Modern Indian Political Thought

INDIAN POLITICAL THINKERS

MODERN INDIAN POLITICAL THOUGHT

N. JAYAPALAN

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III

PREFACE

I take pleasure in placing the book "Indian Political Thinkers -(Modern Indian Political Thought)" in the hands of the readers. It is quite comprehensive and covers all aspects and the entire syllabus prescribed by various Universities. I have narrated all the events chronologically from the beginning to the end. I have also made a serious attempt to present the matter in a simple and lucid style.

There is a plethora of books on "Indian Political Thinkers." Most of them are bulky. Hence, I have written this book in a sizable volume i.e. neither too small nor too big. In addition, special attention has been given to Gandhian thought.

My experience of teaching the subject at the college level for several years has prompted me to write this book to meet the requirements of students of our universities and that of the examinees of Civil Services Examination in History and Political Science. I hope that the present book will prove to be more useful to the students than any other book on the subject available in the market.

I am thankful to the M/s Atlantic Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi for readily agreeing to publish this book and bringing it out expeditiously and efficiently.

Suggestions, if any, for improving the book in the subsequent edition will be highly appreciated.

N. JAYAPALAN

IVV

CONTENTS

Preface iii

1. Introduction 1

2. Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833) 5

3. Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917) 19

4. Mahadeo Govind Ranade (1842-1901) 32

5. Pherozeshah Mehta (1845-1915) 46

6. Surendranath Banerjee (1848-1925) 53

7. Gopal Krishna Gokhale (1866-1915) 62

8. Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920) 80

9. Bipin Chandra Pal (1858-1932) 107

10. Lala Lajpat Rai (1865-1928) 118

11. Shri Aurobindo Ghosh (1872-1950) 135

12. Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) 154

13. Vinoba Bhave (1895-1988) 219

14. Jaya Prakash Narayan (1902-1979) 236

15. Manavendra Nath Roy (1886-1954) 249

16. Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) 266

17. Acharya Narendra Dev (1889-1956) 300

18. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia (1910-67) 308

19. Ashok Mehta 313

20. Dutt, Dange and Ranadive 315

21. Sayyid Ahmad Khan (1817-1898) 319

22. Mohammad Iqbal (1873-1938) 331

23. Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) 335

24. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) 354

Index 362

1 Introduction

The advent of Indian Independence and the framing of the new Constitution are glorious events in the recent History of India and the World. The intellectuals as well as the masses plunged into the freedom struggle in their own way. Right from the times of Vasudev Balwant Phadke and Gopal Krishna Gokhale to the recent times of Mahatma Gandhi and Subhas Chandra Bose, it is an inspiring and thrilling scene of struggles and sacrifices. The Western influence had its impact on them, they accepted and adopted their political ideas and practices. Those amongst them who were westernised to a degree, also drew upon the national heritage, with pride, used it to stimulate change in social outlook and to eliminate superstition from religion, which in turn strengthened the national movement. They contributed in diverse manner to the national main stream. To them, patriotism was their religion. Then their do or die spirit secured to the nation, their best.

The most distinguished amongst the distinguished leaders were Dadabhai Naoroji, Mahadev Govind Ranade, Pheroze Shah Mehta, S.N. Banerjee, Gokhale, Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, Aurobindo Gosh, Gandhi, Nehru and a host of others. Gokhale and Gandhi, i.e., the Guru and the disciple played a significant role. Both came from diverse background. Their contribution has been distinct in several fields. The circumstances that brought both Gokhale and Gandhi to the national politics were not similar. In their thinking too they were similar. They can be clubbed together in very many fields. Their detestation of the political subordination and their sacrifices for freedom were their characteristics.

As one of the pillars of the Congress organisation during the period of moderates, he believed that the British rule was a necessity for the good of India. Gandhi, the Saint, came from South Africa with experience and ideology, name and image. He generated the national political tide as God's own man; involved the people in the national cause and that too at his will, binding and choosing.

Gokhale wanted a better and benevolent Government under the British yoke, but not a self-government for which Indians were not yet fit. He was a staunch advocate of the constitutional method of agitating for reforms within the system of Government. As a legislator, he made history and drew the attention of the British rulers on important issues.

As the potter on the wheel shapes the revolving clay after his ideas, so did Gandhi with human material available to him. He picked up his very close team and made them into his servant followers and the effective instruments to fulfil the high objectives. He was, man the maker. This "practical idealist", hold Sarvodaya, as the ideal social order. Technology in such society, would serve man, make life easy, eliminate competition and ensure contentment to individual in his requirements; yet one has to be active and progressive; earnest in effort to realise ones best and seek thus, the salvation. Being essentially a religious man, Gandhi wanted Dharma to guide the exercise of the political power.

The diversity in the background of both has its importance. But, the unity of their purpose, between Gokhale and Gandhi was very strong.

