CHAPTER- V

RAMMANOHAR LOHIA'S IDEAS AND THINKING ON SOCIALISM.

5,.1 Introduction.

The Nationalist Movement in India which· originated as a consequence of

0
t~e total impact of British rule in India was a part of the world wide reaction
'
. ~gainst the colonial exploitation. The impact of the British rule on the socio-
. ·economic structure of the Indian society and the perceptions of the early Na-
!
Uonalists on this impact provided the political philosophy of the freedom struggle.
Any economic and political ideology that developed in Modern India could be
s:tudied and analysed against this total background of the Nationalist
1
rJ1ovement.
I

The early years of the 20th century witnessed several significant events in
human history. The first World War and the Russian revolution marked a turn-
1

: .
i8g point in the revolutionary movements in the colo~ial countries. In India
n:ational liberation movement under Gandhi's leader~hip .was gaining new
h:eights and dimensions. Nationalist leaders were of the opinion that poverty
I

a:nd backwardness of the colonial people could be eradicated by removing

cblonial rule. A section of the. nationalist leaders held the belief that the British
I
I

·. r~:Jie was the root cause of India's poverty and backwardness and so they felt
I

tMat political independence would solve India's backwardness. They wanted to

e:liminate British rule and put emphasis on Independence for they believed it
I •

.·would remove poverty, ignorance and miseries of the Indian people. By the
end of 1920s and the beginning of 1030s the rising left wing in the congress
strongly maintained. that political indep'endence without economic independence
'
'
~auld not eradicate the miseries and problems of the people.

133
 The emerging left wing in the congress wanted to instil and infuse eco-
n,omic and social content to the freedom struggle so th~t economic i~depen- ·
dence could be achieved along with the struggle against the colonial rule, which
I - :

c'ould fetch, the real freedom to the people. It was in this ~ackground that Lohia
~ntered the Nationalist movement and joined the strug~le against the British
ii!lperialism in 1934 as a congress socialist.2
I
'

Lohia's contributions to socialist thought and action are manifold. He wanted

to free the individual from ignorance, backwardness and all kinds of supersti- ·
'

ti;ons and prejudices. He put maximum emphasis about resoring the dignity
a_nd individuality of human being. Lohia highlighted the ideological problems of
the socialist movement in India. He wanted to assimilate the fundamental te-
n'ets of Marxism with Gandhian ideas. Though he was inspired by Marxism yet
he ?id not blindly accept ,some of the postulates of Marxism. Lohia was of the
opinion that Gandhian ideas and principles should be re-examined and recon-
r . '·

s.idered in the light of the changes in the socialist and communist movements
I

a.ll over the world. He made it a point to look into the ;economic problems a
l ' t· .
country is facing. It should be "pointed out that Lohia's·_· ideas and thinking on
sbcialist
I
thought and movement came to be inluenced by Gandhian teachings
a'nd techniques. One scholar says : "Among those who tried to give a new
o:rientation· of Marxist and Gandhian principles. Lohia who tJ led to work out the
d:octrinal foundation of socialism occupies the pride of place." 3

A democrat by conviction socialism appealed to Lohia as a way of life. He

strongly advocated the plea that socialist movement in India should have a
distinct Indian character. Lohia championed "the principle of equal irrelevance
of capitalism and communism in respect of the creation of a new human civili-
zation." This 'new civilization' is called by Lohia 'socialism.'
'

134
'
~.2 Formative Influences

, An individual's perceptions and views are not empty abstraction isolated ·

I
' .
from. the social reality around him. The formative influences
' ..
on an individual
can
'
be explained by taking into account the historic and social conditions in
. .
I

Which one is born and grows up.

i

Rammanohar Lohia was born on 23rd March 191 0 at Akbarpur· village on

L!Jttar Pradesh in a Marnari family. His father, Hiralal, was a devoted freedom
'

fl_ghter and a follower of Gandhi. Lohia was greatly influenced by his father
I .

~aralal and Gandhi. It was from his father that Lohia derived his interest in his
early years in the nationalist politics led by Gandhi.

The political interest of Rammanohar Lohia took a radical character during

His
, student life .in India. After his primary education in the village he was admit-
ted -to a school in Bombay (Marhari Vidyalaya) and passed High School exami-
' . .
i '.'
nation from Bombay in 1925. He had his college education in Benaras (1925- ·
1i927) and Calcutta (1927-1929), and in August 1929 he went to Europe for
Higher studies. 4

Lohia's schooling started in the village of Akbarpur. Later when his father
s,hifted to Bombay, Rammanohar was exposed to the urban environment
. .
which
m'ight
!
have been conducive for a better interaction with tne latest develop-.
.i
rtlents in the country.

Rammanohar got himself admitted into the Vidyasagar College in Calcutta

'
f<Dr his bachelor degree. In Ca_lcutta he came into contact with nationalistic
pplitics, sentiments and tradition.

The period of his student days in Calcutta was a period of intense political
135
eixcitement and national unrest. The period was marked by non-cooperation
~ovement, movement against the Simon Commission, ,rise of leftism and the
d emand for compl~te independence. 5 The emergence of; Gandhi in Indian poli-
1

tics and the introduction of mass politics were landmarks ih the freedom struggle
;

at that time. Nationalist leadership were ·thinking to sta~ a movement against

i

the
'
British imperialism. Gandhiji was instrumental in designing the param~ters
. .

of a theoretical model for the development of India ..

Lohia's education in Berlin was a turning point in his ideological evolu-

ti:on. He took admission in the Berlin University and started his Ph.D. course
u,nder the reputed economist Bernhard Zombart. The title of the Ph.D. thesis
was 'Salt & Satyagraha.' The intellectual background and political conditions
!
iril Germany in that period immensely influenced the thinking of Lohia. 6

During the turn of the century, Berlin was the cultural capital of Europe.
German philosophy tradition enriched by Kant, Hegel knd Nitzsche had pro-
v'ided a philosophical background to Berlin. Germany was vibrant with the ac-
ti;vities of working class movements during this time. The association of Marx
! '

a,nd Engles with some of them had give German politics a distinctiveness.
Hegelian influence was still widespread among intellectuals and students. 7

Lohia had come to know the exploitative nature of capitalism and how the
British imperialism was perpe~uating exploitation on the Indian people while
staying in India. The writings of economic nationalists might had provided Lohia
ail insight ·about the economic drainage and its result and effect on the Indian
e,conomy. Lohia understood that the root cause of stagnation and under devel-
obment of Indian economy was the exploitation perpetuated by th~ British im·
p~rialism and he came to know the burgeoning hold of British capitalism. As
one writer has put it : "The experience in. Berlin Widened his understanding ,
ahd perception as was evident from his writings in the:: congress socialist dur-
1 • • '·-

' 136 . ;,/

ing 1934-35 and his critical views in his e·ssary Economics after Marx' which
!

was written in 1943."8

Therefore, the growth of German nationalism and its reflections in all walks
of German life had a deep influence on Lohia. V.K. Arora writes : "It was in and
through German language and philosophy that he developed the faculty of
original thinking and critical acumen." 9

Madhu Limaye observes that Lohia was deeply influenced by German

·philosophical influenced by German philosophical influence. A significant as-
pect of Lohia's personality is the philosophical bent of his mind as evident from
his search for philosophical truth and ultimate reality in most of his writings. 10
' .
R.A. Prasad points out : "His language and philosophical bent of mind had the
imprint of German influences. His lofty sense of nationalism was strengthened
i~ the German environment." 11

Thus we may say that Marxism, European socialism and liberalism had
exerted a tremendous influences on Lohia. He was exposed to the drawbacks
of capitalism and a nationalistic feeling enlightened his mental horizon. Lohia
came back to India as an anti-imperialist and plunged himself to the struggle
' ' .

for Indian liberation movement under the leadership of Gandhi and Jawaharlal·
Nehru.

Rammanohar Lohia was essentially a man action. He was a man of vision.

r;le always kept himself abreast with the latest developments in the world of
ideas and thoughts. A commentator concedes that Lohia is "a rare intellectual
in the socialist movement he had that adequate academ;s background 9nd
training which most of our socialist leaders lack." 12 It should be pointed out that
t~e influence of Gandhi on the evolution of Lohia's ideas and through pro-
cesses was deep and profound. Lohia wanted to make a synthesis between
137 ,_·
 Marxism and Gandhian ideas. Though he was influenced and impressed by
some of the fundamental tenets of Marxism yet he did not develop any dog-
. .

. ~atic affinity with Marxism. He disliked blind adherence to any dogma. He had
ttJe temperament of a rebel. He was a champion offreedom and equality. He
detested parachialness and religious dogmatism. By temperament and out-·
look he was social democrat from the very beginning.

5.3 Emergence of Congress Socialism.

> ,< I

By the middle of the twentieth century, Indian thinkers were inspired and
impressed by socialism. While they began to be influenced by the thinkers of
. . .

ttJe west, but they would not like to follow their ideas and thinking unquestion-
il'lgly. They were not in favour of taking their ideas in toto. Indian thinkers wanted
to retain Indian identity and specific distinctiveness and characteristics of In-
dian society. They sought to apply and introduced the foreign ideas which they
felt, would suit Indian culture, conditions and circumstances. Thus, lndianization
of socialism became their dominant creed.
0

In this connection if we seek to study the emergence of congress social- .

i~m. we will have to analyse the historical background and the necessary per~
spectives connected with this trend.

The National and International forces that had began to operate on the
lr)dic:m political seen from the early nineteen twenties, was pushing the Nation-
alist Movement in India to new dimensions. The First World War and the Rus-
I

sian Revolution elightened and enthused the Indian leaders to organise pro-
,

test movements to end the British rule. The emergence of. Gandhi in Indian
'
p?litics at this juncture is another noteworthy event. Gandhi's insistence o·n
v~lue-based politics and h_is introduction of mass politics helped immense!¥ to
awaken the consciousness of the Indian masses to revolt against colonial rule
138
ahd exploitation. The leadership of Gandhi exerted a profound impact on the
psyche of the Indian people and gave a fillip and new orientation to the Indian
I

national movement. K. Gopinathan Pillai writes :

''The radicalisation of Indian politics as the result of civil Disobedience Move-

ments and the spread of socialist ideas· among the younger generation of con-·
gressmen coupled with the strong resentment and disenchantment against
the conservative)Gandhian leadership of the congress ..... led to the emer-
' .
g;ence of a left wing inside the congress organisation which assumed an
organisational form in 1934 with the birth of All India Congress Socialist Party
(AICSP)." 13

V.K. Arora writes that a section of radical nationalists "who were dissatis-
fi.ed with the Gandhian ideology .... as well as the constitutionalism of the Swaraj
Party, studied and embraced socialist ideology and began to evolv~ rival
programmes of Indian Independence from the standpoint of the new ideol-
o.gy."14

Jayaprakash Narayan says : " .... The socialist movement in India must
evolve its own picture of socialism in the light of Marxist thought, .... and of
conditions in this country and our historical background .... There can be no
room for dogmatism or fundamentalism in Marxist thought." 15 He says further,
·"We must be extremely careful in choosing our ways to socialism." 16 (Empha-
sis added). Ramm_anohar Lohia also made a very important contribution to
evolving a positive ideological content of democratic socialism keeping in view
the conditions prevalent in Third World under developed and developing coun-
tries, including India. He came forward with the doctrine-' Equal. Irrelevance' of
communism and capitalism -to the developing world, including India.

