CM Samrat Choudhary pays tribute to Acharya J.B. Kripalani on birth anniversary
Synopsis
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary paid tribute to Acharya J.B. Kripalani on his 138th birth anniversary on 11 November 2026, honouring the Gandhian freedom fighter and former Indian National Congress president as a symbol of simplicity, principle and national service.
Key Takeaways
Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary posted a tribute to Acharya J.B.
Kripalani on his birth anniversary on 11 November 2026 .
Kripalani was born on 11 November 1888 , making this his 138th birth anniversary .
He served as President of the Indian National Congress in 1946–47 , the years immediately preceding and following independence.
Kripalani was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and was known for Gandhian simplicity and principled political independence post-1947.
CM Choudhary described him as a symbol of 'saadhgi, siddhant aur raashtrасеva' — simplicity, principle and service to the nation.
A freedom fighter who stood with Gandhi yet refused to bend after independence — Acharya Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani turns 138 today, and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has paused to mark the moment.
Posting on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, CM Choudhary offered his respects in Hindi, calling Kripalani 'saadhgi, siddhant aur raashtrасеva ke prateek' — 'a symbol of simplicity, principle and service to the nation.' He added that Kripalani's sacrifice, struggle and dedication to the country 'will continue to inspire us all, always.'
Who was Acharya Kripalani?
Born on 11 November 1888, Kripalani was one of the most consequential yet underappreciated figures of India's independence movement. An educator turned activist, he aligned himself closely with Mahatma Gandhi and became a pillar of the Indian National Congress, eventually serving as its President in 1946–47 — the pivotal years that carried India to freedom and through the trauma of Partition.
What set Kripalani apart was what came after independence. Rather than settle into the comforts of power, he maintained a principled, often uncomfortable distance from the ruling establishment, founding the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party and later aligning with socialist and opposition currents. His Gandhian simplicity was not performance — it was a lifelong discipline.
Why leaders across parties pay homage
Tributes to pre-1947 freedom fighters have become a fixture of Indian political life, cutting across party lines. For BJP leaders like CM Choudhary, honouring Congress-era figures such as Kripalani underscores a broader nationalist narrative — that the freedom struggle belongs to all Indians, not to any single political lineage. Kripalani's own eventual break with the Congress makes such tributes easier to frame as non-partisan.
The gesture is brief but deliberate. In the crowded calendar of anniversary commemorations, Kripalani's birth anniversary on 11 November offers an occasion to invoke values — simplicity, sacrifice, principled dissent — that resonate across the political spectrum.
Point of View
Allowing it to claim ownership of the broader national freedom narrative rather than ceding that symbolic territory. Kripalani is a particularly useful figure for cross-party tributes given his eventual estrangement from the Congress after 1947. For CM Choudhary, the gesture also reinforces his public profile as a leader engaged with national history, not merely state politics. Such commemorations, while ceremonial, are part of a deliberate long-game of cultural and historical positioning.
NationPress
11 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Acharya J.B. Kripalani?
Acharya Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani (1888–1982) was an Indian independence activist, educator and politician who served as President of the Indian National Congress in 1946–47 and was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi.
When is J.B. Kripalani's birth anniversary?
J.B. Kripalani was born on 11 November 1888 , so his birth anniversary falls on 11 November each year.
What did Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary say about Kripalani?
CM Choudhary called Kripalani a symbol of simplicity, principle and national service, and said his sacrifice, struggle and dedication to the country will continue to inspire all Indians.
Why do BJP leaders pay tribute to Congress-era freedom fighters?
Indian political leaders across parties regularly commemorate pre-independence figures to associate themselves with the broader national freedom struggle, which is seen as a shared national heritage rather than the exclusive legacy of any single party.
What was Kripalani's role in India's independence?
Kripalani was a leading figure in the Indian National Congress, serving as its President during the critical years of 1946–47, and played an active role in the independence movement alongside Gandhi before later taking an independent political path.
