differences with Nehru continued, especially
during the Hindu Code Bill, which Prasad believed would preserve India’s culture
and heritage, in the light of progress. He exercised his moderating influence and
molded national policies unobtrusively, leading many to think that, unlike any other
head of state, he never reigned or ruled.

His presidency was defined by the principles he practiced. He accepted only half of
his salary of Rs 10,000, and towards the end of his tenure, only accepted Rs 2,500!
He had only one personal staff member, and was committed to doing chores
himself. He loathed gifts, preferring the blessings and goodwill of his peers
instead. In many ways, he was the people’s president, and his supporters were
enamored by his humility and the simplicity with which he conducted himself. For
his service to the nation, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian
honour in 1962.

Dr Rajendra Prasad is the only Indian President to serve 12 years in office.

When he resigned in May 1962, many gathered at Ramlila Maidan to bid farewell and
pay their respects to the first President of India. After retirement, he returned to
Patna, living in Sadaqat Ashram, the headquarters of the Congress Party in Bihar.
Within months of his retirement, his wife Rajvanshi Devi died, in September 1962.
That same year he was honoured with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian
award. He himself had been suffering from acute asthmatic disease and breathed
his last in Patna on 28 February 1963.

His autobiography, Atmakatha, was published in 1946. He is also the author

of India Divided (1946), Mahatma Gandhi and Bihar, Some Reminiscences (1949),
and other books.

Legacy and Contribution

Rajendra Prasad left a rich legacy of inspiration for generations to come.

1. He shared Gandhi's great vision of peace and rural development, and to

realize this goal, he argued for the need for a fundamental change in the
prevailing system of education. He lamented the lack of character building
or moral training of students in the prevailing system of British education.
He believed that education would be useful only if it was integrated into the
whole life of an individual.

2. He recognized the value of scientific research and the application of the

results for amelioration of the conditions of India's masses. At the same
time, he considered India's past to be a great source of inspiration for the
present and the future.

3. He held the view that there should be a change in the medium of instruction
and that it should be imparted through the "language of the people." He
favored Hindi as the Indian national language, since it was "the most common
and most widely understood" of all the Indian languages. However, he was
opposed to any attempt to impose the study of Hindi on non-Hindi speaking
people.

4. He also attached great importance to the freedom and education of women

for a healthy national reconstruction, economic development, and social
uplift.
 Village-based economy

Rajendra Prasad totally agreed with Gandhian values with regard to rural economic
development.

1. In his scheme of things, human needs and acquisitiveness were to be

regulated through self-discipline, agricultural production should be
maximized, village industries resuscitated and expanded, the old sense of
community recaptured.

2. He well understood that industrialism disrupted the web of village life,

woven and integrated for millennia. He therefore advocated the revival of
old village industries and widespread use of the charkha (spinning-wheel)
and khadi as efficacious means for rehabilitating India's village economy. It
not only provided employment to agriculturists during their leisure time but
also helped them in augmenting their income.

3. He wanted cottage industries to play an important role in the economic

growth of the country, and he recommended that government departments
propagate and use khadi for official uniforms and clothes.

Social reform

1. A true humanist with an instinctive love for humankind, Rajendra Prasad

helped ameliorate the living conditions of the despised and downtrodden
Dalits ("untouchables"). He contributed significantly to important social
changes to modern Indian society by the uplift those Gandhi called Harijans
(children of God) and the removal of untouchability.

2. He was also greatly concerned for improvement in the social and economic
conditions of the Adivasis (Tribals). He believed that if the Adivasis
remained backward for ages, it was not their fault. In free India, every
citizen, including the Adivasis and Dalits, had equal rights. Rajendra Prasad
wanted people to develop sympathetic attitudes toward the downtrodden,
 appreciating their customs and traditions in order to help bring them into
India's mainstream of development.

World vision

Gandhi conceived of a human society based on love (ahinsa). Rajendra Prasad, as a

true disciple, also advocated the efficacy of Mahatma Gandhi's method of true
nonviolence for the eradication of hatred and all conflicts between nations and
within nations.

1. He strongly pleaded for the cessation of nuclear tests, the banning

of nuclear weapons, and total disarmament, and for abjuring the use of force
altogether. It is no wonder that his views on world peace and harmony have
great significance in the strife-torn world of today.

Rajendra Prasad's life is a saga of the self-sacrificing struggles of an idealist who

possessed a combination of sterling qualities. He was a true representative of
Indian culture, with deep admiration for its ancient noble traits. His gentleness,
simplicity, and modesty made him the darling of the masses. He remains one of
modern India's most revered leaders, honored for his patriotism, honesty, and
selfless service to his motherland.