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Lohia & JP: Ideas of Indian SocialismSeven Revolutions and Total Revolution

Ram Manohar Lohia and Jayaprakash Narayan helped found the Congress Socialist Party and gave Indian socialism its most original ideas. Lohia joined Gandhi to socialism through caste, decentralisation and civil disobedience; JP moved from Marx to Gandhi and to Total Revolution.

Lohia7Lohia's revolutions

five inequalities and two more.

Lohia4Pillars of the state

village, mandal, province, centre.

Lohia1959New Socialism

six elements, at Hyderabad.

JP7JP's revolutions

that make Total Revolution.

JP1974Total Revolution

popular after Gujarat and Bihar.

JP1975People's Charter

submitted to Parliament.

Part 1 · Ram Manohar Lohia: Seven Revolutions and democratic socialism

Lohia's Seven Revolutions

Five inequalities and two freedoms, and a socialism that joined Gandhian ideals to socialist thought.

Illustration of a 1930s socialist meeting in a modest hall in India, young men and women in khadi listening to a speaker, seen from behind

Two original thinkers

Ram Manohar Lohia and Jayaprakash Narayan were two prominent socialist leaders and among the most original thinkers of socialist movement in India during freedom struggle and post-independence era.

Both these leaders were founding members of the Congress Socialist Party and worked to give the freedom movement a socialist fervour. However, their contributions are not limited to the political activities but also significantly found in the realm of ideas.

Archival photograph of Ram Manohar Lohia — Ram Manohar Lohia, socialist thinker and a founding member of the Congress Socialist Party.Archival photograph

Seven Revolutions

Ram Manohar Lohia articulated his approach in what he called Seven Revolutions. These revolutions reflect the basic elements of his thoughts.

Five inequalities constituted five revolutions

inequality between man and woman,
inequality based on skin colour,
caste-based inequality,
colonial rule of some countries over others, and
economic inequality.

Two more revolutions

revolution for civil liberties against unjust encroachments on private life and
revolution for non-violence, for renunciation of weapons in favour of Satyagraha.

‘Marx, Gandhi and Socialism’

In his book ‘Marx, Gandhi and Socialism’, Lohia made an analysis of principles of democratic socialism as an appropriate philosophy for the successful operation of constructive programmes.

He always laid greater emphasis on the combination of the Gandhian ideals with the socialist thought.
He believed that through the principles of democratic socialism the economy of a developing country could be improved.
He considered orthodox and organised socialism “a dead doctrine and a dying organisation”.
Lohia was opposed to doctrinaire approach to social, political, economic and ideological issues.
He wanted the state power to be controlled, guided, and framed by people's power and non-violent methodology as instruments of governance.
Also the theory of determinism was not a solution for the tradition bound Indian society where class distinctions and caste stratifications rule the day.
- The Marxist theory of class struggle is not an answer for the complex social structures of India.

Part 2 · Lohia on caste and class, decentralisation and New Socialism

Caste and Class, Small Machines and Four Pillars

History as a movement between caste and class, a decentralised economy, a four-pillar state and the New Socialism of 1959.

Caste and class

Although he was a supporter of dialectical materialism, he put greater emphasis on consciousness. He was of the opinion that through an internal oscillation between class and caste, historical dynamism of a country could be ensured.

According to him, the classes represent the social mobilisation process and the castes are symbols of conservative forces.

“All human history has always been an internal movement between caste and classes – caste loosen into classes and classes crystallise into castes.”

Ram Manohar Lohia

Decentralised socialism

He was an exponent of decentralised socialism.

According to him small machines, cooperative labour and village government operate as democratic forces against capitalist forces.
He said that communism borrowed from Capitalism its conventional production techniques; it only sought to change relationship among the forces of production.
- For him small unit technology and decentralised economy was more suitable to the condition prevalent in India.

The Four Pillar State

He gave the idea of Four Pillar State concept. He considered village, mandal (district), province and central government as the four pillars of the state.

Village: he was in favour of villages having police and welfare functions.
Mandal (district)
Province
Central government

New Socialism (Hyderabad, 1959): six basic elements

He propounded his theory of New Socialism at Hyderabad in 1959. This theory had six basic elements.