The radicalisation process of the nationalist move~ent since the Civil Dis-
139 ,~·
 obedience Movement of 1920s passing through differen~ phases culminated in
the emerg~nce of the left wing inside the congress. Amo~g the younger radfcal
I

leaders of the congress, JawaharlaiNehru and Subhas Bose were the precur-
sors of this left wing group. Also M.N. Roy had a very important role to play in
. . '

organising leftist movements around this time as a communist leader.

Around this time Independence for India League (Ill) was constituted by
the radical Nationalists led by Nehru, Bose etc. The basic objective of the
League was to step up the propaganda for independence and oppose the
r;i3htEtC ongress ::eade!Bhp .1 7 Meantime workers' and Peasants' Party (WPP)
was formed and it played a notable role in the freedom struggle. The left wing
leaders and the WPP were disheartened with the Motilal Nehru report seeking
dominion status. They demanded nothing short of Independence. By this time
I

t~e Congress Left Wing emerged as an ideologically distinct group and a rift
e,nsued between the left radicals and the rightist leadership led by Gandhi and
Motilal Nehru. The left Wing asked the Congress to explain its social and eco-
nomic goals.

Socialist ideas began to' spread among the radical youths. Nehru and
Bose launched a big campaign for organising Youth Leagues. The Youth
Leagues began to press the demand for independence. The Bombay Provin:-
cial Youth League was formed by Jusuf Meherally in 1928. The first congress
\)

of the Socialist Youth Congress wc:~s held at Calcutta on 27th December 1928
under the Chairmanship of Jawaharlal Nehru. 18 The growth and expansion of
Y?Uth organisations and student associations clearly indicated a rapid
radicalisation of the nationalist movement in the late 1930s. As one another
rightly suggests that "the emerging left wing in the Congress which was grow-
ing in influence demanded nothing short of complete independence and wanted
to broaden the base of the nationalist movement by _;incorporating the eco-
\
nomic and social grievances of the working class and 'peasantry." 19
140
 -;:::-t

Gandhi was getting too much worried seei~g about Nehru's leaning to-
0ards left-wing politics. Gandhi wanted to check and contain Nehru's involve-
, . '
J,ent and infatuation with radical left-nationalist movern'ent. "After this in spite.·
'·
df.all.the rhetoric in the name of socialism, Nehru could:·nev~r come back into
I

the :!Dli of the Congress Left.W ilg ~obseiVes K S . P :ill3.:i20

.!
5:4 Formation of Congress Socialist Party.
I • •

The decision to form the Congress Socialist Party was taken by a group
dJ, young congressmen who were impressed and inspired by socialist and radi-
cal nationalist thinking. They were arrested during the Civil Disobedience Move-
,

ment and were imprisoned at Nasik Central Jail. (1932-33). Jayaprakash

Narayan was the chief architect of this group. He conceived first the necessity
ol creating such a group within the congress along with other socialists. Minoa
rV1asani writes :
I

An incipient group of socialists emerged form our discussions in Nasik .

Prison. Among the main participants in these discussibns were Jayaprakash
I

~arayan and myself. Others who joined in were Achyut Patwardhan and Asoka
I ' • ' ~

Mehta. 21

Some of the other Congress leaders who were in the Nasik Prison and were
instrumental in the formation of the Congress Socialist Party were : Minoa Masani,
I

Asoka Mehta, Achyut Patwardhan, N.G. Garay and M.L. Dantwala. These lead-
e~s. along wlth Acharya Narendra Deva, Rammanohar Lohia, Yusuf Meherally
and S.M. Joshi, constituted the core of the leadership of the socialist movement
II .
22
through most of its. phases. These socialist leaders planned to work within the
'
Iridian National Congress, seeking at the same time to influence the Nationalist
'
rv,ovement in the direction of So~ialism. On May, 17, 1934, the first All-lndif! Con-
I

ference of Socialists was held in Patna under the chairmanship of Acharya Narendra ·
I

Dbv. Rammanohar Lohia Attended the conference.

141
 5:5 Congress Socialist Party : Leadership and Ideological Issues.

The AICSP conference which was held in Bombay on October 21-22, ·

1;934, dedared the objective of the party to be the achi~evement of 'complete
' ' . ~
independence in the sense of separation from the Briti$h Empire and the es-
' '

tablishment of soc.ialist society.' It envisaged working withll'l and outside the

congress. The Socialist thinkers believed that independence should precede
tt:le establishment of the socialist state and therefore, wanted to remain within
the Congress. They wanted t6 influence the policies of the Congress Party
remaining within it and to sharpen and spearhead the struggle against British
r\.!1_~. While urging the Congress to adopt socialistic programme, it undertook
i :

the task of "Uniting the Socialist and other radical elements within the Indian
~ational Congress, into an organization in order to accelerate the growth of
the latter into an anti-imperialist body having the requisite ideological and
organisational basis." 23

From the inception, the party leadership was divi(jed among three ideo-
lcgical tendencies of socialism, namely, Marxian socialism, Fabian or Social
I .

Democratic
.
Socialism and Socialism tinged with Gandhlsm, 'with different lead-
e'rs espousing each of the three ideological trends. In the early years
I ' '
I

Jayaprakash Narayan and Narendra Dev had greater say in determining mat-
'
ters related to organization and ideology of the party respectively. But later on
b:ecause of his contribution to the formation of the party and his uniq~e role in
. the freedom struggle, Narayan was able to take decisions independently. How-
e1ver, in the early years, the maxist influence was the most dominant in the
p~rty. Commenting qn the different ideological strands among the socialist
" stalwarts, Minoa Masani writes :"I was a stanch democrat of the British Labour
P,arty kind and had little sympathy with communist methodology or technique,
i •

though I was a rather starry-eyed admirer of the October Revolution in Rus-

1

sia ... J.P. on the other hand was a stanch believer in; the dictatorship of the
142
proletariat, whatever that may mean. Marxism was the bedrock of his socialist
faith." 24 There was a fourth stand which emphasised adherence to India's cul-
tural, historical, political and economic background. The exponents of the first
were. Jayaprakash Narayan and Narendra Dev, of the second Minoo Masani
and Asoke Mehta and of the third Achyut Patwardhan and Rammanohar Lohia.
The fourth strand was represented by Sampurnanand whom the communists
contemptuously called "Vedantic Socialists." This ideological division in the
party naturally affected the organisation and programme. f\lone of the groups
was ready for compromise on doctrinal issues. 25

On the formation and objectives of Congress Socialist Party.

Sampurnanand remarked :"Interest in Socialism was growing apace and people
felt that somehow socialism would provide a break-though from the dead end
which congress strategy seemed to have been reached ."26

C.P. Bhambri writes, "Ever since their birth as a separate party, the So-
cialists have been making efforts to have a programme
, and an ideology. dis-

tinct form those of both the congress and the Communists. lndianization of
Socialism has been another crucial issue with the Socialists." 27

5:6 C.S.P. & Rammanohar Lohia.

The independent way of thinking by the Indian socialists intended to

constitute the C.S.P. were consciously .alive to the need for evolving. Indian
socialism largely on Marxian lines, but only as a mixture diluted with the Indian
conditions. The congress Socialist thinkers urged the necessity to evolve a
democratic way of life and build an egalitarian society to ameliorate the miser-
ies and sufferings of the lndic;m people. Marxism was the chief goal of the
congress Socialists, but they were influenced by Gandhian principles of non-
143 -~:·.
violent means and democratic methods.

Rammahohar Lohia played a very important role ;in the C.S.P. The first
Ind-ia Socialist Conference which was held at Patna on;;May 17, 1934 consti-
tuted a committee to draft a constitution and programm~ for C.S.P. Lohia was
s~lected a member of this committee. The C.S.P. started publication of a weekly
e'ntitled 'Congress Socialist' from Calcutta in 1934. Lohia was made the editor
o:t the new publication. It is through the columns of this magazine that Lohia
brought out many illuminating articles and editorials in this weekly.

At the Lucknow Congress of 1936, the Congress Party opened the ~or­

eign Affairs Department under the initiative of Nehru. Nehru requested Lohia
: .
t6 take the charge of the department. Accordingly, Lohia took up the responsi-
bility of this newly formed Foreign Affairs Department as General Secretary.
'
Lohia rendered commendable service as the chief of the department. Under
the anspices of the Department Lohia published a few pamphlets such as
' "

'Fight for Civil Liberties,' 'Indians in Foreign land' and articles like 'ihe Foreign
' .
Rolicies of the Indian National Congress and British La~our Party' which bears
the te.stimony of his inquisitive mind and scholarship. 28 :

Jawaharlal Nehru was very sympathetic about the formation of C.S.P.

Young Socialist thinkers looked to him as their leader and adviser. Minoa Masani
states that 'Jawaharlal ... was willing to give us the support we needed." 29
-Jawaharlal welcomed "the formation of socialist groups in the Congress to
influence the ideology of the Congress and the country." 30 -lnspite of expecta-
tions from the Socialist leaders, Jawaharlal did not want to associate himself
I

officially with that group. Jawaharlal's attitude & behaviour in this regard shocked
and disheartened the Socialist leaders who wished to project Nehru as their
-in:tellectual 'Guru.' Nehru wanted to play the role of a national leader in the
'
national liberation movement. Lohia also was attracted towards the charis-
144
IT;Jatic personality and charm of Jawaharlal Nehru. Minoa Masani asserted : "I
must soon have become one of Jawaharlal's pet young men' and I shared that
distinction with JP, Ram Manohar Lohia and Achyut Patwardhan." 31 It may be
I . ~

'
s~id that Rammanohar Loria got actively involved into the national movement
' \

with the formation of Congress Socialist Party in 1934 a~d he was regarded as
I ·,

one of the stalwarts of the socialist movement in India. i

5::7 Gandhi And Lohia.

The emergence of Gandhi in Indian politics and the introduction of mass

politics were landmarks in the freedom struggle. Rammanohar Lohia was deeply
influenced by Gandhi. Gandhiji's ideals and principles had a strong impact on
' ' '

L9hia. But Lohia did not s_uccumb completely to Gandhian ideas. He consid-
ered many of the views of Gandhi inadequate. Lohia did not blindly accept all
the ideas of Gandhi. He was critical about the inconsistencies
. and drawbacks
, .
iri Gandhian ideas. Though Lohia was not opposed to Marxism, he endeav-
~-
oured to strike a synthesis between Marxism and Gan'dhian
. . ideals and tech-
niques.
-.,

Gandhi and the Rightist Leadership of the Congress Party viewed the
formation of the Congress Socialist Party with reservation. Gandhiji was scep-
tical about the role and function of such a group within the Congress. Gandhi
did not like the birth of C.S.P. because he thought that another group within the
I

p~rent organisation might wreck the unity and cohesiveness in the Congress.
So Gandhi wanted to contain and alienate Nehru so that he might not formally
associate himself with that group. Gandhi observed in a letter written to Min boo
I

Masani on June 14, 1934 :

i

I welcome the rise of the Socialist Party in the Congress. But·l

can't say that I like the programme as it appears in the printed
pamphlet. It seems to me to ignore Indian conditions and I dO
145
 not like the assumption underlying many of its propositions which
go to show that there is necessarily antagonism between the
classes and the masse·s or between the labourer;s and the capi-
talists such that they can never work for mutual· good. My own
)

experience covering a fairly long period is to th~ contrary. 32

Rammanohar Lohia hailed Gandhism as the great invention of the twen-·

ti13th century. Lohia sought to.combine socialist principles with the four Gandhian
ideas, namely; satyagraha, ends and means principle, small machine technol-
ogy and political decentralization. He cherished the view that Satyagraha is
! '

superior to both constitutional and revolutionary methods. Lohia believed that

Gandhi's non-violent Satyagraha was an effective method to bring about so-
c,ial change.

