Hari Kewal Prasad (or Harikeval Prasad) alternatively known as Hari Kewal Prasad Kushwaha[1] was an Indian politician and Member of Parliament for four terms. He was a member of the 9th, 10th, 12th and the 14th Lok Sabhas of India. In all four terms, he represented the Salempur constituency of Uttar Pradesh and was a member of the Samajwadi Party political party before his death.[2][3] and his son Ravindra Kushwaha is also currently Member of Parliament 2014 till now

Hari Kewal Prasad
Member of Parliament, 14th Lok Sabha
In office
May 2004 – May 2009
Preceded byBabban Rajbhar
Succeeded byRamashankar Rajbhar
ConstituencySalempur, Uttar Pradesh
Member of Parliament, 12th Lok Sabha
In office
Mar 1998 – Apr 1999
Preceded byHarivansh Sahai
Succeeded byBabban Rajbhar
ConstituencySalempur, Uttar Pradesh
Member of Parliament, 10th Lok Sabha
In office
Jun 1991 – May 1996
Preceded byHari Kewal Prasad
Succeeded byHarivansh Sahai
ConstituencySalempur, Uttar Pradesh
Member of Parliament, 9th Lok Sabha
In office
Dec 1989 – Mar 1991
Preceded byRam Nagina Mishra
Succeeded byHari Kewal Prasad
ConstituencySalempur, Uttar Pradesh
MLA, 7th Vidhan Sabha
In office
1977–1980
MLA, 6th Vidhan Sabha
In office
1974–1977
Personal details
Born(1940-03-15)15 March 1940
Mahathapar, Deoria, (Uttar Pradesh)
Died15 September 2012(2012-09-15) (aged 72)
[PGI, Lucknow]
Political partySamajwadi Party
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
Ganesha Devi
(m. 1955)
RelationsRavindra Kushwaha
Children4
ResidenceDeoria & New Delhi
ProfessionSocial worker & Politician
CommitteesMember of several committees

Personal life

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Prasad was born on 15 March 1940 to Ram Lochan Prasad in Mahathapar in Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh. His highest attained education is under matriculation; he attended Junior High School in Sauhanag, Deoria. He married Ganesha Devi on 13 May 1955, with whom he had three sons and a daughter.[2][3] Prasad died on 15 August 2012 at the age of 72.[4]

Political career

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Hari Kewal Prasad has been in active politics since the 1950s–1960s. During his political career, he has been attached with several political parties; Socialist Party, Janata Dal, Samata Party[5] & Samajwadi Party. During the 1970s, he was also a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.[2][3][6]

He had also held several key positions in the political parties he has been associated with.[2] Prasad was known to be an opponent of Bharatiya Janata Party, because of his socialist leaning. Although his son, Ravindra Kushwaha argues that Prasad was close to Lal Krishna Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the BJP political workers from Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh considered him as a rival of the party. This was witnessed in 2015, when, Amit Shah was to visit Salempur to take part in the death anniversary of Prasad, organized by his son, Ravindra Kushwaha. It was reported that Prasad had considerable influence among the members of Kushwaha-Maurya and Kamboj caste in Deoria and adjoining region, whose support was required by BJP to fare well in the election. This made the BJP schedule this visit of Shah. It was also an important visit as apart from Deoria district, the district like Siwan and Gopalganj of the state of Bihar also had a considerable population of Prasad's caste men, whom Shah wanted to send a message to.[7]

Prasad had even forced his son Ravindra Kushwaha to return to the BJP ticket, when the latter was about to contest the Assembly elections as a candidate of BJP, in the 1993 Assembly elections. In the 1991, Lok Sabha elections, BJP made Rambelash as their candidate from Salempur Lok Sabha constituency, who lost to Prasad. Prasad had contested as a candidate of Janata Dal then. In the 1998, Lok Sabha elections, the BJP candidate once again lost to Prasad, who by the time, became a member of Samata Party to contest the polls of 1998. In 1999, Prasad lost to Bahujan Samaj Party candidate; he was a member of Janata Dal (United) then. However, he won again in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, as a candidate of Samajwadi Party.[8]

Prasad was also involved in activism for the rights of the downtrodden section of society. He served as the President of Porters` Mazdoor Union of North Eastern Railways between 1965-70. He was also associated with Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat in Deoria, Uttar Pradesh between 1966-67. It was an organization working for the welfare of laborers and peasantry. Later, he also became a part of Roadways Mazdoor Sabha, an organization working for the welfare of manual laborers. He remained associated with it in the 1980s. He also participated in movements launched by Samyukta Socialist Party, Socialist Party, and Janata Party. The highest point of his activism was his participation in Scheduled Castes Kashi Temple Entry Movement of 1954. He led this movement to ensure the right to worship for the Dalit people. Prasad was also a part of Angreji Hatao Andolan (Remove English Name Plates Movement) in Varanasi, Lucknow, Farukhabad, Faizabad, Gorakhpur, Fatehpur and Deoria in 1954 and 1956. He was against the ill effects of Globalisation on small businesses and championed the cause of small traders against multinational companies from 1960 onwards. During National Emergency, he was imprisoned for 21 months under Maintenance of Internal Security Act and prosecuted in 18 cases under Defence of India Rules.[2]

Posts held

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# From To Position
01 1974 1977 Member, Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly
02 1977 1980 Member, Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly
03 1977 1980 Member, Committee on Subordinate Legislation
04 1977 1980 Member, Committee on Railways
05 1989 1991 Member, 09th Lok Sabha
06 1990 1991 Member, Committee on Private Member's Bills and Resolutions
07 1991 1996 Member, 10th Lok Sabha
08 1991 1992 Member, Committee on Home Affairs
09 1991 1992 Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Railways
10 1991 1996 Member, Committee on Estimates
11 1991 1996 Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Industry
12 1991 1996 Member, Committee on members of parliament Local Area Development Scheme
13 1991 1996 Member, Committee on Railways
14 1998 1999 Member, 12th Lok Sabha
15 1998 1999 Member, Committee on Government Assurances
16 2004 2009 Member, 14th Lok Sabha
17 2004 2009 Member, Estimates Committee
18 2007 2009 Member, Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution
19 2008 2009 Member, Committee on Public Undertakings

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Keshav Maurya announced a road to be named after Hari Kewal Prasad". Amar Ujala. Archived from the original on 20 September 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Member Profile". Lok Sabha website. Archived from the original on 7 November 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  3. ^ a b c "Detailed Profile". Indian Parliament website. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  4. ^ "सपा नेता आैर पूर्व सांसद हरिकेवल प्रसाद का निधन". Amar Ujala. 16 August 2012. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Flaming torch a free symbol, EC can allot it to any other party: Delhi HC dismisses Samata Party's appeal". The Indian Express. 19 November 2022. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  6. ^ "Earlier Lok Sabha". Lok Sabha website. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  7. ^ "Amit Shah Salempur visit with an eye on caste". Archived from the original on 9 September 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  8. ^ "State leaders irked as Amit Shah will visit Deoria". Indian express. Archived from the original on 28 October 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2023.