Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani (English: Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani, born- November 11, 1888; died- March 19, 1982) was a famous freedom fighter and politician of India. He started his professional life as a teacher. He had close contact with the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. He was also the Principal of ‘Gujarat Vidyapeeth’, since then he started being called ‘Acharya Kripalani’. Kripalani ji was a constant supporter of Gandhiji for the liberation of Harijan. He was also the General Secretary of ‘All India National Congress’ and the President of Meerut Congress in 1946. His wife Sucheta Kripalani was also the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
birth and education
J. B. Kripalani was born on 11 November 1888 in Hyderabad (Sindh). He belonged to the Kshatriya family. His father Kaka Bhagwan Das was appointed to the post of Tehsildar. Kripalani ji’s education started in ‘Wilson College’ of Sindh and Mumbai. He did M.A. He received his education from ‘Fergusson College’, Pune, which was founded by Lokmanya Tilak and his colleagues. Kripalani ji started his professional life as a teacher. From 1912 to 1917, he was Professor of English and History at Muzaffarpur College, Bihar.
J.B. Kripalani and Sucheta Kripalani
Jeevatram Bhagwandas Kriplani and Sucheta Majumdar[1] It is difficult to say where they first met, but it can definitely be said that Banaras Hindu University somewhere became the pivot of their love. Later, while working with Mahatma Gandhi, both of them came closer, but Gandhiji was surprised to know that their love flourished in his ashram. Both were veteran leaders of Congress but in the coming years their role changed such that they joined the opposing camps. Kripalani was born in Hyderabad, Sindh. He was an exceptionally intelligent person and a very intelligent person. Also a person who preferred to stay to himself. It was said about him that he used to separate himself from the people he loved very easily. Everyone who knew Kripalani believed that he was a very disciplined and firm man of ideals. He always kept himself away from women. It was believed that marriage was not in their dictionary. Kripalani was the General Secretary of Congress for a long time before independence and was the President of this party in 1947 when the country was getting independence. However, after independence, the conditions became such that Congress started doing politics of protest and opposition. Keep doing this throughout your life. Sucheta later became a minister in Congress and also the Chief Minister.
love with sucheta kripalani
Kripalani came to Banaras Hindu University as a professor of history, although he stayed here for only one year, but that one year was enough to leave his impact on that university. After this he left his job to support Gandhiji’s non-cooperation movement. A few years later, Sucheta Majumdar came to the history department of Banaras Hindu University as a professor. Acharya Kripalani’s words were often heard in his ears. Especially his being a genius teacher and then his becoming a special associate of Gandhiji. In those days, whenever Kripalani came to Banaras, he would definitely visit the history department of BHU. It was during that time that he met Sucheta, who had both an intensity and an intensity to join the freedom movement. It can be said that Kripalani was somewhere influenced by this Bengali girl. Both of them started talking a lot. When, after a few meetings, Sucheta expressed her desire to join Gandhiji, Kripalani also became helpful in this. However, he also constantly discouraged them from entering politics, because he felt that it was difficult for women to keep their integrity in politics. That’s why he constantly told them to keep their hems clean. Acharya Kripalani became his guide and confidant. With time, when both of them started spending a lot of time with each other, they started coming closer, although no one had any idea that love could knock in the life of a person like Kripalani and quietly take over the house of their mind. Could. Kripalani was tall and had a handsome personality, while Sucheta was of normal height, but there was something in her personality which made a person like Kripalani fall in love with her. When both of them fell in love with each other, they never felt the huge age gap between them, but when they expressed their desire to marry each other in front of their families, a storm arose. They faced anger and opposition in their homes.
