Public figures who were big in Indian consciousness 50 years ago
Totally irrelevant today
Jayaprakash Narayan (JP)
Acharya Vinoba Bhave
Ram Manohar Lohia
Who else?
Totally irrelevant today
Jayaprakash Narayan (JP)
Acharya Vinoba Bhave
Ram Manohar Lohia
Who else?
To a greater or lesser extent, all these figures epitomized "Nativist" / "rooted" socialism
That type is irrelevant in our times
Yes, Modi is for welfare state, but not really a socialist. So we can't place him in that category
That type is irrelevant in our times
Yes, Modi is for welfare state, but not really a socialist. So we can't place him in that category
Another big leader from that age who is kind of irrelevant today -
Indira Gandhi
who was perceived as this "secular, but tough nationalist"
Again a type that is not so relevant in current Indian polity
Indira Gandhi
who was perceived as this "secular, but tough nationalist"
Again a type that is not so relevant in current Indian polity
Deen Dayal Upadhyay is another name that comes to mind
The intellectual godfather of the Jana-Sangh
His brand of "rooted" / "indigenous" socialism + anti-Kendrikaran rhetoric has no takers
The intellectual godfather of the Jana-Sangh
His brand of "rooted" / "indigenous" socialism + anti-Kendrikaran rhetoric has no takers
The most relevant figures from Indian political history in my view -
Jawaharlal Nehru
Veer Savakar
They still resonate. They still animate discussions in drawing rooms.
Jawaharlal Nehru
Veer Savakar
They still resonate. They still animate discussions in drawing rooms.
A clarification on Indira -
I think her influence is still huge but not in terms of policy or ideology
I'd say her influence is more "functional" / "methodological"
Her working style is what so many strongmen in India still emulate
I think her influence is still huge but not in terms of policy or ideology
I'd say her influence is more "functional" / "methodological"
Her working style is what so many strongmen in India still emulate
But ideologically, her combo of -
"tough state + institutionalized rabid secularism + aggressive nationalization"
is not espoused by anyone today
"tough state + institutionalized rabid secularism + aggressive nationalization"
is not espoused by anyone today
On why I think Nehru and Savarkar are most relevant -
Savarkar introduced the idea of the "other" in a v explicit way (though the idea precedes him)
Nehru's politics was all about opposing the idea of the "other"
Most political conversations in India center around this
Savarkar introduced the idea of the "other" in a v explicit way (though the idea precedes him)
Nehru's politics was all about opposing the idea of the "other"
Most political conversations in India center around this
Post-script -
I didn't mention Rajaji and Morarji
Because their brand of Burkean conservatism was not all that popular in their own times. Let alone today
Patel : Again didn't mention, as he was more a doer than a thinker. As an intellectual influence he was always marginal
I didn't mention Rajaji and Morarji
Because their brand of Burkean conservatism was not all that popular in their own times. Let alone today
Patel : Again didn't mention, as he was more a doer than a thinker. As an intellectual influence he was always marginal
