Indian political approach : A poem
Europe and the new world have for long shaped our minds, it is perhaps a good time to look within. Here's my poetic take on Indian political thought.
India is an ancient civilisation, Our political thought is as old as its tradition.
Political thought in India is a work of ages, oral transmissions were carried out by sages.
It’s often argued, India lacks a strategic thought, It changed, once Manu, Chanakya and Buddha are sought
While in west dichotomies are assertive, Indians have looked at things in a continuous perspective
Man-society, nature-culture, Dharam-dhand aren’t separated, the Indian way of life is a lot more integrated
Manu was the first lawgiver of Indians, his manusmriti is treated as both pernicious as well as auspicious
Concepts of purushartha, ashram, Varnas and sanskar were emphasised, till date these institutions have survived
Responsibilities of kings were defined, women were relegated and sidelined
Kautilya wrote arthshastra a book on statecraft, it was a treatise on geopolitics, administration and ways to tackle graft
Kautilya belonged to the school of offensive realism, more Machiavellian than entire Machiavellianism
He discussed three types of warfares, a six-fold policy to give the enemy nightmares
Sam, Dam, danda, bheda were the mantra to victory, frequently used throughout the history
King was supposed to carry out expeditions, ari and Mitra were first put under considerations
A thorough assessment of 84 elements is to be undertaken, lest any ari or Mitra is mistaken
Corruption has been a malady since past, 40 ways of embezzlement even Kautilya would forecast
Buddhism was the Protestantism of the east, considered egalitarian, socialist, republican at the very least
Though Buddha was not a political philosopher in the conventional sense, yet he set the standards of good governance
Buddha gave the concepts of peace and non-violence, dhamma chakra was in salience
War was replaced by a battle of virtue, though violence in geopolitics is hard to eschew
For him kingship was a delusion, it’s a contradiction with one’s own collusion
Ashoka was his philosopher-king, whose compassion and toleration was fascinating
Modern Indian thinkers played an important role, Their ideas shaped the freedom movement on the whole
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was in ambivalence, from Hindu Muslim unity he turned to communal intolerance
He was a votary of science and reason, reformer to the core, he had a modern vision
Delusional of Hindus, and aware of British might, sir Syed turned loyalist, legitimising the communal fight
He is the father of the two-nation theory, giving India its deepest injury
moderates laid the ground for a modern political movement, but their constitutional methods caused widespread disenchantment
Aurobindo Ghosh gave new lamps for the old, in contrast to moderates, his methods were bold
Prayers petitions and pamphlets were gone, calls were given for Swaraj to be won
Aurobindo Ghosh was a great synthesiser, ideas of east and west were never intertwined any wiser
He gave the idea of passive resistance, which laid the foundations for Gandhi's significance
One should follow the law of one’s own being, he said; India would chart its own course was impressed
For him nations were an expression of the universal spirit, to spread its spiritual message was for India’s credit
He also emphasised human unity, as aggregation was in the interest of humanity
His words seem relatable, now more than ever. Today’s issues need collective action to deliver
Gandhi was more of a political scientist than a philosopher, there hasn’t been a more successful mass leader
He is the father of Indian nationalism, to his credit, he did his own criticism
Most loved person after Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi was an enigma, a zeitgeist
He talked about satyagraha and Swaraj, sarvodya and ram Rajya
For him ends and means were incongruences, his methods of protests were based on non-violence
For him ahimsa was an attribute of the soul, spreading the message of brotherhood was his ultimate goal.
Satyagraha was the insistence on truth, it was an article of faith, a necessity for today’s youth.
For him modern civilisation was satanic, minimisation of wants was given as a tonic
His critique of modern civilisation was a war of position, doubts were cast on white man’s burden and the civilising mission
Sarvodaya was Gandhian socialism, his constructive program fostered this tradition.
Gandhi favoured equality of dignity, bread labour, trusteeship, land reforms were suggested for amity
For Gandhi ethics and politics were the same, for whose division, Machiavelli gets the blame
For a babool will not give a rose flower, it’s essential to have justice with power
For Gandhi rights and duties are embryonic entities, the message of Gita was the essence
For Him state was antithetical to freedom, an instrument of coercion, Ram Rajya was his idea, an anarchist vision
M N Roy was one of the most learned personality, ambivalence was his inherent peculiarity
Over the years he criticised many dictums, L L Roy, Lenin and Gandhi were his notable victims
He shifted parties by the season, suspicion and scepticism being the reason
His ideas were ahead of his time, but lack of popular mobilisation was his crime
He criticised historic materialism, for him, the revolution wasn’t a change in the mode of production
The real revolution is ideological he remarked, radical democracy and cosmopolitan union of free persons, an idea he sparked
He gave Marxism a humanist interpretation, by criticising he retained the Marxian tradition
Radical humanism was his philosophy of freedom, a life free of fear and superstition
Though he was a political connoisseur, his vacillations made him a ‘remarkable failure’
Ambedkar was more of a politician, under him Dalits developed a collective vision
Annihilation if caste rejected Brahminism, the strongest critic of purity and pollution
Respect and dignity were demanded as a right, for him, Vedas and manusmriti deserved dynamite
It was under these ideas, Indian national movement took shape; politics developed a national consciousness, the British couldn’t escape
Moderates were for constitutionalism and liberalism, extremists for passive resistance and affronted criticism
While moderates prepared the field, extremists sowed the seeds. The crop was ready to harvest, Gandhi entered the conquest
Mass movements and the constructive programme was the Gandhian way, Indians reciprocated without going estray
Jinnah demanded another nation, Ambedkar was instrumental in the Dalit assertion
Congress became a dominant force, a national movement was now on the right course
Quit India movement was the war of manoeuver, with the end of world war 2, it was game over
Gandhi was instrumental in bringing the British down, India was to get rid of the crown
freedom came with its own cost, a large chunk of India was forever lost
15 August 1947 is a watershed in Indian history, from hereon, India writes its own destiny
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