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Understanding Indian-Value System through Sri Aurobindo’s Education System

(An online anthology of Sri Aurobindo’s Ideas)

First Edition, December 06^th 2011

Gitanjalee Bora

Research Scholar, Department of Philosophy, Gauhati University, Guwahati

Dr Desh Raj Sirswal

Assistant Professor (Philosophy), P.G.Govt. College for Girls, Sector-11, Chandigarh

Publisher:

Centre for Positive Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies (CPPIS), Milestone Education Society (Regd.), Balmiki Dharmashala, Ward No.06, Pehowa (Kurukshetra)-136128 (Haryana) Emails: mses.02@gmail.com, dr.sirswal@gmail.com

Can be downloaded from:

http://positivephilosophy.webs.com/apps/documents/

“Philosophy of Shaheed Bhagat Singh”

Reference: CPPIS/11/066

Dated 25/09/2011

The Centre for Positive Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies (CPPIS) is going to organise an E-Seminar on “Philosophy of Shaheed Bhagat Singh on 23^rd March, 2012. Research papers from faculty members, research scholars and academicians are invited in English/Hindi language consisting about 2500-3000 words with an abstract of 200 words. All the electronic papers will be published on net and selected papers will be included in the following issues of “Lokāyata: Journal of Positive Philosophy”.

Subthemes:

The following subthemes are selected for wide listening of the seminar:

• Social Philosophy of Bhagat Singh
• Bhagat Singh’s Philosophy of Education
• Bhagat Singh’s Analysis of Indian Culture
• Bhagat Singh’s Message for Youth of India
• Bhagat Singh’s Ideas on Caste-Discrimination
• Bhagat Singh Vision of India’s Freedom
• Bhagat Singh’s Ideas on Religion and Spirituality
• Bhagat Singh and Karl Marx
• Bhagat Singh and Dr B.R.Ambedkar
• Effect of Socialism and Reformism on Bhagat Singh’s Philosophy
• Bhagat Singh’s Ideas on Socialist Democracy
• Bhagat Singh and Indian Freedom Movement
• Relevance of Bhagat Singh Ideas in 21^st Century
• History of Revolutionary Movement in India

Format for Submission:

Please submit the electronic copy of your paper as well as a hard copy with a certificate of originality of paper by/before the 31^th January 2012 in the following format by post on below mentioned address. You can also email us paper with scan copy of certificate at mses.02@gmail.com.

Notes and references should appear at the end of the articles as Notes. The following style of reference may be strictly followed:

• In case of Journal: Authors last name, initials, year of publication, name of the paper, name of the journal (italic), volume number, issue number and page number.
• In case of a Book: Authors last name, initials, year of publication, title of the book(italic), name of publisher, place of publication and page numbers.
• In case of an edited Book: Authors last name, initials, year of publication, name of the editor, title of the book (italic), name of publisher, place of publication and page numbers.
• In case of institution/Govt. Report: full name of the institution/ministry, year of publication, place of publication.

For further inquiry contact:

Dr. Desh Raj Sirswal,

Programme Co-ordinator,

Centre for Positive Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies (CPPIS),

Milestone Education Society (Regd), Balmiki Basti, Ward No. 06,

Pehowa, (Kurukshetra)-136128 (HARYANA)

Mobile No.09896848775

E-mail: dr.sirswal@gmail.com, mses.02@gmail.com

Website: http://drsirswal.webs.com

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and World Teacher’s Day Celebrations

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birth Anniversary September 5 is being celebrated as Teachers Day. September 5 is special day to pay respect to our teachers. Teachers Day is the only occasion when we remember the time spent with our teacher, what they taught and what we are today.

The day is also significant for all of us as we remember a great teacher, philosopher and statesman, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, whose birth anniversary falls on this day.

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on Sept 5, 1888 into a middle class family in Tamil Nadu. He was the first Vice President of India.

Dr. Radhakrishnan was regarded as great teacher. Country celebrates his birth anniversary to pay respect for the teachers.

About Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan:

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born in the year 1888 in a well-known religious state in Chennai, then called Madras. He was the second son of Veera Samayya, a tehsildar in a zamindari. It was a middle-class, respectable Hindu Brahmin family.

He graduated with a Master’s Degree in Arts from Madras University. In partial fulfillment for his M.A. degree, Radhakrishnan wrote a thesis on the ethics of the Vedanta titled “The Ethics of the Vedanta and Its Metaphysical Presuppositions”, which was a reply to the charge that the Vedanta system had no room for ethics.

The Origin of Teacher’s Day :

Since 1962, 5th of September has been celebrated as Teacher’s Day in India. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakhrishnan was a philosopher and a teacher par excellence. Some of his students and friends approached him and requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday. In reply, Dr, Radhakrishnan said, “Instead of celebrating my birthday separately, it would be my proud privilege if September 5th is observed as Teacher’s day”. The request showed Dr.Radhakrishnan’s love for the teaching profession. From then onwards, his birthday is observed as Teacher’s Day in India.

