Dr.Rajendra Prasad
Deshratna Dr.Rajendra Prasad was the first President of India from 1950 to 1962,only person to hold the exalted office for two terms.When India became Republic on January 26,1950,Taken Babu was installed as President of India as he was Chairman of Constituent Assembly.In 1952,he won the first election for Presidenship which was hailed by every one but in 1957 when second term was to be provided to him,Pt.Nehru did not agree for his renomination and put up his own candidate.But Rajen Babu won hands down against Pt.Nehru's candidate.He was not only intelligent but a genius since his student life.He always stood first in all examinations from School to Post graduation.Even the examiner of his English paper had given the remarks " Examinee is better than the Examiner." Such was his level of intelligence.
He was a saintly person,a very successful lawyer and a warm hearted philanthrophist,a popular leader but simplest in his attitude towards his life.An honest politician to the core in as much as that when he laid his office he had no home to stay in as his Ziradei house in the village had become completely uninhabitable.Congress offered him Sadaqat Ashram,Congress Office at Patna where he spent his last days.
Born on December 3,1884 in a village called Ziradei near Siwan now a District HQ in Bihar in the family of Mahadev Sahaya,a reputed Kayastha family.He was youngest amongst three sisters and two brothers.He had his early education in Bihar and later moved to erstwhile Calcutta for College education where he studied up to M.A.
Taken Babu's life was like an open book and so much have been written about him that it is almost redundant to write about him.But I wanted to write one aspect of his life which I am going to extract from his Autobiography which might look funny in today's contest.
After he finished his postgraduation,he wanted to go to England to do I.C.S.Dr.Sachidanand Sinha who later on became protem Chairman of Constituent Assembly fully supported his view and promised full support to him.Bran Kishore Prasad a famous lawyer also promised to him.Then the taboos used to be amongst Kayasthas were that if one travelled abroad,he used to be excommunicated from the community.Still Taken Babu wanted to go to England.
Rajen Babu writes in his autobiography and described the incident in the following words:-
" When preparations were almost complete in Calcutta for my departure,a small incident occurred.All my friends who shared my secret plans were crazy about going to England.They thought they might get an opportunity later and would reach there after I settle down there.One day one of my friends suggested that we should go and see an astrologer about prospects of going abroad .Accordingly we went to see him.The old Brahmin,as soon we entered his house,claimed to know the purpose of our visit.We,therefore asked him if our wishes are going to be fulfilled.Looking at me,he said that my desire would be fulfilled later in life but not just then.Then he turned to my friend ,Sukhdev Prasad Verma and said : " Your desire is going to be fulfilled very soon."
Paying him a rupee,they came out and laughed at the old man and his ignorance as Rajen Babu had his Passport,clothing's and money ready.But it so happened that next day he received a telegram from his village where he was summoned by his parents.When he reached his village,his mother flately refuged permission to allow him to go to England.
Rajen Babu came back to Calcutta completely dejected.His all plans had fallen flat.His friend Sukhdev Prasad Verma who had accompanied him to astrologer told Rajen Babu that if he is not going to England,he should give him money and clothings and allow him to travel to England
The old Brahmin's prophesy came true.Rajen Babu then could not travel to England then but later in life had to travel and his friend who had no plan travelled to England then.
It is not my intention to propogate any thing which is not acceptable to others but just to narrate an incident in the life of a genius like Dr.Rajendra Prasad.