Gandhi had emphasised that means are more important than the ends.
According to Gandhi, the nature of our achievement woL:ld depend on .our
methods: both are inseparable, they are two sides of the same coin. Following
Gandhi. lohia maintained that truth cannot be achieved on the basis of false-
hood.:.n

Lotia stocd for estabiishment of a sociafis1 society in India after lnde~ ·.

p~ndence. He thought that democracy and national freedom, together with the·
need for change, should constitute the goals of Indian socialism. Lohia pleaded
that Gandhism along cold provide the proper base for socialism in India. Lohia
ra\sed the issue of the doctrinal foundation of Indian Socialism and pleaded for
the incorporation of Gandhian techniques in socialist movement. Lohia main-
taihed that the true ideal of socialism could be achieved only through Gandhian
m~thod. Thus, we find Lohia's leanings to Gandhian ideas if we thoroughly
. an~lyse Lohia's thoug,ht processes in general.

146
 '
5:8 Lohia's Approach to Socialism.

Lohia's ideas and thinki~g on socialism lay seatt~red through his writ-
ings and speeches. Lohia gave socialism a novel dimension and set new goals.
' '

Socialism was to Lohia a broad tendency. He envisioned socialism as a '!lew

I

civilisation.' Lohia advanced his concept of Socialism independent of capital-

ism and communism. His theories and ideas on Socialism can not be dis-
cussed separately. They are synchronised and conglomerated into a complete
whole. In order to understand and appreciate his views and ideas on Socialism
it would be convenient and beneficial to analyse and study Lohia's ideas and
theories mentioned below. His social ideas and thoughts also have a great
relevance and importance.

5':9 The Doctrinal Foundation of Socialism

Rammanohar Lohia forcefully raised the issue of the doctrinal founda-

tion of Indian Socialism in 1952 at Panachmarhi session of the party. In his
famous Presidential address at Panchamari in 1952, Loh~:3 emphasised .the·
need of an independent doctrine of socialism. He espoused the thesis that the
'
Indian society must develop on its own .. According to him, the new creed could
not be developed on the basis of a borrowed erred. To quote Lohia, "In India it
leads to hesitancy in action, to frequent lagging behind the cohorts of capital-
ism or of communism." 34 Rammanohar Lohia observes :

"Socialism is a newer doctrine than capitalism or communism ... There

must be adequate doctrinal foundation of consisteflt logic that gives socialism
a~ antonomous direction in thought and action and saves it from confusions
that disperse and scatter. Socialism must ever be a doctrine that grows, but it
must also ever seek the principle that hold its various limbs together. Socialism ·
should cease to live on borrowed breath.
147
 I'

~oo long has it borrowed from communism its economic aims and from capi-
t~lism or the liberal age its non-economic and general aim. An acute dishar-
mony has resulted. To explore once again the economi~' and the general aims
1

of society and to integrate them into a harmony should b,,e a high endeavour of
' ~

35
socialist doctrine."

Lohia's ideas and perceptions on socialism was highly pragmatic. So. it

I'

had a distinction from the dogmatic and doctrinaires socialism expounded by

' , I
' .

the European socialists. Lohia was of the opinion that European socialism
I

lacked a world outlook. lohia observed : "I missed in European socialism the
~~thos and the elan so necessary for the ~inal victory of a doctrine ... European
s'ocialists are so much taken up with the problems of the moment, the statisti-
1 •

· cal evidence and requirements of their own nation, that they mi~s the complete
i

view and the world view." 37

Lohia was opposed to capitalism and communism .. To quote Lohia :-"Capi...:

! ' :
t~lism cannot even fulfil its primary function of providing capital to mankind ...
Communism inherits from capitalism its technique of production; it only seeks
to smash the capitalist relations of production. Commynism claims to be the
cbntinuato'r and qeveloper of capitalist technology, wheri capitalism is no longer
able to do. so." 38 According to Lohia, Cqpitalism and communism are but two·
parts of the single complex of existing civilization, whose main features are the
hunger for risi~g living standards to be achieved by the use of dynamic tech-
~plogy and large-scale production. Capitalism depends upon a free enterprise
e¢onomy for ever-rising standards of living; communism, upon social owner-
ship of the means of production. 39 Lohia observed·: "Capitalism and commu-
.
nism share a certain community of economic aims insofar as the latter inherits
I

the former's processes and forces of production and alters only its relations ...
I .

The new world must go beyond them both, beyond capitalism and beyond
communism, if for no other reason than that the techn:iques of mass prod4c-
1 • ~·
148 ~·
t(on are inapplicable to ~o thirds of the world. Communism alters onlyJhe
capitalist relations of production and seeks to reproduce its forces; socialism
I . :
!

!\lUSt alter them both." Lohia stated, "Communism want9 to move history back-
40

v/ards and to repair the ravage of capitalism by imitating its ways of mass
. . ::.

production. That cannot be done. Socialism must kno1 how to move history
forward." 41

Lohia came to the conclusion that commLmism and European tradition

of socialism are irrelevant in the existing socio-economic realities in the third
world countries. In this perspective Lohia advanc~d his theory of soci~lism. He
pointed out that modern concept like capitalism, socialism, equality, liberty,
etc. Which have evolved in the context of the European experience, should not
qe universalised and should not be applied to Indian conditions in toto. Lohia
defined socialism as "the best .way to achieve equality and prosperity." 42

I
Lohia opined that Marx did not sufficiently take into account the peculiar
and specific conditions of the third world. Lohia conceived his socialism as a
; .
new civilization which would arise in the backward regions of the present civi-
lization and might ultimately cover the whole world. It wks largely influenced by
the needs and requirements of the present third world c6untries.43 V.K. Arora
writes : "Disillusioned with Marxism and other traditional socialist doctrines,
Lohia formulated ·hid independent philosophy of Socialisrr, whose focal point
was the local Asian Scene."44

Lohia did not accept Western liberalism. He regarded freedom as impor-

tant. Lohia had abiding faith in democracy, freedom and individual liberty. Such
'.
~ belief repelled him from Communism or Marxism. Lohia socialism Is against
all types of totalitarian and monolithic society. It can never lead to totalitarian-
ism as it based itself on the moral and integrated individual and not on the
' ::
1
fragmented and self-alienated individual of the existin g civilization. Lohia was .
149 '
"•.:..
 fully aware that freedom can exist only when there is equality in all the walks of
life. 45

Lohia cherished that Socialism is superior to capitalism because it is not

based on the idea of the use or exploitation of other for one's own aggrandize-
ment or enrichment. He agreed with Sampurnanand and Acharya Narendra
Oev that sometimes the capitalists go to the extent of sacrificing the freedom
of their own country for their own selfish end. 46

Lohia had firm faith in democracy as a government of the people but he

opposed the tendency of democracy to lead on elitism. He agreed with think-
ers like Harold Laski who believed that the political democracy has no mean-
" ing in the absence of economic democracy. 47 He put maximum emphasis on
production and effective distribution. Lohia was in favour of democratic
decentralisation and he talked about adapting it to the peculiar socio-economic
conditions of India.

Lohia did not want to accept any foreign creed or: dogma uncritically. So
he had reservations about Marxism. His concept was that "Socialism need not
proclaim itself as Gandhian or Marxist on the one hand and as anti-Gandhian
or anti-Marxist on the other ... "48 To Lohia the talk of being a Marxist or an anti-
Marxist is fultile and irrelevant.

According to Prakash C. Shastri, Lohia's basic critir.ism against M?rx-

ism is three-fold :
1. Some of Marx's fundamental formulations are incomplete.
2. Marx's postulate of the evolution of capitalism will remain a half truth if it
fails to state the basic;; contradiction capitalism products.
3. As a limb of European economy Marx could not seek beyond the interests
of European working class. As a philanthropist he vaguely wanted the whole
150
 world to prosper. 49

Rammanohar Lohia emphasised that India socialism must develop along

its own lines; it should not tilt towards capitalism or com:munism. According to
L;oHia fundamentals of socialism should be clarified and democracy a·nd na-
j ' • '

tibnal freedom, together with the need for change, should constitute that goals
o.f Indian socialism. Lohia pleaded that Gandhism alone could provide the proper
blase for socialism in India.

5:10 Lohia's vision of a new Socialist Civilisation.

Lohia thought that neither communism nor capitalism would be univer-

s~lly valid principles for the change-Over maximum to total efficiency. Lohia
thought that the existing civilisation in its dual aspects of capitalism and com-
e munism was irrelevant
. ) to create a new world,
.. hence he dreamt of a new so-

cialist civilisation of tranquil activity free from the Asian sloth and European
I .
I
I

strife. The quintessence of this civilisation is the development of man's total

'
rlJan's total personality through 'outward activity and inward poise.' This new
I

civilization
.
would attempt to achieve approximation of the
. human race and the
i

overcoming of class and caste and regional shifts of power and prosperity
through comparatively equal production all over the world. Lohia visualized the
various aspects of the existing civilization in its dual forms of capitalism and ·
I .
communism .and exposed its weakness to bring the entire world within its fold.

Lohi\3 identified poverty and unemployment as the fundamental obstacles

in~ the way of socialist transformation of the underdeveloped countries. He noted
J ' ·, .'

that the destruction of private property and the nationlization of the mean~ of
I

production following the cl'ass struggle are inadequate to achieve socialism in

I .
I
thie third world. Lohia observed that a new mode of economic ratiorilization
'
and appropriate forms of orgc;lnization and social control will have to be
151 ' / : .·:
-'~ .
 1
d evised. 57

Lohia's approach to socialism was characterised pya certain degree of

independence and to provide Socialism a new world face. Even while in Berlin
in 1932, Lohia realized that "the face of Socialism was ~lurred and not recog-
i .
n.izable." Lohia felt that unless it acquired a clear face, it could not serve hu-
~anity.
' After independence, Lohia was right in his conception that unless So-
cialism acquired a clear image and became recognizable as capitalism and
cpmmunism, unless it becam.e cohesive, powerful and mighty, its feature would
~elt into one or the other system as time and place dictate, Judging from this .
I .

viewpoint Lohia emphasised the need of an independent doctrine of Social-

,

ism. 50

. .
'Ever since I started thinking, I have been a philosophical liberal,' said
Lohia. His philosophical bent of mind was nurtured in the German environment
I

""{here he went for higher studies. Lohia was a profound nationlist. His upper-
most desire was to free his country from the yoke of fo\reign domination.
' "i.

