Tomorrow (March 23) is the 100th birth anniversary of the Socialist leader, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia.A freedom-fighter, he parted with the Congress along with Jayaprakash Narayan and other Congress Socialists who were the heroes of the Quit India agitation.
While JP and most members of the group strayed away from politics or went back to the Congress, Lohia stayed in the field holding aloft the slogan of Socialism.
What marked Lohia apart from other leaders of his generation was his deep understanding of Indian reality, especially the role of caste in Indian society. He brought a large number of young people into the political arena who, while lacking his vision, still played an important role in national politics after his time.
