Veteran politician and the supremo of the Samajwadi Party, Mulayam Singh Yadav, passed away at the age of 82 on Monday, October 10. He was not only the former Union Defence Minister but also served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh three times. Popularly known as ‘Netaji’, Yadav started his career as a wrestler and eventually, found his place in politics. Although he remained in the background during his final years, mostly ailing and in and out of hospitals, he kept on serving as a Member of the Parliament. Yadav’s death was announced after his prolonged stay at the ICU of Medanta, a hospital in Gurugram.
What happened?
Mulayam Singh Yadav's health has been troubling him for years and had been admitted to the ICU of Medanta Hospital for days. He was on life-support and ventilation after his condition worsened. On Friday, October 7, after being in critical condition for days, it was announced that he was on life-saving drugs and on Monday, October 10, his son, Akhilesh Yadav, announced the news of his death.
Mulayam Singh Yadav will be succeeded by his son, who will now lead his regional Samajwadi Party. The regional party now is a notable contender in the sphere of Indian politics and carries with itself the legacy of the late minister, Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Who was Mulayam Singh Yadav?
Born in Saifai, Uttar Pradesh, on November 21, 1939, Mulayam Singh Yadav happens to be one of the political leaders who emerged from mass movements of the 1970s. A participant in the Lohia movement, he founded his regional party in the year 1992. The socialist leader found his relevance by mingling regional politics with the Centre. Although his poor health drove him away from the limelight in his final days, he was still serving as the Member of Lok Sabha for the Mainpuri constituency of Uttar Pradesh. Yadav’s political drive propelled him to contribute to mainstreaming regional politics in India as he successfully drove the Congress party out of the state.
Yadav started his career as a wrestler which eventually became a pass for politics when Nathu Singh saw his wrestling stint and became his political mentor. It was Singh who introduced the former minister to Ram Manohar Lohia of the Samyukt Socialist party which eventually led him to participate in the Lohia movement. Throughout his political career, Yadav has made alliances not only with friends but also with his rivals. The most prominent alliance was with Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party. Although the alliance was brief, it spoke greatly of the former Defence Minister’s political drive.
What is he remembered for?
Mulayam Singh Yadav championed the cause of backward classes, especially Yadavs and was called the 'son of the soil', by them. The minorities still form the main supporters of his party. He is remembered for thrashing an upper-class boy at school to save a Dalit boy.
But what Yadav is most remembered for is threatening the kar sevaks who were marching towards the Babri Masjid to demolish it in the year 1992. His threats turned into action when he ordered security forces at the mosque to open fire on the kar sevaks, which cost him majorly in the 1991 elections. However, later in 1992, when the mosque was demolished, he emerged as a hero for trying to save the monument earlier.