In the Presidential address at the special convention of Socialist Party in

1~52 at Panchmari, Lohia pleaded for the need of assimilation of Gandhian
ideas in socialist thought. Lohia cautioned that neither capitalism nor commu-
'
nism would be suited in India. He maintained that the true ideal of socialism
c?uld be achieved only through Gandhian method.
I
-· i
.
I
I
.
Lohia regarded capitalism and communism as two major expressions of
. i . .
tHe existing civilization .. According to Lohia, both capitalism and communism
I

ate parts of a single civilization. 'Modern civilization, Lohia observed, 'cannot

I

be understood in terms of democracy or totalitarianism, pr~vate or state prop-

erty alone.' 51

152
 Lohia had no faith i(l the automatic development o~ socialism. His social- ·
I .·,;

i~m rejects the new production technique of the capitalipt and the communist
systems for India and underdeveloped countries. Lohiab socialism stands for
' . '

sbcialization of the means of production.

Lohia says that socialism stands for equality and prosperity. In order to
a,chieve it, it should rely on vote (election), spade (constructive work), and
prison (civil disobedience). This new Socialism should principally aim at :
'
1. maximum attainable equality, towards which nationlization of economy may
be one necessary step;
I
2. a decent standard of living throughout the world, and not increasing stan-
, · dard of living within national frontiers;
3. a world parliament "elected on some kind of adult franchise with beginning
, towards a world government and world army;
'
4'. collective and individual practice of civil disobedience so that the unarmed
. :;

and helpless little man may acquire the habit to resi~t tyranny and exploita-
1 tion civilly;
5:. freedom of the individual against unjust eneroacments of public authority
and safeguarding an area of free speech and association and private life
over which no government nor organisation may exercise control; and
6~ Evolution of a technology, which would be consistent with these aims and
processes. 52 .

Thus Lohia's soCialism stood for a new civilization, basically commu-

~ ni.sm. He envisioned a just soci.al ·order based on equality, decentralisation and
in:dividual dignity. It undoubtedly preferred social ownership of communism
and parliamentary democracy of capitalism but it was not an attempt simply to
I

combine the two, argues one anthor. 53

153

0
 I

5.:11 Lohia's Analysis ·of Capitalist Development.

'
Lohia understood that economic·progress and development of the third
I

world countries could never be achieved by emulating eJther the capitalist pat-
tern of development or the communist pattern. He therefore preferred for an
~lternative path of development". Lohia visualised the economic inequality preva-

lent _both within a nation and among nations. Both national and international
inequalities are related with· each other and hence affect each other. Lohia felt
I •

tt:lat so far inequality among the nations is not removed, inequality within a
n'ation cannot be completely eliminated.

Lohia in 'Economics after Marx' tried to expose the weaknesses of the

then existing economic theories in order to justify the significance of a new
approach in the entire economic thinking. He was critical of the economic think-
ers of Germany as well as Britain. To Lohia, Marxism is ·not applicable to India.
In a country like India, with the very special characteristics which are not found
I ~
I ";

in all other Asian countries, we cannot think of any poli,cy of direct application
. I
J

To Lohia, 'the essential core of Marxist doctrine is the analysis of capital-

ist development,' and 'with the elemental force of this sociological law of capi-
tqlism ties up the ultimate picture of society which Marx and Engles drew.'
I

Lohia understood that Marx did not give a consistent theory of capitalist_ devel-
I

· opment. 55

To Lohia, capitalism did arise in west Europe, grew in west Europe and
attained 'its full maturity there, but even while it grew, it took .a lot of dynamic
out of the territories which came under its imperialist control, but which were
not part of west Europe. Lohia felt that in order to understand capitalist devel-
r •
;

opment, it will be neces~ary to think of capitalist eco~omy as consisting not

. ;
154
 a'lone of an internal circle represented by the west
I ,
Euro~pean. economy but of
'

· two circles, an internal west European circle and an ext~rnal world circle, from
~hich the internal west European circle draws its dynamih, its surplus value, its
e'xpbiat:i:m, ±E suckng and so on ;;s

Lohia understood that capitalist development comprised of two circles in

which the internal west European circle draws its dynamic from the external
world. Lohia therefore came to the conclusion that capitalists 'as a hi~torical

entity ha.s produced a greater contradiction between increasing forces of pro-

d,uction in the west European capitalist economy and decreasing forces of
· p,rod uction in the rest of the world. 57

Lenin defined imp~rialism as the highest stage of capitalism. Lohia did

not accept this definition of imperialism. According to hiiTI imperialism was not
( '

the highest stage of capitalism but appeared along with it. They were twins and
arose simultaneously. Lohia wrote : "Capitalism and impe:-ialism have been ·
tWins. Imperialism has not been the last stage of capitalism ... They were born
together, they rose together, they matured together ... "

Lohia wanted to prove that Marx's analysis of capitalist development

was incomplete in as much as he considered capitalism as an autocentric
development and his position that the road to socialism is through capitalism.

5:12 Lohia's Crusade Against Capitalism and Imperialism.

I

Rammanohar Lohia presented his theory of twin origin of capitalism and

ill;lperialism. Lohia maintained that the development of the world capitalist cen-
i
tres and the under development ofthe two-thirds of m$king was the outcome
' ~ . .
of the same historical process of joint development of capitalism and imperial-
isJ.n.ss
155
 Lohia rejected Lenin's theory of imperialism as the'highest stage of c~pi­
ta!'ism. To Lohia, both imperialism and capitalism are i[!terwoven; they have·
I' . . '

be:en twins; which born, rose and matured together. To;, the question whether
'
ca:pitalism is possible without imperialism, Lohia's answer was that 'in history
I

.so: fur there has been no cap±a.J:Em w ihout :in per:B.J:Em . 59

:
!
''

Lohia felt and believed ttiat the perpetration of colonial rule and subjuga~
tion and exploitation of the colonial countries of Asia and Africa was the handi- ·
I , .

I
wqrk of the European countries in order to extend and perpetuate their eco-
nomic arid political power. To Lohia, these tendencies and activities were im-
perialistic. Thus he asserted that imperialism was a twin of capitalism, and
they arose simultaneously. He maintained that it was only be exploiting these
co,lonies and territories that west European countries 'were able to build up
their costly productive apparatus, and ultimately they us·ed them as· sources of
I '
I !;
raw materials for their industries, and for other purpos~s. 60

Lohia did not agree with Marx that what had. happened in European ·
co:untries earlier would be repeated in Asian and other backward countries
later. Lohia upheld the view that 'communism is the latest weapon of Europe
against Asia.' Lohia thought that in Afro-Asia.' Lohia thought that in Afro-Asian
ba'ckward
,
countries the Communist objective was simply to obstruct develop- .
m~nt along the capitalist lines, and not to replace capitalism by communism.
To, Lohia, communism appeared as a weapon of Europe against Asia. As one
wr)tes points out : 'Here communism was used not to promote Asian interest
but to safeguard the interests of one bloc in the great European conflict.' 61

Lohia stated : "No greater disaster could befall s'ocialism than if the his-
tof:ical peculiarities of its career in Europe were sough(,to be uhiversalised and
reproduced in the other two-third of the world. Sociali~m in Europe has been
gr~dual, constitutional and distributive Socialism henc~forth, and in the rest of
I
156 '
I<·.··
 .
the world, must be drastic, unconstitutional, when necessary, and lay the ac-
cent on production." 62
i

Lohia pointed out that communism was based on capitalist technology

or: forces of production as developed by capitalism. Lohia ·was of the opinion
:
thfit the third world countries must adopt a new pattern of economic develop-
mbnt, avoiding both capitalism' and communism. He regarded capitalism and
:
communism as 'equally irrelevant' for the backward countries. As one author
' 1 •
!
s~ccinctly points out :
I

"The European path was not the panacea for th~m. They must blaze a
new trail. And this new type of development was called socialism by Lohia.
This new path, he believed, would usher in a new civilization which might be
adopted by the whole world." 63

5::13 Lohia's Theory of Equal Irrelevance of Capitalist and Communist

1

Models of Development.

Lohia's critique of Marx's scheme of capitalist development and his theo-

retical formulation of twin origin of capitalism and imperialism constitute the
. . .

hallmark of his analysis of the political economy of underdevelopment. Lohia

reformulated the Marxian analysis of capitalist development and highlighted its
drawbacks and limitations. Lohia's thesis of the equal irrelevance of capitalism
0 . and communism arises from his critique of the capitalist technology. 64

Lohia's thesis of equal irrelevance of capitalist and communist economic

I '

models of development in Third World is based on tWo assumptions. Firstly,

'
sir;1ce the western industrialisation and economic groWth took place under a
I ;
. '
set of favourable conditions which were historically unfque, this model cannot
be reproduced in the third world. Secondly, in view of a world approximation
157
 ' .
I •·

aiming
'
at a higher evolution of human society the ecoromic
!;
systems which
have endeared the larger part of the world underdeveloped and which do not
contain the potentiality to spread its benefits all over thfe world can riot bring
1

about the evolution of a just world order. 65

Lohia said : "World capitalism has, like a knife, run ,.through humanity
and cut it up into those generally living north of the thirtieth parallel, beaeficiaries
of the existing civilization, and those living squth of it, the disinherited of the
earth ... capitalism imposed the peace of death on Asia and Africa and else-
. '
where, caused their populations to grow and their economic apparatus to de-
cay. The task of capital formation over two-thirds of the world is far too colossal
for private capital to acceplish, Capitalism cannot fulfil .its primary function of
'
providing capital to mankind." 66

. I

Lohia stated : "Communism is a doctrine of soda! ownership and of

release of means of production from their relations of p~ivate propertY, .. Com-
munism inherits from capitalizrn its technique of production; it only seeks to
'
smash capitalist relations of production. Communism claims to be the continu-
ator and developed of capitalist technology, when capitalism is no longer able
tQ do so .... In this situation of national and international decay, the doctrine of
socialism is becoming the universal profession of the people. The Socialist
id'eology is, however, beset with traditional forms evolved in Europe and now
current throughout the world under the name of socialism." 67

Lohia asserted : "Adherents of the Atlantic as well as the Soviet camp·

ar;e
, deeply hurt by the theory of equal irrelevance.' They are correct in diagnos-

ing the virus of the opponent bl:lt are singularly blind to their own. Concealment
of such viruses denotes grave aerial to mankind. There is no need to keep
1- ~-

quiet
I
over the suppressions and tyrannies of communism,
.
the disaster of its
economic aims when applied to the underdeveloped 'areas, and the barren
158 ;.(,--·
 cruelty that it represents." 68

Lohia further' stated: "A living civilization prospers or is relegated; it does

riot change ... Possibilities of change within the framework of the existing civi-
l~zation are not altogether absent in communism. They come unheralded and
without debate .... The two forms of the· existing civilization, capitalist and com-·
I

rnunist, are equally irrelevant to a new creation, but not so the peoples living
under them." 69 '

Lohia wanted to give socialism with its preference for social ownership
and democratic rights a strong doctrinal foundation and a distinct image of its
own. He said in December 1955 : "An ideology of socialism, more universal .
I •

and
,
valid than the traditional socialism prevailing in Eur9pe
·,
... has been evolv-
ing in India for a decade and more. The Socialist Party Will engage in this work
rhore earnestly and m~re massively."

Lohia forcefully stated : "All forms of colonialism are a shame to mankind

and a serious impediment to the growth of an equal world. Political rule of an
occupation army and of one nation over another must go ... Socialist interna-
t,onalism must stand behind all struggles against colonialism and render all
possible assistance to freedom fighters." Lohia envisaged that India "must con-
tinue unceasing efforts to build up a third system, which adheres to the prin-
Giple of equal irrelevance between the two camps and refuses to put itself in
· · ~lternate service of either."

