Modern Indian Political Thought

Text and Context

Bidyut Chakrabarty Rajendra Kumar Pandey

www.sagepublications.com Los Angeles • London • New Delhi • Singapore • Washington DC Contents

Preface xiii Introduction xv

PARTI: REVISITING THE TEXTS

1. Early Nationalist Responses: , Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Dayananda and Jotiba Phule 7 Contours of the Early Nationalist Responses 8 Socio-political Thought of Ram Mohan Roy 10 Bankim as a Nationalist Thinker 12 Socio-political Ideas of 14 Jotiba Phule: Unique Socio-political Ideas 16 Assessment of the Early Nationalist Responses 19 2. Moderates and Extremists: , M.G. Ranade and B.G. Tilak 23 • Defining Moderates and Extremists 24 • The 1907 Surat Split 35 • Concluding Observations 37 3. 41 • The Basic Precepts 43 • Conceptualising 51 • Concluding Observations 56 4. Rabindranath Tagore 61 • A Life in Creative Unity 61 • Main Strands of the Political Thought of Tagore 63 Modern Indian Political Thought

<» True Freedom 63 • Nationalism 67 • Critique of Gandhi 71 • Concluding Observations 74

5. B.R. Ambedkar 76 • A Life for the Cause of Untouchables 79 • Castes and Untouchability in Hindu Society 82 > Annihilation of Caste 85 • Gandhi-Ambedkar Debate 89 • Political Thoughts of Ambedkar 92 > Rights of the People 93 • Constitutional Democracy 95 > Social Justice 96 • Concluding Observations 98

6. Jayaprakash Narayan 103 • A Life of Ideological Turbulence 104 • Transition from Marxism to Sarvodaya 105 » Plan for Reconstruction of Indian Polity 109 • Sarvodaya 113 • Methods of Realising the Sarvodaya Order 115 • Total Revolution 117 • Concluding Observations 120

7. 122 <• Background 123 • The Pragmatic Thinker 124 » Structure of Governance: Nehruvian Inputs 128 » Planning for Development 131 » The Dilemma of a Democrat 133 » Internationalist Jawaharlal Nehru 137 • Concluding Observations 142

8. Muhammad Iqbal 146 • A Life in Complete Turnaround 147 • Political Ideas of Iqbal 149 » Views on Nationalism 149 Contents

• Pan-Islamism 152 • Ideas on Pakistan 153 • Concluding Observations 156 9. M.N. Roy 158 • From Marxism to Radical Humanism 159 • Critique of Gandhian Thought and Action 160 • Radical Humanism 168 • Concluding Observations 174

10. Ram Manohar Lohia 177 • A Life in Indigenous Evolution 178 • Main Currents of Lohia's Political and Social Thought 180 • Political Thought of Lohia 181 • Critique of Western Ideologies 181 • New Socialism 183 • Model of Political System for India 185 • Social Thoughts of Lohia 186 • Lohia as an Internationalist 188 • Concluding Observations 190 11. 193 • His Early Background 193 • Bose's Political Ideology 196 • Bose and His Idea of Future India 201 • Concluding Observations 203

12. V.D. Savarkar 205 • A Life for the Hindu Cause 207 • Savarkar's Nationalist Interpretation of Indian History 210 • Social Thoughts of Savarkar 213 • Savarkar's Views on Hindutva 214 • Concluding Observations 218

13. Pandita Ramabai 221 • A Life in Pilgrimage for the Cause of Women 221 • Aspects of Feminist Thoughts of Ramabai 222 Modern Indian Political Thought

• Institutional Pursuits for Women's Emancipation 223 • Concluding Observations 224

PART II: CONTEXT AND CONTEXTUAL INFLUENCES RE-EXAMINED

14. Nature and Processes of Indian Freedom Struggle 231 • The Revolt of 1857 232 • The Non-cooperation Movement (1919-22), Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-32) and (1942) 235 • The and the Axis Powers, 1941-45 258 • Indian Naval Uprising 268

15. Landmarks in Constitutional Development during British Rule: A Historical Perspective 280 • Acts and Reforms: Morley-Minto and Montague-Chelmsford Reforms 281 • The 284 • The Government of India Act, 1935 290 • The 294 • Concluding Observations 299

16. Socio-economic Dimensions of the Nationalist Movement 305 • The Communal Question and Partition 306 • Backward Castes Movements 310 • Dalit Movements 317 • Tribal Movements 324 • Women's Movements 329 • Civil Rights Movements 335 • Trade Union Movements 341 • Peasant Movements 345 • Linguistic Movements 348 Contents

17. Culmination of the British Rule and the Making of India's Constitution 357 • The 3 June Plan and India Independence Act, 1947 358 • The Constituent Assembly and the Making of the Constitution 360 • Salient Features of the Constitution 367 • Concluding Observations 391

Conclusion 395 Model Questions 403 Glossary 412 Index 419 About the Authors 431