The leaders worked on a well prepared ground. By the time, they appeared, political consciousness has come to the people, patriotism had seized them; the importance of Swadeshi had come to be well realised and the idea of Independence had gained prominence. A birds eye-view of the circumstances in which he British, have got at the helm of political authority; the growth of new political ideas in Europe, and their creeping into our country; the response of our leaders and the manner they communicated them to the people, is both interesting and enlightening.

The presence of the British here, coupled with the expanding means of transport and communication, printing press and the newspaper, and due to the expanding influence of English Language, facilitated the import of this crop of western political ideas into our country. This is the real and perhaps the only acquisition, one have from the West. Not that we had no political ideas.

Here the political theory was based on supremacy of the society, and not of state; on duty alone and not on right. The balance between individual society and state had been well established in terms of Varnashramadharma. This, despite all its merits, had now been forgotten; and was dead over the thousand years and more. But Gokhale and Gandhi appeared on the Indian scene and pointed out their concepts on the basis of the ancient heritage.

Between Ram Mohan Roy and the establishment of the Republic is a long period of renaissance, reformation and resurgence, well accomplished. The leadership that guided these currents contributed in a varigated manner to the national reconstruction.

The emergence of the Indian National Congress provided a common platform for the exchange of views; it also provided a very good opportunity for planning of action; further it paved the way to appeal and approach the people for cooperation and for the common good.

It is early beginning the Congress funtioned in the leadership of Dadabai Naoroji, S.N. Banerjee Mehta and Gokhale. They educated the people in Nationalism and National unity. They introduced them the concepts like Modern State', 'Civil Liberty' and 'Progressive Society. They 'believed in liberalism and moderation', "compromise and fairness."

During this period, their highest aim was as Gokhale said, "Self-government within the empire." At the same time, the British Government's measures like the officialisation of Calcutta Corporation and of the University Senate broadened the scope of the Official Secret Act and brought about the partition of Bengal to kill nationalism. These measures made the people realise the true nature of imperialism.

Extremists like Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai believed in self-reliance and not in mediocre politics. They laid emphasis on passive resistance and non-cooperation; Swadeshi and on recognition of education to serve the national ends better. Their ultimate aim was national freedom.

They used the medium intelligible to the people to bring them under one umbrella for national struggle. They interpreted their ideas and actions through the common and popular religious symbols, mythical personages and historical heroes. They used religious concepts to educate the people. On public festivals, when people assembled in large numbers, they contacted them, and gave wider base to their political ideas. They aroused, by their selfless work, enthusiasm of the masses. The concept of 'Indian Nation', in the guise of 'Mother India', made deep and wide appeal; words like 'Swadeshi' and 'Swaraj' gained wide currency. They made self-confidence and self-reliance props of their strength. They stood for constitutionalism and progress.

The administration and the unpopular acts of Curzon created a tense atmosphere in India. The public resented it; demonstrated against it and carried out a long agitation like of which had never been

launched before. The repressive measures of the Government provided the appropriate nourishment to the extremists. The difference between the leadership in consequence became deep and then followed in 1907, the Surat split.

A new factor, i.e., the Muslim communalism emerged at this time. Adding fuel to the fire, Curzon by partitioning, Bengal gave a communal tilt; the officials, encouraged some amongst the Muslims in East Bengal to resort to the communal killings, mass rape and arson. The communalism that was in the brooding now burst out in the open. So this finally led to the birth of Muslim League in 1906.

The Indian Councils Act of 1909, that followed, this long drawn repression and suppression, was frustrating to the extremists, and disgusting to the moderates. The displeasures of all, due to it, was unbound. Still worse was the Muslim separatist movement became very serious and severe.

Meanwhile, the moderates had lost their appeal, the extremists were in defusion, the Home Rule League that had come that had come-up recently had limited appeal and that the political stage was vacant. All eyes were eagerly waiting for someone to come up.

At this juncture Gandhiji, the disciple of Gokhale took-up the leadership of our Freedom Movement. He made the Congress an organisation of masses. He stood for the principles of truth, nonviolence, Harijan upliftment and Hindu-Muslim Unity. He invented the weapon of Satyagraha to liberate the country from the foreign yoke. In subsequent pages, we are going to see how Gandhi thought like a saint, spoke like a saint and lived likes a saint.

The Political thinkers gave their political ideas according to needs of the time. As already mentioned they were both Moderates and Extremists. But all these thinkers had one aim of seeing India an independent nation. In the following pages we shall discuss the political philosophies of some of the prominent political thinkers of modern India.

2 Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833)

Life Sketch

Raja Ram Mohan Roy is considered as the "Father of Indian Renaissance." He was the creator of the mental climate which contributed to the birth of the Indian Renaissance. He was the pioneer of religious and social reforms. He was the first advocate of the introduction of Western education in modern India. Moreover, Roy was the father of Constitutional Agitation in India. He was the first Indian to condemn religious and social malpractices like idol-worship, enforced widowhood, sati and girl infanticide, etc. No wonder he was also the first to speek to the government about the rights and the privileges of the people.