The equalitarian standards in the areas of income and expenditure,
growing economic interdependence,
world parliament system based on adult franchise,
democratic freedoms inclusive of right to private life,
Gandhian technique of individual and collective civil disobedience, and
dignity and rights of common man.

The common fallacy of capitalism and communism

He highlighted the common fallacy of both capitalism and communism by arguing that the general aims of society do not inevitably flow out of certain economic aims.

In 1952 he said, “The tensions and emptiness of modern life seem difficult to overcome, whether under capitalism or communism as the hunger for rising standards is their mother and common to both.”
Capitalists expected their ideal kingdom to arise out of each man's self interest operating under a perfect competition; communists still expect their ideal kingdom to arrive out of social ownership over means of production.
An integrated relationship between the two sets of aims, social and economic, has to be set up by the intelligence of man.

Part 3 · Lohia on caste, civil disobedience, history, and religion and politics

Socialist Humanism, Permanent Civil Disobedience and Religion

Ending caste and male domination, a permanent peaceful rebellion against injustice, and the right relation between religion and politics.

Socialism as a new civilisation

Lohia advocated socialism in the form of a new civilisation which in the words of Marx could be referred to as “socialist humanism”.
- He gave a new direction and dimension to the socialist movement of India. He said that India's ideology is to be understood in the context of its culture, traditions, and history.
For the success of democratic socialist movement in India, it is necessary to put primary emphasis on the removal of caste system through systemic reform process.

“All those who think that with the removal of poverty through a modern economy, these segregations will automatically disappear, make a big mistake.”

Ram Manohar Lohia, on the caste system

Civil disobedience, immediacy and history

He was deeply influenced by Trotsky's theory of “permanent revolution”. He preached and practised the concept of “permanent civil disobedience” as a peaceful rebellion against injustice.
His Theory of “immediacy” was very popular among the youth. He wanted that organisation and action must continue as parallel currents and strongly pleaded for “constructive militancy” and “militant construction”.
He was convinced that no individual's thought could be used as the sole frame of reference for the ideology of any movement.
- Although he was in favour of Marx's theory of dialectical materialism, he was aware of its limitations.
- He emphasised both the economic factors and human will as important elements of development of history.
- He was convinced that “logic of events” and “logic of will” would govern the path of history. He was a proponent of the cyclical theory of History.
Lohia was convinced that the concept of “welfare-statism” was not an answer for the social and economic progress of countries in the Third World. For him the answer lies in the civil disobedience movements against all forms of injustice and for the creation of a new world order.

Two basic weaknesses of India's social structure

Lohia was of the view that the universal male domination and obnoxious caste system were the two basic weaknesses of India's social structure and pleaded for their elimination at all levels.

He appealed to the youth to be at the forefront of the social reconstruction process to eliminate these social evils. For him the poverty and these social segregations are inter-linked and thrive ‘on each other's worms’.

Religion and politics

For Lohia, both were deeply inter-linked and have the same origin.
Although the jurisdictions of religion and politics are separate, a wrong combination of both corrupts both.
He was of the view that both religion and politics could be judiciously administered to develop the infrastructures of the political systems.

“Religion is long term politics; and politics is short term religion. Religion should work for doing well and praising goodness. Politics should work for fighting the evil and condemning it. When the religion instead of doing something good confines itself to praising the goodness only, it becomes lifeless. And when politics, instead of fighting evil, only condemns it, it becomes quarrelsome.”

Ram Manohar Lohia

Keeping religion and politics apart, yet complementary

But it is a fact that imprudent mixture of religion and politics corrupts both of them. No particular religion should associate itself with any particular politics. It creates communal fanaticism.
The main purpose of the modern ideology of keeping religion separate from politics is to ensure that communal fanaticism does not originate.
There is also one more idea that power of awarding punishment in politics and religious orders should be placed separately, otherwise it could give impetus to conservatism and corruption.
Despite keeping all the above precautions in view, it is all the more necessary that religion and politics should be complementary to each other, but they should not encroach upon each other's jurisdiction.

Part 4 · Jayaprakash Narayan: evolving thoughts

JP: From Marx to Gandhi

Disillusioned by the Soviet model, JP came to believe that violent revolution always ends in a new tyranny.