Gandhiji became opponent
Sucheta wrote in her book ‘Sucheta An Unfinished Autobiography’ that Gandhiji had opposed her marriage, feeling that family responsibilities would divert her from the freedom struggle. Gandhi told Kripalani, if you marry her you will break my right hand. Then Sucheta asked him, why does he think like this, rather he should think that he will get two workers instead of one in the freedom struggle. Kripalani was very unhappy with the fact that Gandhi was interfering in his personal matters, but despite this he almost accepted his words, Sucheta also agreed to this. But whatever Gandhiji did after this strengthened their idea of marrying each other. Sucheta writes in her biography, Gandhi wanted her to marry someone else. He also put pressure for this. I rejected it outright. I told him that the proposal he is making is both unjust and immoral. Sucheta, who had agreed to write her autobiography in the Illustrated Weekly magazine on the request of Khushwant Singh. Later, this was published as his autobiography by Navjeevan Publishing House of Ahmedabad in the year 1978. In this he wrote, When Gandhi made such a proposal to me, I turned to him and told him that what he was saying was wrong. Gandhi had no answer to this. Our conversation ended there. Jawaharlal Nehru’s sympathy was with us. He talked to Gandhi about our marriage.
There was an age difference of 20 years
In 1936, Gandhi called Sucheta and Acharya Kripalani. Gandhi told them that he had no problem with their marriage but he would not be able to give them his blessings. Gandhi said he would pray for them. Sucheta wrote in her book, we were satisfied with just his prayer. In April 1936, Sucheta and Acharya Kripalani got married. At that time Kripalani was 48 years old and Sucheta was only 28 years old.
stay together despite being opposites
Later the situation took such a turn that both of them joined the opposing parties. Both of them lived together but one remained in Congress while the other continued doing anti-Congress politics throughout his life. Acharya Kripalani often used to say jokingly that the Congressmen were so scoundrels that they took away his wife. Of course both were husband and wife but there was more of a sense of friendship between them. Sucheta was one of the three Bengali women involved in the freedom movement, who were highly educated and who actively participated in the freedom struggle and all three made Uttar Pradesh their area of work. All three chose their life partners without caring about religion and caste. In the changed circumstances after independence, Acharya Kripalani first separated from the Congress and formed his own Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party and then established the Praja Socialist Party with Ram Manohar Lohia. Sucheta contested the Lok Sabha elections from Delhi in 1950 from the Kisan Mazdoor Party. Won the election, but after that she joined Congress and later became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. She remained active in politics till 1971, joining the Congress. After retiring from politics in 1971, she started living with Acharya Kripalani in her bungalow in Delhi. As a wife, she took full care of her husband.[2]
Gandhiji’s associates
During these days, Gandhiji made the famous trip to Champaran and J. B. Kripalani came in close contact with him. In the year 1919-1920, he also stayed in ‘Kashi Hindu University’ for some time and left from there at the time of Gandhiji’s ‘Non-cooperation Movement’. With the inspiration of Gandhiji, schools were established in many states for the students who boycotted schools when the ‘Non-cooperation Movement’ started. J. B. Kripalani was the principal of ‘Gujarat Vidyapeeth’ from 1920 to 1927. Since then he became famous by the name of ‘Acharya Kripalani’.
revolutionary activities
After 1927, Acharya Kripalani’s life was completely spent in the freedom struggle and in carrying forward the creative tendencies of Gandhiji. He also founded an institution called ‘Gandhi Ashram’ in Uttar Pradesh to revive Khadi and village industries. He remained with Gandhiji during his nationwide journey for the liberation of Harijans and continued his efforts in this direction. It was his spirit of social service that brought him so close to the Father of the Nation. His selfless spirit of serving the country and society had made him popular among the people of the country.
attainment of high position
From 1935 to 1945 he worked as the General Secretary of the Congress. He was elected President of Meerut Congress in the year 1946. Due to differences with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on many issues, he left the presidency and went into opposition by forming ‘Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party’. He was also a member of the Lok Sabha several times. J. B. Kripalani participated in all the movements and suffered jail sentences. Acharya Kripalani ji, who made a significant contribution to the country’s independence, died on March 19, 1982.