5:14 Lohia and his Principle of Equi-Distance.

Lohia's thesis of Equal irrelevance of capitalism and communism and

~is principle of Equi-distance are not the same as conceived by some schol-
~rs. The principle of Equi-distance bears a different meaning. In order to un-
,,
159 ' ...
·.~ '
 derstand the meaning of this principle we have to study and analyse the his-
,
f,orical perspective form which this theory emanates.

In 1953 Jayaprakash Narayan met Nehru for exploring possibilities of

co-operation and understanding with the Congress for the Development of the
c::ountry. The talks yielded no positive results but Rammanohar Lohia did not
'
like
, the PSP-Congress co-operation. Asoke Mehta, the then General Secre-
tary ofthe PSP, presented his Jhesis entitled 'Political compulsions of a Back-
ward Economy' at Betul convention in June 1953, where he advocated his
. 0iews seeking a broad~based co-operation and understanding with the demo-
~ . . .

. cratic parties, namely Congress, to accelerate the pace of developmental ac-

fivities of the country and to carry forward the country towards modernisation
i

and upliftment. He wanted to make the social revolution ,speedier and strength-
, .
'
ened by joining hands with the Congress Farty. Lohia was antagonistic to this
s{ance of co-operation with the Congr~ss at this junctufe.

Asoke Mehta wanted co-operation with the ruling Congress Party. Asoke
Mehta's contention was that "tt:le economic development of a backward coun-
try would be difficult to achieve through the democratic process if the demo-
qratic parties followed the traditional method of opposing one another." He felt
it would pose a hurdle towards the development of the nation. Mehta was in
I
favour of broadening the 'area of agreeme.nt' between the Socialist Parties
and the Congress Party.

Lohia did not share the views put forward by Mehta in Betul convention.
4ohia opposed the move of extending co-operation with the Congress Party.
Lohia
I
said : "The Praja Socialist Party is committed to the view
.
that it is as
distant from the Congress Party as it is from the Comm~nists and the Commu-
'
~alists." The ideological differences of views between Asoke Mehta & Lohia in
the Betul Convention led to internal Bickering and dissensions within the party.
0
160 ,z::·
 Lohia maintained that .his concept of socialism woLid be independent of
¢apitalism and communism. In this back drop he enunciated his principle of
Equi-distance. By this principle Lohia would try to mean that it will not be con- .
I .
0enial and conducive to join hands with the Congress and the Communists for .
t,he benefit and interest of the nation as he believed that those parties were
I

following the paths of development which would be detrimental to the all round
development and prosperity of the country. Lohia, therefore, was in favour of
r:naintaining equal distance with the Congress Party and the Communist Party.
Prakash C. Shastri observes : "Dr. Lohia, who had always been a recognized.
Gandhian in the party, evolved the doctrine of 'equi-distance which meant that
the PSP should take up a position with geometrical exactitl!de between c.on-
gress and Communist. .. "70

5:15 Decentralisation of Power: The Four-Pillar State

The principle of decentralisation is central to Lohia's economic and po-

litical thinking. To realise the principle of decentralization Lohia stood for a four
pillar state. The concept of the four pillar state, which must be the political
framework of the future socialist state, as Lohia concedes, has been envis-
~ged as a sure safeguard against the political centralisation, anthoritarianism
and a guarantee for the practice of real democracy.

Lohia contended that decentralisation will infuse new life into adminis-
trative
.
limbs, and allow maximum opportunity
.
for the expression
l
of individual
11eeds and experience.

Lohia's concept of the four pillar state is the manifestation of

qecentralisation of political and administrative power. it is based on the prin-
ciple of immediacy in democracy. It means devolution of real power- power
161
that is often the attribute of sovereignty.

Lophia wanted tne doctrine of socialism to be eariched by Gandhi's con-

tribution, he was clear in his mind that superimposition of non-violence on
soclalism or democracy on socialism would be infructuous. He emphasised
l . . .
that there should be harmony in the socialist integration of its economic and
I
general aims. Lohia stated that socialism in Asia must increasingly become
I

the doctrine of maximum attainable equality through redivision of land and

I '

'
$bcial ownership over industry. Its political structure must arise out of the
decentralised state and it must seek its technological framework in the small
machine. 71

Lohia wrote : "If the total affairs of a country cannot be simplified so as to

'
achieve the active participation of the common man, they have to be cut up in
small and yet smaller quantities. Federalism must go. Sovereign power niust
not reside alone in centre and federating units. It must be broken up and dif-
fused over the smallest region where a group of men and women live." 73 He
continued further, "The next great advance in constitution making will be when
I '

a country frames its constitution on the basis of the four-puller state, the vil-
lage, the district~ the province and the centre, being four pillars of equal maj-
esty and dignity." 74

In this connection Lohia observed : "Democracy can bring warmth to the

olood of the common man only when constitutional theory starts practising the
state of four limbs, the village, the district, the province and the centre, Organi~

cally covered by the flesh and blood of equalities, this ;constitutional skeletion
I ·:

of the four-pillar state can infuse democracy with joy." Lohia noted : "The cen-
'
tral limb of the state must ha\fe power enough to m~intain the integrity and
'·
unity of the state and the rest of it must be fragmented." 75
: .

162
 Lohia stated : "The four-pillar state is obviously hot a mere executive
arrangement. It is not as if superior parliaments legislate and the village and
district organs are left with the execution of the laws. The four-pillar state is
both a legislative and an executive arrangement. It is a way of life and to all
spheres of human activity, for inst~nce, production, ownership, administration,
I •

planning, education and the like, the four-pillar state provides a structure and a
way. The community of a state is to be so organised and sovereign power so
diffused of each little community in it lives the way of life that it chooses." 76
I • '

Lohia had made concrete thinking to the concept pf four-pillar state and
l

made genuine efforts for its propagation. He highlighted certain policy direc-
tions that may be followed in this regard. Lohia opined : "The armed forces of ·
the state may be controlled by the centre, the armed pol.ice by the province but
all other police may be brought under district and villag¢ control. While indus-
tries like the railways or iron and steel may be controlled by the centre, the
small unit textile industry of the future may be left to district and village owner-
ship as management."

Lohia said, "The four-pillar state will provide some answer to the con-
tinuing debate on freedom and planning. Not through the mixed economy of
social and private ownership but through spreading social ownership over the
f~our-pillars of the state will it be possible to diffuse economic power and the
i

dght to make decisions." Lohia stated further: "The four-pillar state rises above
the issues of regionalism and functionalism. It is a struc~ure which gives mean-
ing even to the functionalist agencies of government and society ... The con-
,

cept of the four-pillar state diffuses power also within !people's organisations
and corporations." K.G .. Pillai says : "Lohia hoped thci!t only through such a
I
I

decentralisation in planning, decision-making, giving freedom to small com-

r],unities the country can rise above the issues of regionalism and factional-
ism."
163
 Lohia noted that the primary task of Indian socidlism is to create pros-
'perity. He pleads that the four-pillar state which provides the political structure
of the future socialist state is supposed to activate every section of the society
lo a new life.

Lohia is in favour of administrative decentralisation. He suggests that.

economic decentralization, corresponding to political and administrative
aecentralisati,m, may be brought about through maximum utilization of small
~achines. Lohia hoped that "a state organised like this ... will surely be able to
I

rouse popular enthusiasm and encourage initiative in the social world; it will
dispel popular apathy and democratise and purify the administration." N.C.
1 . ;

Mehrotra opines : "Through the means of democratic institutions and decen-

tralization Lohia wanted to safeguard the society from: the. domination of bu-
reaucracy." V.R. Mehta rightly points out : "The most important contribution of
Lohia is his development of the concept of political decentralization." Lohia
thought that a truely non-violent society can be achieved only· on the basis of
decentralization. He felt that centralization leads to dictntro~hip and whimsical
~xercise of power. Therefore, he came to the con<::lusion that in a centralised
soCiety the human beings are relegated into the background and lose their .
freedom.
'
Lohia put maximum emphasis on ensuring individual freedom. and
.

dignity.

Lohia was deeply influenced and impressed by Gandhian ideals. Gandhi ·

. said that state is good which govertns the least. To Gandhi, a decentralised
I

polity provides full scope for the development of the capabilities and potentiali-
ties of the individuals. Thus Lohia, following Gandhi, suggested that powers
I •

and authority should be dispersed and decentralised among villages, districts

and provinces. Lohia maintained that the true ideal '~of socialism could be
I

achieved only through Gandhian method.

164
I
I
5:16 Lohia's Concept of Small Uhit Machine.

"The most significant feature of Lohia's socialism was the economy ba~ed
on small unit machine," as one writer suggests. Lohia wanted India's progress
I

towards modernisation and upliftment. But he did not like the European path of
development with emphasis on large-scale industrialisation. He aspired to see
India's development and prosperity along the path which would suit Indian
I

heeds and conditions. He sought to devise technology which would be conge-

nial and conducive to Indian economy and environment. With this end in view
I '

· ~ohia emphasised to have small-unit machine which would be commensurate

to Indian needs, conditions and requirements.

Lohia emulated some principles and ideals of Gandhi. Gandhi's antipa-

thy and denunciation on heavy industrialisation might h~ve influenced Lohia to
some extent. Lohia's insistence on small technology may be a pointer in this
regard. Drawing heavily from Gandhi, Lohia added an edge about the debate·
I , , . -

?n technology, development nexus a new dimension. Lohia categorically re-

j'ected the capitalist as well as communist path of development for India. To
~ohia capitalism as well as communism were inadequate in the co_ntext of
prevailing problems of the world. He dismissed the two models as clqsed sys-
tems·. Lohia presented the concept of small unit machine "As an alternative to
capitalist and communist r:node of rationalisation originated primarily from an
t,.~nderdeveloped country perspective." 78

In his presidential address at the special convention of Socialist Party in

. . ~

1952 at Pachmahi, Lohia pleaded for the need of as:similation of Gandhian

iaeals in socialist thought. He advocated the significahce of a decentralised
}'

economy and cottage industries. Like Gandhi, Lohia was against big machines
and pleaded for incorporation of small machines because of their requirement
of less capital and maximum utilisation of labour power in the country. 79
·.··
165 f:.
'·
 Lohia thought that to remove and eradicate poverty and unemployment
of the Indian masses emphasis should be given on such technology which
I

would act as a panacea. Lohia felt the necessity of widening the scope of
employment of the Indian workers. He pointed out that the economy based on
I
• I

small unit machine would provide opportunity for employment of a large num-
1

ber of people. He sought for an economy "that will make an advance upon the
'
existing situation but will not make such crushing demands upon our general
~conomy as to cause dislocations, as to give the benefits of rationlization only
i
to a small sector and to deny it to the rest." Lohia said : "Socialism aims eco:-
t:JOmically c;It a technology that rationalizes economy, no.t sector by sector, nor
' .
riegion by region, but, as far as possible, in all sectors and regions at the same
time::so Lohia said :"Socialism must devise forms of struggle and organisation
which destroy capitalism in both its aspects. Its struggle:and organization must
correspond with its economic aims ... This immediacy must also characterize
its struggle and organization." 81

Lohia put emphasis on a programme of economic decentralization,

9emocratisation and the small-unit machine. He said : "The mind must no longer
be clogged by antiquated notions of large scale industry or of cottage indus-
tries. A rigorous search must be made to see how far power, whether in the
form of oil or electricity or coal, can be used for the propelling of machines that
do not need heavy capitalization.'' 82

Though Lohia stressed emphasis on small unit machine yet he did not
r:ule out the importance of heavy industry. He said : "This is not to deny alto-
gether the heavier machine in steel works or in river-training projects~ but em-
phasis ·must heavily rest on the small unit machine."

