Jailed for backing cane farmers’ stir, Mulayam Singh Yadav firmed up his resolve to float Samajwadi Party in 1992

In 1992, cane farmers protesting at the gate of a sugar mill in Kushnagar’s Ramkola town, demanding clearance of arrears, faced police action and two cane farmers died

Mulayam Singh Yadav firmed up his resolve to float his own party when he was lodged in Varanasi Central jail for six days in connection with a political agitation in support of cane farmers in 1992.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav stands next to a portrait of his father Akhilesh Yadav in Saifai on Monday. (ANI)

“Main jail se chhootoon ya na chhootoon, party ki neev ab 4 October ko hi rakkhi jayegi (Whether I am released or not, now the party’s foundation would be laid on October 4 only),” he had said then.

Mulayam Singh Yadav got the Samajwadi Party registered within a week of being released from jail, recollects former minister and MLC Shatrudra Prakash, who has had a 50 association with the SP patron. In 1992, cane farmers protesting at the gate of a sugar mill in Kushnagar’s Ramkola town, demanding clearance of arrears, faced police action and two cane farmers died.

On September 23, 1992, netaji (Mulayam) decided to go to Ramkola to take up the cause of farmers, said Shatrudra Prakash.

“But, even before he could reach Ramkola, he was arrested from Azamgarh. There was a BJP government and Kalyan Singh was the chief minister. And he (Mulayam) was lodged in Varanasi Central Jail,” recollects Prakash. “After meetings with the party leaders, he announced from jail that the party would be registered on October 4, 1992,” he added. Initially, he thought of naming the party after Ram Manohar Lohia but later decided to call it the Samajwadi Party.