Janeshwar Mishra, a real ‘Samajwadi’ leader in Mulayam Singh’s SP

File image of Janeshwar Mishra | Facebook

On his ninth death anniversary, ThePrint takes a look at the legacy of the Samajwadi Party leader, who was the party’s voice in Rajya Sabha.

New Delhi: Three days before ill health resulted in a fatal heart attack on 22 January 2010, senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Janeshwar Mishra was leading an agitation against high prices and corruption in what was then Allahabad (now Prayagraj), Uttar Pradesh.

Till the very end, the socialist leader and voice of the SP in the Rajya Sabha, was defined by his politics — one dedicated to uplifting the poor and the marginalised.

Called ‘Chhote Lohia’ in political circles, most notably by late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mishra’s ideology was heavily influenced by a close association with Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, the socialist icon and prominent voice in the Indian independence movement.

Mishra is considered a co-founder of the SP along with Mulayam Singh Yadav and was the national vice-president of the party. He was a four-time Lok Sabha MP, who served as a Union Minister in the Chandra Shekhar government. He was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1994, and was re-elected to the Upper House in 2000 and 2006.

He was seen as indispensable to the Samajwadi Party, both at the political level, as well as in an administrative capacity.

SP supremo Mulayam Singh, reportedly, never took a single decision without consulting or informing Mishra first. From “SP’s decision to bail out the Congress in 2008 on the Indo-US nuclear deal or, more recently, accepting Amar Singh’s resignation from party posts”, Yadav only took action after taking Mishra’s consent, an Indian Express report said.

On the day of Mishra’s death, Yadav called-off the ongoing Saifai Mahotsav in his honour. He said, “His death is a personal loss for me and his absence will be felt forever in the party. This is an end of an era.”

On his ninth death anniversary, ThePrint takes a look at the long political career of the SP leader.

A long legacy

Born on August 5, 1933, in Ballia, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Mishra belonged to a quartet of socialist leaders from that area who would go on to occupy a significant place in the national political landscape.

Of these four, Gauri Shankar Rai became Ram Manohar Lohia’s secretary, Chandra Shekhar went on to become Prime Minister in 1991, and Kashi Nath Mishra joined the Congress in 1984, said a Hindu report.

Mishra began his political journey as the president of the students’ union of Doaba Inter College, later going on to pursue higher studies at Allahabad University. Throughout his academic pursuits, and later as a seasoned career politician, Misha was hailed for his effective oratory skills and his ability to articulate thoughts clearly and without confusion.

On the occasion of what would have been Mishra’s 84th birth anniversary, UP governor Ram Naik remembered the former leader as a man who could “speak fluently during any debate and always successfully convey his feelings,” Daily Pioneer reported in 2016.

In the course of his student life, Mishra joined the Samajwadi Yuvajan Sabha, where he met Lohia and Raj Narain, also an Indian freedom fighter and politician, better known for his case against Indira Gandhi which led to her disqualification and the Emergency.

For Mishra, who hailed from humble origins, the doctrines of socialism were more than just political theory. The veteran leader made a concerted effort to abide by them in principle.

Among his peers, he was remembered for his simple lifestyle, direct manner of speaking, and commitment to socialist principles.

Speaking to the media at the inauguration of 300-acre Janeshwar Park in Lucknow in 2014, former SP member Amar Singh said,“Janeshwarji did not have two-three acre land in his lifetime, but Mulayam and Akhilesh developed such a massive park on more than 300-acre land in his memory.”

Students of Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, were also reportedly influenced by socialistic principles through the study of Janeshwar Mishra’s life.

Singh added that Mishra believed a true ‘Samajwadi’ could only be forged after considerable struggle.

“He told me had I gone to jail, fought elections, toiled under the scorching sun, met with people, then I would have been a ‘samajwadi,” Singh recalled, adding, “I have never seen such an honest person like him. Whether criticism or praise he used to do it publicly. There was no superficiality in his personality.”

Leading by example

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, SP founder Mulayam’s son, also credits Mishra with initiating him into politics.

When Akhilesh was set to make his grand entry into politics in the early 2000s, his father and the party were criticised for nepotism — a charge that pointed to Akhilesh’s poor grasp of the fundamental principles of socialism.

It was Mishra who stepped forward to defend the decision, reportedly saying that Akhilesh’s initiation did not reflect a politics of nepotism but the nepotism of struggle.

“For him, the Samajwadi Party was about the politics of struggle, and Akhilesh was there not to reap the fortunes but to carry forward the political struggle.”

Mishra’s mentorship was more than just rhetoric and public perception — he led in Parliament by example.

Shortly before his death, at the age of 75 and with ailing health, Mishra clocked in a 98 per cent attendance for Rajya Sabha sessions, with a perfect 100 per cent in the winter session of 2009 — just weeks before his death.