According to Lohia, industrialisation by means of the small-unit machine

166 -::

c
will have some advantages. Lohia said : "villages and \owns of our country
have abundant raw material of various kinds. It is being \Vasted.lts processing
and manufacture would be pos_sible only when small machinery is available." 83

Lohia is of opinion that Socialism must be decentralized and·must evolve

on a regional basis through the application of technology and the exercise of
political power in response to local conditions. Lohia feels that this is the au-
tonomous direction in which socialism must evolve. In his 'Aspects of Social
Policy' Lohia talks of a 'Four Pillar State' in which village, district, province and
centre all have defined functions and are integrated in a system of 'functional
federalism' in the Gandhian tradition. Lohia thinks that the theory of socialism
as depicted will cater for the provision of bread and the achievement of free-
dom.84

Lohia was optimistic that adhering to the principle of small unit machine
India will be able to enhance her production capacities' and the economy will
get strengthened and India will achieve modernisation and prosperity. To quote
Lohia : "Perhaps with the small unit tool it would be possible for countries like
India to re-equip their economy, to expand their productive equipment. But in
order to achieve that condition, what .kind of class struggle do we have to
wage? Would it be permissible for us tO go through all that pathway of deceit
and lies? Obviously not." 85 Lohia pinned his hopes that socialism would have
to be constructed on the basis ·of social ownership and a new type of technol-
ogy. This 'New Technology' is the other name of 'Small unit Machine' as con-
ceived by Rammanohar Lohia.

5:17 Lohia's Social Ideas and Policies.

Lohia was a thinker par excellence. Like Gandhi, Lohia also had remark-
able contributions regarding social ideas and thoughts. It is pertinent here to
167
 I
' .
mention that Lohia was profoundly influ.enced and impre~sed by Gandhi's ide-
als, values and principles. Lohia wanted to change the society. He aspired to
i .:

2hange the heart of ttie people. He sought to rouse soda! consciousness and ·
awakening
,
to root out the social ills and problems of lrildian society. He sin-
I

cerely felt that to eradicate social vices and evils the inculcation of social value
among the masses was important. His social ideas and policies had remark-
,

able dimensions. Lohia's analysis of the social structure of Indian society is.
I .
I)

noteworthy and it bears relevance to understand Lohian views regarding so-

cial transformation of the Indian society and the social problems with which
Indian society is confronted with. Lohia drew attention to the pernicious social
.maladies and evil designs and put forward remedial measures. Lohia's social
thinking and the methods he envisaged and envisioned. to refurbish the Indian
social life are discussed below.

A. Lohia on Equality, Social Justice and civil Libe~ies.

Lohia was a pathfinder of equality, social justice and individual freedom

and dignity. Madhu Limaye says : "Dr. Lohia was one of those great leaders
who not only advocated the need for a fundamental reorc9ring of our so.cial
relations but also provided an ideological basis for this revolutionary transfor-
mation. Dr. Lohia called this radical· transformation seven revolutions or
'Saptakranti ."86

As to 'The Meaning of Equality,' Lohia writes : "Equality is perhaps as

high an aim of life as truth or beauty. But this aim has not been investigated in
~erenity. Its direct and immediate repercussions on day-to-day life, on prop-
. erty and income and the general ordering of society, are deep and many."87
Lohia points out that if socialism is to be defined in n,yo words then they are
1 r;
~quality and prosperity. He mentions that equality an:<:f prosperity are twins.

E;xplaining the principle of Equality Lohia says : "As an abstract concept and
' 168 ·; ;
'·
.... ?·generalization,
, equality can only mean. an atmosphere, an emotion, and per-
haps also a wish that all arrangements, political, social, or economic, ~hall be
'
equal
. as between one individual and another ... The essential point is that
~

equality, unless it:.is expressed in concrete terms, is an atmosphere, an emo-

tion', a wish, or
I
a!?ream." Elaborating the meaning of equality Lohia mentions
~

: "Legal equality is equality before the Law ... Once legal equality was estab-
i·

lished, the phase;of political equality came. Political equality means the equal-:>·
ity of the adult vote ... Economic equality in the sense of an increasing stan-
dards of living to everybody within national frontiers has become a common
element of all ideologies." Lohia, however, warned that "We must beware of
how to seek to realize equality in different spheres. For each aspect of material
equality, a method should be sought that corresponds to its nature. Otherwise
I

unexpected and contrary results may follow."

Lohia viewed liberty and equality as mutually complementary to each

other. He thinks that they can't be separated. ·Lohia was opposed to any kind
of tyranny, oppre~sion and regimentation in society. He was in favour of assur-
;
ing social justice; and economic security to the individuals. He stood against
absolute state potver and bureaucratic hegemony. He aspired that social equality
and, justice shoul~ be the hallmark of every society. He wanted to have a egali-
.
; :

tarian social order where all men will get equal opportunities to :develop their
capplities and potentialities.

· Lohia drew a nexus between individual liberty and equality. He main-

tain~d that individual liberty could not be attained in the absence of equality.
I

He aspired to uphold equality in all walks of life. He wanted to stamp out all
1

kinds of injustice and inequality from our society. Lohia also put emphasis on
economic fr~edom. He plended to raise the standard of living of the pe<?ple. He
laid stress on a.ssuring the dignity of man. He fought throughout his life for
making man the; centre of socialist concern. He wanted to preserve the worth
169
 of man and to restore the human personality despite all. odds and troubles in
life.

,I

Lohia was in favour of democratic socialism. His socialism was rooted in.
equality. He observed that the main pillar of socialism is jequality. Lohia greatly
·emphasised the need of equality as the yardstick forth~ concept of socialism.
· Lohia
I
pointed out that socialism must have strong roots in equality.

Lohia was a champion of civil liberties. Explaining the conceptual extent

of civil liberties Lohia says : "It embraces the rights of the citizen in regard to
security both of his person and of dwellings, to freedom of opinion and assem-
bly, thought and organisation, to equal justice and control over the go_vernment
and to release from political convictions." Lohia writes : "Civil liberties com-
paratively smoothen society's .marx towards progress .. Society is being eter-
"
nally pulled between reaction and progress and, often, drgenerates into a state
of stagnation." Lohia again states : "The concept of civil liberties is essentially
a liberal concept which acts as a shock-absorber of the cruel impact between
. ~

State tyranny and mass revolts. It enablessociety's mar~h towards progress to

proceed on orderly lines." Lohia questioned : 'How should civil liberties be
defended?' He asserts : "The special front of civil liberties maintains the back-
'
bone of the people. The spirit of opposition against injustice is kept intact. The
' '

individual gets strength from the knowledge that his resistance to police or
~xecutive oppression will awaken common interest, ... Such a common inter-
est serves to convulse the con-science of the people against encroachment of
their liberties. The people are taught to be vigilant and, so they clear the road
I
. ' '
'
'

t~ progress." Lohia concludes : "It defines state authority within clear limits. It

assigns will defined liberties to the people. The task of the State is to protect
· these liberties."

170 ..,.:.';.:··
 B. Abolition Of Caste System.

Caste system plays a very important role in soci~l stratification in India

~ociety. According to Lohia, caste is considered as 'the!most important single
ieality of the Indian situation.' lohia feels that caste sy~tem exerts a destruc-
tive ·role in Indian society and Lohia upholds the limitati0ns and drawbacks of
caste to socialise the Indian masses to rise against the 'menace. Lohia stated
:'
1
"Socialism should act more powerfully with regard to issues of caste and in ·
relation to women. The party of socialism in India and some other underdevel-
oped territories has indeed resolved to destroy the system of caste and sub-
jection of women, but it generally inert on these issues." 88

. .
Lohia asserted that without the abolition of caste system, democracy
and socialism could not function properly in India. Lohia launched a crusade
against the caste system on both social and political aspect in order to rouse
the sentiments and feelings of the masses. Lohia said : "To stop talking of
o. ·caste is to shut one's eyes to the most important single reality of the Indian
I •:

institution. One does not end caste merely by wishing il away.'' 89

i

' is confined to India,

Lohia wrote : "Although caste as a mature institution
it is universal as essence and incipient beginning. Caste is immobile class.
Loosening caste is class. This slow swing between class and caste has so far
been a law of human history ... "90 He continued : "Caste restricts opportunity,
· Restricted opportunity constricts ability. Constricted ability further restricts op-
portunity. Where caste prevails, opportunity and ability are restricted to ever-
narrowing circles of the people .... India's experience is conclusive proof that
qaste turns a country into the arid deserts of intellectual imitdequacy.''

Lohia held the .view that in history there had been always a tussle· be-
tween class and caste. He observed : "All human histofy hitherto has been an
171 -.t. .-··
 internal oscillation between class and caste and an internal shift of prosperity
and power from one region to another. This external shift and internal oscilla-
t:i:m are reB. ted to one anot:her~~ 1

Lohia was of opinion that castes have stratified lr;ldian society. He per-
. !
ceived a new sociological law that shrinkage and contraction of opportunity
and ability is a necessary accompaniment of caste. To r~move this Lohia sug-
gested that "the narrowing selection of abilities must be broadened, and that
can only be done if for two or three or four decades backward castes and
groups are given preferential opportunities." He pleaded that preference will
be given to scheduled castes and tribes in the matters of land distribution,
employment, and educational opportunities. Lohia stood for abolition of all types
of inequalities prevailing in society. Lohia rejected the Marxian view of equality
of opportunity because according to him Marx had only knowledge of class,
not of caste.

In order to abolish the caste system Lohia wanteq to adopt concrete and
revolutionary measures. He sought to make a social reyolution for upli~ting the
,.
conditions of the lower and backward classes. Lohia ~affirmed the faith that
'
0
until the casts system is totally destroyed and abolished, Indian society could
not be reconstructed and rejuvenated. He was emphatic and sincere to change
the mental attitude of the people for abolishing the caste system.

C. Overhauling The Indian Educational System And Educational Reforms.

Lohia suggested that the system of education in the country requires

drastic changes. Lohia feels that the system of education in .India is in dol-
drums. He therefore pleads that the entire educational system in India needs
to be thoroughly changed in order to meet the requirements of the people.
Lohia was of the view that the entire educational system in India should· be
172 ; ..·.
'\:.
completely overhauled and reconstructed. He advanced the view that certain
educational reforms should be introduced in India so that the pattern of impart-.
I • • . , '

ing education should be rearranged and refashioned in order to give a new

I

look.