Archival photograph of Jayaprakash Narayan — Jayaprakash Narayan (JP), socialist leader and the voice of Total Revolution.Archival photograph

Evolving thoughts

Jayaprakash Narayan, popularly known as JP, moved from Marxism towards the Gandhian ideology.

1929
Confirmed Marxist
JP was a confirmed Marxist in 1929.
Passes on: Soviet disillusion
Soviet disillusion
Mid-1940s
Towards Gandhi
By the middle of 1940s he was inclined towards the Gandhian ideology.
Till 1952
Against violence
Till 1952 JP had no faith in violence as an instrument of social transformation process.

Why the Soviet model failed him

The transformations of the Russian society in the late 1920s had thereafter changed his outlook towards Marxism and the process of dialectical materialism. Soviet Union was no more an ideal model for him for a socialist society.
The bureaucratised dictatorship with the Red Army, secret police and guns produced an inherent disliking for the Soviet Pattern of development. He was convinced that it did not produce “decent, fraternal and civilised human beings”.
JP was convinced that there was inter-relationship between nature of the revolution and its future impact. He was convinced that any pattern of violent revolution would not lead to the empowerment of people at the grassroots level.

“A Soviet Revolution has two parts: destruction of the old order of society and construction of the new. In a successful violent revolution, success lies in the destruction of the old order from the roots. That indeed is a great achievement. But at that point, something vital happens which nearly strangles the succeeding process. During the revolution there is widespread organised revolutionary violence. A new instrument of power is created and whosoever among the revolutionaries succeeds in capturing this instrument becomes the master of the new state, and power passes from the hands of the people to them. It is not that violent revolutionaries deceive and betray; it is just the logic of violence working itself out. It cannot be otherwise.”

Jayaprakash Narayan

Against dialectical materialism

JP was very much critical of dialectical materialism on human development. He was convinced that this methodology would affect the spiritual development of man.

Part 5 · JP's concept of Total Revolution

Total Revolution: A Permanent Revolution

Seven revolutions in one, rooted in Gandhian non-violence, popular after the movements of 1974 in Gujarat and Bihar.

Illustration of a huge peaceful crowd of students and citizens on a vast open ground in Patna in 1974, seen from behind under a wide sky

A holistic concept

His concept of Total Revolution is a holistic one. He used this term Total Revolution for the first time in a British magazine called The Time in 1969.

Underlying the emphasis on the Gandhian concept of nonviolence and Satyagraha he said, “Gandhiji's non violence was not just a plea for law and order, or a cover for the status quo, but a revolutionary philosophy. It is indeed, a philosophy of total revolution, because it embraces personal and social ethics and values of life as much as economic, political and social institutions and processes.”

Seven revolutions in one

The concept of Total Revolution as enunciated by JP is a confluence of his ideas on seven revolutions, i.e. social, economic, political, cultural, ideological and intellectual, educational and spiritual.

JP was not very rigid regarding the number of these revolutions. He said the seven revolutions could be grouped as per demands of the social structures in a political system.
- He said, “For instance the cultural may include educational and ideological revolutions. And if culture is used in an anthropological sense, it can embrace all other revolutions.”
- He said, economic revolution may be split up into industrial, agricultural, technological revolutions etc. Similarly intellectual revolutions may be split up into two – scientific and philosophical.
The concept of total revolution became popular in 1974 in the wake of mass movements in Gujarat and Bihar.
JP's Total Revolution involved the developments of peasants, workers, harijans, tribal people and indeed all weaker sections of the social structure.

“Total revolution is a permanent revolution. It will always go on and keep on changing both our personal and social lives. This revolution knows no respite, no halt, certainly not complete halt. Of course according to the needs of the situation its forms will change, its programmes will change, its process will change. At an opportune moment there may be an upsurge of new forces which will push forward the wheels of change.”

Jayaprakash Narayan, defining the character of Total Revolution in a letter to a friend, August 1976

Part 6 · JP on democracy, corruption, economy and the individual

Clean Democracy, Antyodaya and Man at the Centre

Accountable representatives, a fight against corruption, a Gandhian economy, the right to work, and faith in youth.

