Critically examine the Radical Humanist perspective on Indian National Movement. (UPSC CSE Mains 2016 - Political Science and International Relations, Paper 1)
- Radical Humanism was advocated by MN Roy. He published his thoughts in New Humanism-A manifesto. He said radical humanism was called radical because it rejected many traditional political and philosophical assumptions and humanism as its focus was entirely on the needs and conditions of human beings.
- Radical humanists did not articulate a clear perspective of Indian National Movement. However, their philosophical and ideological orientations help us understand their perspective.
- MN Roy and his followers quit the congress and dissolved their “League of Radical Congressmen” to create “Radical democratic Party” in 1939. They were opposed to the congress regarding World War II. They favored Indian support to the British to defeat the German fascist. They criticized the congress for the launch of Quit India Movement in 1942 and remarked it as Congress callous criminal neglect of national defense. Roy was criticized for his unpatriotic stand.
- When it became clear that the allied forces would win the war, Roy was convinced that India would gain freedom peacefully. In 1944, he drew up a 10 year plan for reconstruction of peoples plan. If focused on agriculture, social service and self- financing.
- In 1945, Radical democrats drew up a draft constitution for independent India. It envisaged the dissolution of feudal provinces and integration based on linguistic and culture homogeneity. The village committees and gram sabhas were given extensive powers such as igniting legislations recall of representatives and were conceived as main power centers.
- Roy believed in revelation by concert persuasion. He called this New Orientation. He advocated party less organized democracy and co-operative economy.
- Radical humanists placed individual at the center of their philosophy. Individual was to be on and in himself. Society and all other things were means to achieve this end. They were against supervisions and supernatural power. They advocated
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- Rationalism
- Democracy
- Scientific approach to politics.
- They separated philosophy from religion and took it clore to science.
- Roy had witnessed capitalism and communism and was unsatisfied with both. One sacrificed Individual and the other sacrificed freedom.
- Radical humanist were concerned with both individual and freedom.
- Roy established the Frankfurt school in Dehradun. He started National Renaissance Institute. He believed that through Radical humanism, the greatest good of the greatest member could be achieved.
Thus Radical humanists with their perspective of scientific humanism and cosmopolitan look favored freedom by peaceful means and revolution by consent. They were convinced that rationalism of each individual would guide him to proper action.
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