Lohia observed that independent India could not~shed off the old colo-
nial system of education introduced by the British Raj. Lohia felt that the direc-
\

tion and the framework of the present educational system in India follows the
1
legacy of the system of education established by the British. He deplored that
after independence India was following the pattern of education as envisaged
and formulated by our colonial masters. He was hostile and antagonistic that
we were not able to sever connections with the British in educational policy
and curriculum. It appears 'that Indians could not yet decolonise the educa-
tional system from its colonial hangover,' opines one anothor. 92
I

.Lohia says : "There is nothing more important than educational and train-
ing progrmmes, an arm of the Party which has been so ·badly neglected hith-
1

erto .... The Socialist must learn to integrate the eco11omic and the general
aims of society." 93

Lohia pointed out that the existing educational system has failed to in-
,.1

culcate and indoctrinate proper education. It has failed 'to infuse and instil real
values to the children. It has failed to build that mental attitude of the people
which may enable them to fight out the social maladies and superstitions preva-
lent in our society. Lohia pleads that education must enable to equip people to
~olve socio-economic ailments of the country and must be fashioned recon-
*ruction and rejunation of the Indian society. Lohia draws attention to the present
system of education which is barren and incapable to rouse the individual's
creativity. To quote Lohia, "It neither trains the person's mind nor equip him for
a living." 94
173 .
 - Lohia put maximum emphasis on eradicating ignorance, illiteracy and
superstitions from our society. Lohia believed that unless the entire educa-
tional system is completely overhauled, we could not make necessary progress
in socio-economic direction. Lohia is of the opinion that the nation must take
up the task of spreading literacy arid impart proper education to the masses.
i • .

He believes .that "the education up to the Middle standard

. r
should
.
be free and
,
compulsory and that educational facilities should be proyided free or cheap at .
' :. ..

higlen stages, particularly to the Scheduled Castes, Trjbes and other poorer
sections of the society. Free or cheap residential faciliti~s should also be pro-
1 • r.

vided to these sections." 95

According to Lohia, the sy~tem of education "re-
quires revolutionary overhanging so that it ceases to be expensive, becomes
4seful and impresses upon the student the need to integrate the mind." 96

Lohia proposed that primary and secondary instruction must be brought

under municipal or local boar~ control. Lohia was opposed to the running of
educational institutions for the affluent sections of the population because he
thought that these institutes inject a different set of value systems, manner's
and behaviour-pattern which differentiates from the middle class people.

Lohia stressed emphasis on technical and votational education. He

I

wanted that more technical

.
institutes should be opened:. so that various techni-
~

cal and covational courses could be introduced which ~auld help to lessen the
problem of u-nemployment. He was also in favour of expansion of agricultural-
. {
. studies. Lohia also insisted that one year course of national service on farm or
factory should be made a part.of the curriculum for a bachelor's degree.

Lohia emphasised the urgent need of the scientific development of the

country. He suggested that the scope of University education and advanced
research should accord a top priority. He maintained that the standard of the
research work should be high and not superficial. He urged the Indian research-
174
 ers to reject foreign concepts and tools. Lohia detested the system of sending
students overseas for receiving training in peripheral subjects. He wanted to
stop brain-drain. He insisted on broadening the avenues for scientific educa-
tion and research for the development and prosperity of tre nation.
\
; .
Thus, we may say that L.:ohia's views on reformin:g the educational sys-
tem of India are remarkable, formidable and socially relevant. Lohia draws
' J
attention on the need and importance of education and; to extend that ameni-
ties
, and facilities of getting education. He launches a crLsade to root out igno-
ranee, illiteracy and social prejudices rampant in Indian society.

D. Removal Of English Language.

Language occupies a very important role in each country. Language is a

tool for communication which acts as a bridge between the government and
the people. Lohia viewed Engli~h as a foreign language and launched a move-
ment to: remove the English education in this country. Lohia feels that the En-
gli~h-education people of India constitutes a tiny minority of the whole popula-

tion and their approach and behaviour is elitist in char~cter and they maintain .
a distance with the people not knowing English. They belong to the affluent
section and upper strata of the society and they co~trol and dominate the
i ;: !
government, administration and the bureaucracy. Lohia\ said, it was being used
' 1
I
·:as
.
a tool . for minority rule," and it was turned into "the most effective instru-
. ment of domination by a tiny minority over a huge sea of people." He plea.ded
that the rich people belonging to the high caste had the opportunity to learn
English education, and it had helped to widen the gulf between the common
man and the ruling elites belonging to higher starata. Lohia wrote : "The En-
'
glish language had created such a vast full between rich and poor, high and
low caste, and educated and uneducated, that India has become a nation of
nighest inequality."
175
 To Lohia the banishment of English is necessary for the prosperity of the
I .

tountry and for the proper functioning of the democracy. He says that only a
tiny minority of one percent of the population is English educated and they take
all the facilities and amenities depriving the mass population. Lohia points out
that English language has produced a feudalmentality among the ruling class.
:o this tiny minority, Lohia fe~ls, English is an instrument of domination and
exploitation. Lohia stood for a movement to banish English from India, and
said that banishment of English is connected with the efforts of establishing
democracy and equality in the country.

A language is a carrier having imprint of people's culture, ethos, vision of

life, folkways, customs traditions and life-style. Lohia feels that due to the domi-
: I.

nance of a foreign language, i.e., English, people of lndi'a may lose connection
with the old traditions, culture and heritage. He thinks ~hat there should be a
' ~
t:~exus between people's language and the developme~t of the country.

Lohia is of opinion that English-knowing people represent the elite class

in India. The peasants, workers, agricultural labourers, shop-keepers and the
vast majority of ordinary and illiterate masses can not follow the English lan-
guage. They develop an inferiority-complex, and they can be easily befooled
by the rich people. The ordinary masses can be deprived and exploited by the
~ffluent section. This may hinder the constitution and growth of acomposite

and healthy nation.

Lohia lamented the notion that knowledge could not be imparted through
Indian languages. He opined that Indian languages a~e very rich and Indian
'
students should be acquainted with the Indian languages. He emphasised the
i '
rieed for the growth of Indian regional languages. Lohi~ tried to make it clear
that the banishment of English does not mean the s~bstitution of Hindi. He
urged that regional languages should be used in governmental business. Lohia
176
was not an enemy of the English language but he talked about the develop-
ment and furtherance of Indian languages.- 'It should not usurp the place of
Indian languages like Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Urdu or Hindi,'.Lohia observed.

We may point out here that Lohia had a mistaken belief that the study of
English language could be banished from India and the Indian regional lan-
guages could be developed only by imposing restrictions on the study of En-
glish language. English language occupies a very important place and it is an
' ~

i~ternational language. Moreover, English language is ,;immensely helpful for

advanced research and studies in any discipline. Per~aps Lohia wanted to
i •

abolish the dominating tendencies of English-educated people belonging to

I ' i

the elite class. He sought to wipe out the misbehaviour' and parochial attitude
of the bureaucracy to ensure s·mooth and good governance for the will being of
I

the people. Lohia did not like the existence of a separate class of English-
knowing people because he thought it perpetrates disunity, inequality and dis-
crimination among the people·which acts as an obstacle to usher in a 'new
civilisation' having the attributes of equality, cohesion and humane social or-
,
der.
f;. Thrust on the Importance and Upliftment of Women in Society.

Lohia highlighted the importance and significance of women in the for-

1

mation of a healthy society in India. Lohia was in favour of espousing the dig-
nity and freedom of women. He put emphasis on restoring equality between
man and woman. He held the view that if the female coi:nmunity remains back-
ward, ignorant and illiterate, then the nation could not develop and prosper. He
wanted to eradicate illiteracy, ignorance and superstition ingrained in the women
cior:nmunity. He struggled hard to free the women from the deprivation, exploi-
tation and subjugation meted out to them by the male community. He was
I

keen to spread political education to the woman. Women, he argued, was a

f~rmidable force to reckon with. Lohia wanted to socialise the women about ·
177
 their importance arid strength in society.

Emphasising the need and importance of women in building a healthy

~ociety Rammano_har Lohia noted : "A Socialist movement without the active
participation of women is like a wedding without the bride. Not only are women
ultimately responsible for the health of the race and the growth of the new
generation;. they are also the chief support of a movement for peaceful resis-
. t'ance." Lohia keenly wanted the involvement of women in the freedom struggle.
and in the formation of a clean, classless, corruption-free and healthy nation
after India attained independence. Lohia tried to seek to root out inequalities
I • • . •

'
and social evils embedded in the social order. He told : "The party of socialism
must. be brave enough to open a full-scale attack on iSOcial evils prevailing ·
~. ~
I ~

among the people." Lohia spoke about 'seven revolutions' devised for the ini-
tiation of Indian social revolution, the most significant is the one aimed at achiev-
ing equality between man and woman of all injustices, plkguing the earth, those
arising out of the inequality between the sexes are perhaps the bedrock. In-
equality between· man and woman has so become part of human habit and
nature that it seeps into everything else."

Lohia stressed emphasis on the emancipation of women in all spheres.

N.C. Mehrotra says that after Gandhiji, Lohia was the first political thinker in
. '
India to fight ·for the equal status of woman in every walk of life. Lohia pointed
out that the two segregation of caste and women are primarily responsible for
the decline of spirit in India. Lohla felt that most of the women's lives are full of
sufferings and miseries. He sought to rouse awareness and consciousness in
order to mitigate the problems oywomen in Indian society. Lohia said, "Woman's
'
participation in collective life is exceedingly limited, also; in Russia, which boast
of heaving achieved equality between the sexes."

Lohia urged that women should be treated equally with men and should
I ?X
be given more right, if equality was to be established 'ultimately. Lohia was
aware that "certain disadvantages of earlier aging and bodily strength apply to
woman and the crust of customs centuries old reduces her to the second sex."
~ohia, however, stated : "giving her equal opportunity would not solve the prob-

ler:n of inequality between the sexes. When a group of people is held down by
' .
qebility, physical or cultural, the only way to bring it up to equality with others is
through conferment of preferential opportunities."

Lohia drew attention to the economic dependence of women over men

which greatly contribute to her slavery. Lohia lamente? that woman's life is
wasted in the kitchen. An woman does not get an opportunity to know what is
(

happening outside. She is totally confined to her house! and household activi-
ties. Moreover, in family life she is underfed alld victim ~of family hardships.

, r

Lohia pointed out that women have always beeri victims of mortality in
(

l~dian society. Regarding sexual scandals women are blamed mostly than
men. Lohia emphasised the need for developing an atmosphere conducing to
the healthy relationship between man and woman.

Lohia reiterated his stance that women will have equal and independent
status in the creation of a new social order. Freedom, he thinks, is essential for
the liberation and upliftment of woman in society. Lohia had depicted the pa-
thetic and miserable living conditions of women in our rural villages. Thus,
lohia draws attention to the basic problems, sufferings' and miseries of Indian
women at the concrete and existential level and pleadsffor remedial measures
f~r the development and upliftment of women in all spl)eres in Indian society.
~e caution that ignoring the a'bility and strength of women is a folly and no
country ca·n move forward and prosper without ascertaining the utilities of fe-
male community in a society.

179
5:18 SUMMING UP

Lohia in his thinking represented an integrated approach on society,

Social problems and human civilisation. He wanted to f(Xplain socialism con-
'
sidering its inner values. He was opposed to both capita'lism and communism.
Lohia considered both 'capitalism and communism' irrelevant to the whole of
mankind. Lohia suggested an alternative model of development which would
be congenial and conducive to the socio-economic conditions of the Indian
society and the third-world countries. 'He formulated his socialistic concept
with his eyes especially on his own country,' 97 says one commentator. Lohia
visualised socialism· in the form of a 'new civilisation' which is based on the
attributes of equality, social justice and welfare, individual freedom, an end to
exploitation and corruption and egalitarian social order devoid of social dis-
parities and prejudices. He put emphasis on the development of human per-
sonality.

