Bharatbhoomi (INDIA) has given birth to innumerable heroes, social reformers, philosophers and learned people. Being informed about these enlightened people, taking inspiration from their lives and following their vision is the duty of an ideal citizen. The cornerstones for providing this set of information to our citizens are textbooks, articles of the intelligentsia, views and perspectives of the colonial historians.
The Nationalist historians were not given a say in the so-called standard books of Indian history for a long time. And this is the reason why only a few personalities got recognition through these textbooks which were mainly influenced by the colonial education system, the historiography of Marxist historians and the patrons of the ruling power. It is a misfortune of our country that people with the above-mentioned mindset not only affected the education system of India but also gave birth to a system where we forgot the legacy of our past.
Where we have forgotten most of our ideal inspirational personalities. We have undoubtedly read some inspiring personalities, but a long list of personalities who gave up everything for our country still lie in wait for recognition which they truly deserve.
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the promoter of Integral Humanism, is also one among such personalities whose ideas, writings, models of development and even life struggles were not discussed. Deendayal Upadhyaya, a writer, politician, journalist, philosopher and volunteer, was born in a north Indian lower middle-class family in Brijbhumi, Uttar Pradesh on September 25, 1916.
He cleared the Administrative Services after passing Matriculation, Inter, BA in First Division and later devoted himself to the Sangh in 1937.
In 1967, Upadhyaya was elected the President of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in the Calicut session. He was assassinated at Mughalsarai station on the night of 10/11 February 1968 (The facts of the brutal murder including the exact date are still a mystery). His assassination happened during his presidential tenure of JanSangh which lasted only for 43 days.
Pandit never supported the model of BHARAT being displaced by INDIA. He did not support the foundation stone of the country’s law and administration on colonial lines. In such a situation, the ideas of Deendayal gave concepts like human dignity, human values and Antyodaya along with fundamental ideas like Indian culture, Indian education and economic system, national integrity, national language etc. In the various articles published by Pandit in Panchjanya Patrika, his various meetings, programs of the Sangh, his written literature and letters written to his family and friends, one can get an idea of his philosophy in detail whose links pass through the Sankhya philosophy.
‘Antyodaya’ is to provide proper food, water, housing, and education to the people suffering from economic poverty. The philosophy of ‘Antyodaya’ is based on the happiness of human beings and also focuses on the have-nots of the society. Family, society, caste, nation, world and universe are all human units which rest on four pillars – body, mind, intellect and soul. Ignoring any one of these nullifies the remaining three. Therefore, the development model of any country should be person-centred. ‘Antyodaya’ is the means of practical culmination of this integral human philosophy. Integral human philosophy revives the two defining characteristics of nationhood known as “Chitti” (soul of the nation) and “Virat” (the force that gives energy to the nation).
The process of framing the national constitution was very complex and elaborate. Keeping a sense of respect for the constitution, Deendayal Upadhyaya openly criticised the federal constitution, provisions related to public welfare State and local self-government etc. and not only criticised but also provided their solutions.
Sensing the situation in Kashmir and the prior intentions of Sheikh Abdullah, Pandit tried his best to warn the Government and the former Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru using various letters and sources, but his words were not taken into account. Deendayal Upadhyaya was one of the first few pioneers who made sincere efforts for the removal of Article 370 back then which recently got removed by the current Indian Government.
The concept of ‘Antyodaya’ was implemented by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee; the present Government has taken forward the same ‘Antyodaya’ by giving civil respect to the citizens who are serving selflessly in the last rung of democracy. The inspiration for Deendayal’s ‘Antyodaya’ is schemes like the initiatives of the present Government. The concept of ‘The journey of India’s development should start from villages’ has been successfully implemented today by schemes like the Rural Livelihood Mission, Pradhan Mantri Swarozgar Yojana etc.
There are also challenges in the implementation of the plans that cannot be denied. Those challenges need to be discussed and more importantly, solutions should be discussed. Pandit Deen Dayal, while discharging various responsibilities of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Jana Sangh, kept his various ideas in the training programs of the Sangh. In these meetings, we can see a series of solutions to various problems of the country. His views can be seen in the issues of Panchjanya and Yugdesh Patrika.
To increase the reach of the common people to the names of countless unknown heroes who have sacrificed their lives in the freedom struggle, the pretext of the Amrit Festival of Independence has been prepared by the present Government.
On the birthday of Deen Dayal, let us be determined that we can do justice to Pandit’s sacrifices and efforts for our country’s bright future । It’s high time that they get recognition and do not remain anonymous to a common man.
Let us be determined that with our concerted efforts, those personalities who have laid down their lives for nation-building should be a part of our lives, of our history, textbooks and all the cultural forums of the country. So that future generations can take inspiration from these larger-than-life personalities.
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