According to Max Muller, "Ram Mohan Roy was the first to complete a connected life current between the East and the West."

According to B. Majumdar, "He is the father of the modern political movement."

As the history of Western political thought practically begins with the name of Aristotle, so the history of modern Indian political thought begins with the name of Raja Ram Mohan Roy. He is regarded as the father of modern Indian political thought.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born in a well-to-do orthodox Brahmin family in Hugli District of West Bengal on 22nd May 1772.

His great grandfather, Krishan Chander Banerjee was given the title of Roy for good services rendered to the local government. His grandfather, Braja Binod Roy attained high position of responsibility under the Mohammedan Governor of Murshidabad. Ram Kanta, Ram Mohan's father, was a man of property — the revenue of which was lakhs of rupees. He was described as the most respectable man in the district. Ram Mohan's father and mother were devout Hindus and so was he. Ram Mohan received the first elements of native

education at home in accordance with the prevalent system and then in the village school or pathshala Since the knowledge of Persian and Arabic was essential for becoming a respectable and successful citizen in those days, Ram Kanta, his father, to ensure for his son a bright career, engaged a Maulvi to teach him Persian. After he had learnt Persian at home, Ram Mohan was sent to Patna at the age of nine, then a famed centre of Persian and Arabic learning. His receptive mind very quickly acquired deep and extensive knowledge of the two languages and he got himself the title of Zabardust Maulvi, He studied the works of Sufi Poets like Saadi and Hafiz. At the age of 14 he was sent to Banaras to learn Sanskrit. He became a profound scholar of Sanskrit and of the theological works written in it. It was the study of Koran which opened his eyes to the error of idol-worship, and he became highly critical of idolatry and polytheism. He made up his mind to purify Hinduism of all the social and religious evils. After finishing his studies at Patna and Banaras, Roy composed a manuscript condemning idolatry. This led Roy's expulsion from his father's house. After leaving his ancestral home he travelled far and wide. In his own words, he passed through different countries, chiefly within, "but some beyond the bounds of Hindustan". Roy also visited Tibet where he acquired the knowledge of Buddhism. In Tibet, he spent two or three years where he criticised strongly the worshippers of the living Lama. This irriated the Lamas so much that they thought of even killing him. However, he was saved by a kind-hearted woman. After his travel, Roy settled down in Varanasi where he devoted himself to the study of Sanskrit.

After his reconciliation with his father in 1794, Roy returned home. As he says, in his autobiography, "My father recalled and restored me to his favour."

This is the period when Roy first made his acquaintance with Europeans and made himself familiar with their laws and forms of government. In the beginning he had strong feelings about the British people, but the contact with them made him revise and abandon this idea. He writes in his autobiography, "I gave up my prejudices against them (British people) and became inclined to their favour, feeling persuaded that their rule, though a foreign yoke, would lead more speedily and surely to the amelioration of the native inhabitants."

In the words of Dr. Veema "Ram Mohan Roy was a many sides genius. He was a prophet of monotheism, keen ardent champion of liberty in all its phrase, and a political agitator for the freedom of press and the right of tenents. He was a great scholar of comparative religions and the freedom of Bengali prose literature and Bengali Journalism."

He entered into the civil service under the East India Company as a Sheristadar. During his 10 years service he saved sufficient money and became a landlord (zamindar). His income from land was to the tune of Rupees ten thousand per year,

In 1814 Raja Ram Mohan Roy settled down in Calcutta. He was a scholar of Vedas. He published his first translation of Vedanta Sutra into Bengali in 1815 and also published translation into English and Hindustani. He translated Kena, Isha, Katha, Mudka Upnishads into English and distributed free of charge to the countrymen.

Apostle of Social Reform

In 1815 he formed a society by his name Atmiya Sabha for the purpose of spiritual purification and enlargement. He made a very powerful campaign against the custom of Sati (Sacrifice of life by wife on the death of husband). He used to go to such of the ladies himself and persuaded them not to sacrifice their lives. He used to call it the greatest sin of the life. He was an apostle of social reforms. He addressed an appeal for freedom and regeneration of woman final in the words, Women are in general inferior to men in bodily strength and energy. Consequently the male part of the community taking advantage of their corporal weakness have denied to them those excellent merits that they are entitled to by nature and afterwards they are apt to say that women are naturally incapable of acquiring those merits. But if we give the subject consideration, we may easily ascertain whether or not your accusation against them is consistent with justice. As to their inferiority in point of understanding when did you even afford them opportunity of extending their natural capacity? How then can you access them of want of understanding. On the contrary Pilawati, Bhanumati are celebrated for their thorough knowledge of shastras, Moreover, in the Brihadaranyka Upanishad of the Yujurveda, it is clearly stated that Yajnvalkya imparted divine knowledge of the most difficult nature to his wife Maitrayi who was able to follow and completely attain.