Lohia said : "I think the shortest but fully meaningful definition of social-
. •'

ism will be 'the best way to achieve equality and prosperity' ... The idea of
'
achieving both equality and prosperity is socialism." 98

Lohia stressed the need for a small machine technology. The concept of
small-unit machine is aimed at solving the industrialisation problems in the
developing and third-world countries. Lohia put forward the principle of 'Four-
Pullar State' with a view to decentralise power and authority. He thought that
this will make democracy and administration more decentralised, functional
and participatory.

Lohia advocated certain measures aimed at reforming the Indian soci-

ety. He wanted to abolish the rigidity of caste distinctions and conservatism
imbedded in the Indian social life. He sought to introduce some social reforms
IXO
attempting to end poverty, backwardness and inequalities inherent in Indian
society. He put emphasis on educating the Indian mass~s. Lohia was optimis-
. '

tic about the maintenance and restoration of social unity, cohesion and soli-
darity.

Lohia's ideas and vision on socialism was a elastic and flexible concept.
"He sought to develop socialisl'!l into an open and not a closed doctrine so that
new ideas and new experiences might be incorporated into it." 99 Lohia viewed
socialism as a driving force tinged with dynamism aimed at curing the social
ills and evils paving the way towards rejuvenation and recunation of societies.

In Lohia's ideals and thinking one notices a strong impact of Gandhian prin-
ciples and ideas. Though Lohia was a disciple of Gandhi, yet he did not unques-
tioningly or blindly accept all the ideas and principles of Gandhi.· Rammanohar
Lohia endeavoured to formulate a new approach as a 'N~w Civilisation' which is
'
the other name of socialism assimilating Gandhian idea and principles.

I XI
NOTES AND REFERENCES.

1. K. Gopinathan Pillai - Political philosophy of Rammanohar Lohia : Alterna-

tive Development Perceptions. Deep & Deep Publications, New Delhi, 1994,
p- 13.
2. Ibid: P-14.
3. · Article entitled 'Marx, Gandhi and Lohia' by Usha Mehta in 'Political Think-
ers of Modern India: Rammanohar Lohia,' ed. by V. Grover, Deep & Deep
Publications, New Delhi, 1996, P : 589.
4. Chitrita Chaudhari - Rammanohar Lohia and the Indian Socialist thought,
Minerva Associates (Publications) Pvt. Ltd., Calcutta, 1993, P - 4.
5. Ibid : P - 5.
6. Op.cite, n, 1, P- 72.
7. Ibid : Pp - 72 - 73.
8. Ibid : P- 75.
9. Dr. V.K. Arora : rammanohar Lohia and Socialism in India, Deep & Deep
Publications, New Delhi, 1984, P- 30.
10. K. Gopinathan Pillai- Op. cite, n, 1, P - 76.
11 . Rai Akhilendra Prasad - S_ocialist thought in Mode~n India, Meenakshi
Prakashan, Meerut, 1974, P - 124.
12. Op. cite, n, 9, P- 39.
13. Op. cite, n, 1, P - 38.
14. Op. cite, n, 9, P - 135.
15. Jayaprakash Narayan : Towards Total Revolution - Search for An ideol-
ogy ed. by Brahmanand, Polular Prakashan, Bombay, P -56.
16. Ibid : P - 65.
17. Op. cite, n, 1, P - 48.
18. Ibid : P- 49.
19. Ibid: P- 49.
20. Ibid : P - 50.
182
21. Minoo Masani : Bliss was it in that dawn, Arnold - Heinemann, New Delhi,
1977' p- 42.
22. Sonal Shah : Indian Socialists : Search for Identity/Bombay, Popular
Prakashan, 1994, P- 26.
23. Jayaprakash Narayan's statement to the first All India Socialist Confer-
ence (Bombay, 1934) as quoted in K.G. Pillai's Book- Political Philosophy
of Rammanohar Lohia : Alternative Development Perceptions, Deep &
Deep Publications, New Delhi, 12994, P- 60.
24. Op. cite, n, 21, P - 43.
25. Girja Shankar : Socialist Trends in Indian National Movement (A study of
the Congress Socialist Party), Twenty-five century Publishers, Meerut,
1987, pp- 81- 82.
26. Sampurnanand : Memories and Reflections, Bombay, 1962, P- 73.
27. C.P. Bhambhri- Political Process in India, 1947- 1991. Vikas Publishing
House Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, P - 59.
28. Op. cite, n, 1, P - 64.
29. Op. cite, n, 21, P- 44.
30. Ibid : P- 44.
31. Ibid : P - 45.
32. Ibid: P- 61.
33. V.R. Mehta : Foundations of Indian Political Thought, Manohar Publica-
tions, New Delhi, 1992, P- 246.
34. Rammanohar Lohia : 'The. Doctrinal Foundation of Socialism,' Speech,
Panchmari, May 1952, collected from 'Political Thinkers of Modern India :
Rammanohar Lohia,' ed. by V. Grover, Deep & Deep Publications, New
Delhi, 1996, P - 141.
35. IBid: PP- 141 - 142.
36. Op. cite, n, 1, P- 147. ·
37. ·Rammanohar Lohia : Fragments of a world Mind, P - 11.
I

3.8. Rammanohar Lohia : Op. cite, n, 38, PP : 143- 144.

183
 39. A. Appadorai : Indian Political Thinking in the Twentieth Century : An intro-
ductory survey. Second Edition, South Asian Publishers Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi,
1987,P-133.
40. Rammanohar Lohia : op. cite, n, 38. P - 148.
41. Ibid: P -148.
42. Rammanohar Lohia: 'India's Path to Socialism,' Mankind, December, 1970,
p- 5.
43. Op. cite, n, 4, P- 126.
44. Op. cite, n, 9, P - 46.
45. N.C. Mehtrotra : Lohia- A study Atma ram & Sons, Delhi, 1978, P- 94.
46. Op. cite, n, 36, PP - 244- 245.
47. Ibid: P- 245.
48. Op. cite, n, 51, P- 93.
49. Prakash C. Shastri : Socialist Thought in India, Printwell Publishers, 1985,
p- 81.
50. Sohail Jawaid : Socialism in India Radiant Publishers, New Delhi, 1986,
p- 27.
51. Op. cite, n, 4, P- 137.
' 52. Op. cite, n, 58, P- 30.
53. Op. cite, n, 4, P- 138.
54. Op. cite, n, 51, PP- 136- 137.
55. Ibid: P- 138.
56. Op. cite, n, 51, P- 139.
57. Ibid : P - 140 - 141.
58. Op. cite, n, 1, P - 96.
59. Op. cite, n, 51, P - 143.
60. Op. cite,.n, 4, P- 107.
61. Ibid : P - 121.
62. Krishna Sahai : Socialist Movement in India. Classical Publishing Com-
pany, New Delhi, 1986, P - 190.
184
63. Op. cite, n, 4, P - 122.
64.. Op. cite, n, 1, PP - 144- 115.
65. Ibid: P -111.
66. Rammanohar Lohia: Statement of Principles of the Socialist Party adopted
at its foundation conference, Hyderabad, January 1.956, in V. Grover's
'Political Thinkers of, Modern India : Rammanohar Lohia,' Deep &. Deep
Publications, New Delhi, 1996, P - 211.
67. Ibid : P - 211 -212.
68. Presidential Address of Rammanohar Lohia to the special convention of
. IIIH Sncialist, rnrtv. Pc=mr.tmrnmlli, 1fl~2. pp- 2- ~

t.;tt lldd I ·1· I II.; I i;tJ

70. Op. cite, n, 55, P- 69.

71. M. Arumngam: Socialist Thought in India-The Contribution of Rammanohar
Lohia. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, 1978, P - 113.
72. Rammanohar Lohia :The Four-Pillar State in Political Thinkers of Modern
India : Rammanohar Lohia; ed. by V. Grover, Deep & Deep Publications.
New Delhi, 1996, P- 315.
73. Ibid: P- 316.
74. Ibid: P- 316.
75. Lohia : Fragments of a world Mind, P- 93.
76. Lohia: Op. cite, n, 92, P- 316.
77. op. cite, n, 4, P - 128.
78. Op. cite, n, 1, P - 123.
79. Op. cite, n, 73, P- 188.
80. Presidential Address of Rammanohar Lohia to the Special convention of
the Socialist Party, Pachmarhi, 1952, P - 15.
81. Lohia :The Doctrinal Foundation ofSocialism, speech, Pachmarhi, May
1952, in 'Political Thinkers of Modern India : Rammanohar Lohia,' ed. by
V. Grover, P - 150.
82. Mankind, November, 1956, P- 391.
)g)
83. Rammanohar Lohia : 'Fragments of a world Mind,' as quoted in
'Rammanohar Lohia and Socialism. in India,' by V.K. Arora, Deep and Deep
Publications, New Delhi, 1984, P - 73.
B4. · bp. Cite, n, P - 134.
85. Rammanohar Lohia : Speech delivered at ·Hyderabfld on ·~arxism and
Socialism' on August, 1952 - collected from 'Political Thinkers of Modern ·
India : Rammanohar Lohia,' ed. by V. Grover, Deep & Deep Publications,
New Delhi, 1996, PP - 199- 200.
86. Madhu Gimaye : 'A Tribute to Rammanohar Lohia,' Forework toM.·
Arumngam's Book 'Socialist Thought in India : The contribution of
Rammanoh~r Lohia,' streling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 1978, P-11.

87. Rammanohar Lohia : 'The Meaning of Equality' in 'Political Thinkers of

Modern India : Rammanohar Lohia,' ed. by V. Grover, Deep & Deep
Publications, P - 244.
88. Rammanohar Lohia : 'The· Doctrinal Foundation of Socialism,' in 'Political
Thinkers. of Modern India : Rammanohar Lohia,' ed. by Verinder Grover,
Deep & Deep Publications, New Delhi, 1996, P- 167.
(
89. Ramman6har Lohia :The caste system, P- 127.
90. Rammanohar Lohia :"The seven revolutions and five Hidden imperialism,'
in 'Political Thinkers of modern India: rammanoharlohia, ed. by Verinder
.,
Grover, Deep & Deep Publications, New Delhi, 1996, P - 270.
91. Rammanohar Lohia : Wheel of History P - 40.
92 ..Op. cite, n, 1, P- 141.
93. Rammanohar Lohia : 'The Doctrinal Foundation of Socialism,' in 'Political
Thinkers of Modern India: Rammanohar Lohia,' ed. by V. Grover, Deep &
Deep Publications, New Delhi, 1996, P- 169.
94. Rammanohar Lohia : Fragments of a world mind, P - 95.
95. rammanohar Lohia : Marx, Gandhi and Socialism. Nava Hind Publications,
Hyderabad, India, 1963,P- 504.
96. Ibid : P - 383.
186
97. Op. cite, n, 51, P- 227.
~8. Rammanohar Lohia : 'India's Path to Socialism,' in 'Political Thinkers of
Modern India : rammanohar Lohia,' ed. by V. Rammanohar Lohia,' ed. by
V. Grover, Deep & Deep Publications, New Delhi, 1996, P - 229.
99. Op. cite, n, 4, P- 176.

187