Ram Manohar Lohia
ऐ भारतमाता, हमे शिव का मशततष्क दो, कृष्ण का हृदय दो तथा राम का कमम और वचन दो। हमें असीम मशततष्क और उन्मुक्त हृदय के साथ साथ जीवन की मयामदा से रचो। संदभम: ‘राम, कृष्ण और शिव’ शनबंध (मैनकाईंड़, अगतत १९५५ से अनुवाशदत)
O Mother of India, give us the mind of Shiva, the heart of Krishna, and the deeds and words of Rama. Make us a limitless mind and a free heart as well as the dignity of life. Reference: Essay ‘Ram, Krishna and Shiv’ (Translated from Mankind, 1955)
The above lines written by Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia. The life, work, and ideology of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, who dominated the Indian political scene for as many as three and half decades. The word socialism has also been given by him. A staunch socialist by instinct and conviction, he gave a new direction and dimension to the socialist movement in India, keeping in view the ground realities of the Indian social, political, and economic matrix. But after some time, many other groups were formed, keeping the socialist ideology in front. But Lohia’s influence remained in India’s intellectual and politics for a long time. As a freedom fighter, philosopher, political leader, and parliamentarian, he carved out a unique place in the people’s hearts. Lohia had studied Indian culture very deeply. Lohia had studied Indian culture very deeply. Dr. Lohia had opposed Pandit Nehru, the influence of the British, and caste discrimination.
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, the eminent socialist leader, was born on 23 March 1910 at Akbarpur in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh. His father, Hiralal Lohia, was a businessman. Initially, his ancestors lived in Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. The family acquired the surname ‘Lohia’ for doing business in ‘Loha’ (Iron- hardware) for generations. Ram Manohar lost his mother at the early age of two and a half years and was, therefore, brought up by his grandmother and aunt. As a child, Lohia found an atmosphere free from caste and communal prejudices in his family. The spirit of strong nationalism was gifted to him by his father, Hiralal, an active Congressman and a devotee of Gandhiji. Since his childhood, Lohia was full of sympathy for the needy, and as such, he always helped the poor and the oppressed.
Ram Manohar Lohia had his early education in Akbarpur. He always topped his class and remained a favorite of his teachers. After his father had shifted from Akbarpur to Bombay, he continued his studies at Marwari School in Bombay and passed the Matriculation examination in the first division in 1925. His Intermediate education took place at Banaras Hindu University. In 1926, he accompanied his father to the Gauhati session of the Indian National Congress when he was six years old. In 1927, he passed the Intermediate examination and went to Calcutta for further studies. Ram Manohar Lohia completed his higher education at Vidyasagar College in 1929; he passed his B.A. examination. Later, he went to Germany for higher studies.
Lohia had his ideas about revolution. He justified revolution in any of the following conditions:
1. A revolt to establish complete equality between men and women.
2. A revolt against the economic, political, and social inequalities based on skin color.
3. A revolt against the traditional concept of caste based on birth and in favor of special opportunities for the backward.
4. A revolt for the overthrow of foreign rule, for freedom, and the establishment of a democratic government.
5. A revolt against the inequalities in capital accumulation, economic equality, and a planned increase in production.
6. A revolt against interference in the private life of citizens and favor of a democratic system of Government.
7. A revolt against conventional and nuclear weapons and for recognition of satyagraha as a legitimate weapon.
As an untiring champion of social equality, he lamented the caste system and the hierarchical order based on birth. He considered it the most critical factor for the nation’s decline and its repeated subjection to external aggression and foreign rule. He also launched a “destroy caste” movement. He declared that equality could not be established in a traditionally unequal society by merely providing equal opportunities to all. He said that the backward classes, women, Harijans, Adivasis, and the backward had to be given exceptional opportunities to bring them up to the advanced level.
Today when ‘we hear about social justice, the relevance of Lohia, who spoke about its years before, is more than proven. He was a man much ahead of his times” That is why probably sometime before his death, he said, “People will listen to me perhaps after I am dead. But they will undoubtedly listen to me.
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia was a prudent revolutionary and a great socialist leader, thinker, and philosopher. He contributed significantly to giving a concrete shape to Socialism in India. He struggled throughout his life to achieve the objectives of Socialism in the country and gave revolutionary slogans like save the Himalayas, banish English, destroy the caste system, etc. We can understand that socialism does not mean Hindu hatred if we study Dr. Lohia’s thoughts closely. This may not be understood by those who are called the political successors of Lohia’s ideas.
Vijendra Sonawane
(Vijendra.Sonawane@ssfoffice.in)