Prof. Jasbir Singh
On 11 February, 1968 India lost a great philosopher, thinker, economist, sociologist, journalist, social worker, and a true nationalist who always strived to achieve national integration on socio-political and economic platforms taking along poorest of the poor in the society. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s life and work embody the essence of Indian thought, spiritualism, and nationalism, with his philosophy of Integral Humanism standing as the cornerstone of his legacy. He believed in public awakening and awareness to achieve the nationalist goals based on Integral Humanism.
Born on 25 September, 1916 in the village of Nagla Chandraban, now called Deendayal Dham, near town of Farah in Mathura District, which stands around 26 Kms away from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was the greatest votary of Indianizing western concepts of democracy and governance. He was of the opinion that the basic tenets of democracy in the west were a reaction to oligarchy, exploitations and capitalism. Therefore, he advocated adoption of Indian principles of governance from the Vedas, Puranas, Dharma Shastras and other cultural knowledge systems.At the same time, he hailed modern technology and western science but wanted to adopt a hybrid/blended approach best suited to Indians. The concept of the mixed economy has also not been accepted by him as this concept could not determine the ideology /philosophy of its own rather had copied some of the components from capitalist as well as socialist thinking.
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was of the view that Western science might help India to move forward but thoughtless imitation of the Western way of life and value system may harm the socio-economic and moral value system embedded in Indian traditions and ancient culture.
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was greatly influenced by the idea of social equalization and nationalism. His ideology aimed at integrating Indian traditional values with modern governance and economy, rejecting both extreme capitalist and socialist models. He emphasized localism and self-reliance, advocating for economic and political models based on the unique conditions and needs of the India’s general public, particularly the marginalized. His concept of Integral Humanism sought to balance material and spiritual growth, stressing the interconnectedness of individual, society, and the natural world-ideas resonant with Indian traditions like Dharma and the Purusharthas. His Purushartha ideals (Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha) and the Four Ashramas (Brahmacharya, Gruhasta, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa) are the profound guides to the life of an individual.
For Deendayalji Dharma – means education, culture, legal system, and the principle of governance. Artha – it is sadhan purusharth (‘means’) – economy, employment, production, distribution, and utility etc., as per Dharma.Kama – ‘Dharmavirudh Kamoaham’ – in this all indulgences one has to make them positive by giving them cultural moderation through music and different arts. The Kama in opposition to Dharma is not purushartha but distortion. Moksha – (salvation) is the highest goal when an individual is free from the complex of scarcity and influence. All these Indian thoughts should not be issues of sermons but of politics. The policies of the country should be made on their basis.
Deriving from Shankara’s Advaitavad and Buddha’s middle path, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s Integral Humanism is a negation of the extreme prospects of Capitalism as well as individualism.To Deendayal Upadhyaya a true integralism offers the philosophical basis for which these concepts can be harmonized and cherished till the foundations for proper human thoughts are developed which go along the objectives of Integral Humanism. A better knowledge about the philosophy of Integral Humanism will not only provide a direction to India’s advancement but alsoto the world’s progress.
Therefore, he propounded that every economic theory and policy should be in the context of specialism, local tradition and nature, and the temperament of people. In Indian thought he said- Dharm, Arth, Kaam, Moksh- all four are important, and are situation-neutral goals, and society and its system’s work is to fulfil them. If there is a balance between them, there is social equilibrium. The man integrated with vyashti, samashti, srishti and parameshthi is virat.
According to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, Dharma and religion are different in the Indian context. Dharma is more related to the morality of a person in individual and collective life. It is less about religion. On the other hand, religion in Western countries is more concerned about sects. There is a difference between sects and dharma. No society can live without dharma but can live without religion. Dharma is above religion. Based on this truth, he propounded Integral Humanism.
For Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Integral humanism consists of visions organized around two themes: Morality in politics, which can be a game changer, and Swadeshi and small-scale industrialization in the economy initiating self-reliance, and this also stands reflected in Gandhiji’s philosophy. Thus, Integral Humanism revolves around the basic themes of harmony, the primacy of cultural-national values, and discipline. This doctrine of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya is quite relevant even in the present political and economic situation of India.
To elaborate further, Integral Humanism of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya is not about individual versus society but the idea of integration in society. It is not an idea of man versus nature but an idea of integration between man and nature.This thought discovers the threads of integration in apparent separateness. In the world there is no separateness but diversity and what is present in ‘pind’ (unit) is present in ‘brahmanda’ (universe). Today a man by considering himself an individual is waging war against social institutions, family, caste, kinship, panchayat. In the name of socialism man is creating a dictatorship, in the name of development man is fighting against nature, inviting dangerous destructions by destroying the environment. By rejecting spiritualism, a man has become the slave of his senses, unaware of the concept of happiness, earning sorrow in his search for happiness. Indian tradition rejects this separateness and establishes its relationship with both unconscious and conscious.
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya integration gives importance to cultural ethos. It talks about the integration of indigenous culture with the social, economic, and political fabric of the nation. It maintains that the essence of Indian culture and its uniqueness should form the background of any political philosophy or development model to be adopted by India. The Dharam Rajya represents the ideal duty-oriented state where every individual has power as well as obligations towards the state. Further, while accepting differences, it focuses on inter-dependency, association, and unity rather than divergence, denial, and disagreement in various aspects of life. Hence, it works for the welfare of everyone. Antodaya has been the core to all efforts of the state to ensure that decision is taken considering that the person who is last in the queue is also taken care Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s philosophy of integral humanism advocates the holistic idea of human welfare and opposes unbridled consumerism and rapid industrialization without its benefits trickling down to the grass root levels of society, which is relevant in today’s context of inclusive development for all.His philosophy of integral humanism is also in sync with the modern notions of democracy, social equality, and human rights since respect and equality of all faiths and castes is an important feature of the Dharma Rajya. Integral Humanism aims to provide a life of dignity to every human being, thus, promoting policies and principles that can balance the use the labour, natural resources, and capital simultaneously. Adopting this philosophy may change the approach towards politics as Pandit Deendayal believed that the purpose of politics is to bring about social and economic changes. This is required in today’s context where criminal elements, money power, power politics, etc. is beginning to dominate political arena.
Unfortunate death of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya on 11 February, 1968 left everybody in shock. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya remained active in India’s political life from 1937 to 1968. He emerged as an all-round national leader but when this seasoned leader emerged as President of his party, destiny took him away to a mysterious and tragic end. He was the Jana Sangh President for only 43 days when around 3.45 a.m. on 11th Feb 1968, the lever-man at the Mughalsarai station informed the Assistant Station Master that about 150 yards from the station, towards the south of the railway line, a dead body was lying near the electric pole. Mystery of his murder still remains unsolved.
The author is associated with UGC-Chair Pandit
Deendayal Upadhyaya University of Jammu, Jammu
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