Democracy in danger

JP was deeply moved by the mutilation of democratic process, political corruption and fall of moral standards in our public life. He said that if this pattern of administrative process continues then there would not be any socialism, welfarism, government, public order, justice, freedom, national unity and in short no nation.
He said, “No ism can have any chance, democratic socialism symbolises an incessant struggle for the establishment of a just, casteless, social and economic order under a democratic system in which an individual is provided with proper environment.”

People's participation and the right to recall

He was always interested in empowering and strengthening India's democratic system. He wanted the participation of people at all levels of decision-making process.

He wanted that electoral representatives should be accountable to their electors, not once in five years, but if one is unsuitable before the expiry of his five year term he should be replaced.
He wanted electoral reforms to be introduced in the political system to check the role of black money in the electoral process of the country.
Regarding the statutory provision for recalling the elected representatives he said “I do recognise of course that it may not be very easy to devise suitable machinery for it and that the right to recall may be occasionally misused. But in a democracy we do not solve problems by denying to people their basic rights. If constitutional experts apply their minds to the problem, a solution may eventually be found.”
JP wanted a network of People's Committees to be established at the grass roots levels to take care of the problems of the people and the programmes for development.

Against corruption

JP was deeply disturbed by the growth of corruption in the Indian political system.

He said “I know politics is not for saints. But politics at least under a democracy must know the limits which it may not cross.”
This was the focal point of JP's People's Charter which he submitted to the Parliament in 1975. He said “Corruption is eating into the vitals of our political life. It is disturbing development, undermining the administration and making a mockery of all laws and regulations. It is eroding people's faith and exhausting their proverbial patience.”

Economic programme, Antyodaya and the right to work

He wanted the economic and the political power to be combined in the hands of the people.

Analysing his economic programme he said, “A Gandhian frame laying emphasis on agricultural development, equitable land ownership, the application of appropriate technology to agriculture such as improved, labour-intensive tools and gadgets …, the development of domestic and rural industries and the widest possible spread of small industries”.
JP's programme of Antyodaya, meaning the upliftment of the last man, was an essential aspect of his socialist thought.
- In 1977, in a statement he said, ‘Bapu gave us a good yardstick. Whenever you are in doubt in taking a particular decision remember the face of the poorest man and think how it will affect him.’
Right to work was an integral part of his concept of Total Revolution, he said “Once the state accepts this obligation, means will have to be found for providing employment to all. It is not so difficult to do so.”
JP was also particular about social reforms such as elimination of dowry system, development of the conditions of the harijans and abolition of the caste system in India's political system.
He always advocated a non-violent means for total revolution.

“The idea of my dream is a community in which every individual, every resource is dedicated to serving the weak, a community dedicated to Antyodaya, to the well being of the least and the weakest. It is a community in which individuals are valued for their humanity, a community in which the right of every individual to act according to his conscience is recognised and respected by all. In short, my vision is of a free, progressive and Gandhian India.”

Jayaprakash Narayan, on his ideal state, 1977

The role of youth

JP, throughout his career, highlighted the role of students and youth in the field of people's movement.

He said “Revolutions are not brought about by those who are engaged in the race for power and office whether in the government or in non official organisations. Not also by those who are totally preoccupied with the burden of providing bread to their families and are wary of adopting any risky step. The youth of a country alone are free from these constraints. They have idealism, they have enthusiasm, and they have a capacity to make sacrifice from which older men shrink.”

Man at the centre

Throughout his life JP always tried to put men in the centre of picture.

JP said, “In the society that I have in view for the future, man should occupy the central place, the organisation should be for man and not the other way round. By that I mean that the social organisation should be such as allows freedom to every individual to develop and grow according to his own inner nature, a society which believes in and practices the dignity of man, just as a human being.”

Conclusion

Thus, both Jaiprakash and Lohia had all-encompassing ideas to solve the prevailing problems and for a better future for mankind. Their ideas significantly boosted the intellectual growth of the nation and world. Although there has been a tendency among the contemporary researchers not to recognise them as academic system-builders in the tradition of Kant, Hegel or Comte, their democratic socialist approach to look at ideology as an integrated phenomenon is now being widely accepted throughout the world.

“Total revolution is a permanent revolution. It will always go on and keep on changing both our personal and social lives.”

— Jayaprakash Narayan, 1976

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