He showed how western philosophers, despite all claims to objectivity, were biased by theological influences from their wider culture. In one of his major works he also showed that Indian philosophy, once translated into standard academic jargon, is worthy of being called philosophy by western standards. His main contribution to Indian thought, therefore, is that he placed it “on the map”, thereby earning Indian philosophy a respect that it had not had before.

Dr. Radhakrishnan was of the opinion that only the right kind of education could solve many ills of the society and the country. He wanted to bring in a change in the educational system by improving the quality of education and building up a strong relationship between the teacher and the taught. In his opinion, teachers should be the best minds of the country; they should not merely instruct but should gain the true affection of pupils, and the respect for teachers cannot be ordered but it should be earned.

After 1946, his philosophical career was cut short when his country needed him as ambassador to UNESCO and later to Moscow. He was later to become the first Vice-President and finally the President (1962-1967) of India. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954. The University of Oxford instituted the Radhakrishnan Chevening Scholarships and the Radhakrishnan Memorial Award in his memory. He also received the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade in 1961.

Even as the president Sarvepalli remained a humble man. It was an open house at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and people from all sections of society were welcome to meet him. In addition he accepted only Rs. 2,500 out of his salary of Rs. 10,000 and donated the remaining amount to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund every month. He remained a teacher in many ways and even adopted the authoritative tone of a headmaster in many of his letters to his ministers. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan passed away on April 17, 1975.

Cited from: Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Teachers Day Celebrations

http://shafprince.com/dr-sarvepalli-radhakrishnan-teachers-day-celebrations/

World Teachers’ Day

World Teachers’ Day 2011 focuses on gender equality. The slogan is “Teachers for gender equality”.
World Teachers’ Day, held annually on 5 October since 1994, commemorates the anniversary of the signing in 1966 of the UNESCO/ILO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers. It is an occasion to celebrate the essential role of teachers in providing quality education at all levels.

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/education-events/?tx_browser_pi1[showUid]=3778&cHash=fce1d188f7

Francis Lobo

As I reflect on my past life, I am faced with the harsh reality that success has eluded me for three quarters of a century. Even in the field of Corruption, which has been the subject of study by me for over half a century, I have been a failure. I haven’t amassed a fortune through this route though it looks so easy, nor have I become a celebrity, like Anna Hazare, by exposing and fighting this phenomenon.  However, since the whole nation is agitated on the issue, I am motivated to add my voice.

Like pollution, which is the right material in the wrong place, Corruption is the right wealth in the wrong hands used for the wrong purpose. The first lesson in Corruption is that money / wealth must first be created. Governments have learnt the art of making money  —  they make it by the process called “Printing”. The rising prices have nothing to do with improved quality, value or performance  —  nothing whatsoever. It is connected with the performance and overtime work put in at the government printing press.  To prevent the money put into circulation from causing inflation, the governments take it out again by way of taxes. Fortunately in India we are more enlightened than in USA where the TEA  [Taxed Enough Already] Party has emerged to prevent the government from raising taxes. The Indians take out the excess money in circulation themselves. The old practice of hiding this under the mattress has long since gone out of vogue and the tax havens, which have emerged around the world, enable the smart Indian to keep it out of the hands of the government, which would in any case waste it.

Modern education teaches the basic principle that anything and every service can be converted into one, common, understandable unit MONEY. From earliest times we have seen that Sex has been a money spinner when apples were used as the medium of exchange. But today even the care and education of children and senior citizens call for a lot of money. So money has to be generated to meet all one’s needs. In the good old days we pitied the poor government servant for the pittance they got for their services and the thoughtful citizen made up for it with Baksheesh or tip for the services rendered. The various Pay Commissions have changed all this. Today, I understand that in retirement a government servant could get in hand more than what he was getting while in service. The rates for getting things done have kept pace with the increases given by the Pay Commissions. If the commission given by you for a service doesn’t match up to the expectations you face the possibility of your voluntary offering being sarcastically turned down.

India has been the birth place of many religions  —  There are hundreds of religions practiced by the tribals and thousands of Gods. There are also the well established religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Today  a new religion is emerging and being created by our elected representatives. It is termed as Indian Democracy. The quintessence of this new religion are:

• All your sins past and future will be forgiven if you get elected or work for the government. Nobody can accuse you of any wrong doing. You have been raised above the mortals of this world. Unfortunately entry is restricted to just a few and there is a heavy price to be paid to get admission to the club. You must show this ability even before you can even attempt to get membership.
• Your behavior will never catch up on you. It will take an eternity before anyone can find out what you really did or didn’t do. The truth will be buried under a mountain of documents some of which may disappear and disintegrate with time.
• The tax havens are temples / sanctuaries which no one can violate to discover what you have hidden there.
• On the principles on which this religion is founded there is no opposition  —  All parties are in full agreement and there is no such thing as a minority, all are in it together.
• Like in all religions there are prescribed rituals like the share that must go to each layer in the value chain.

Unfortunately, I have passed the expiry date to get admission to this new religion.

E-mail: fllobo@gmail.com

Sent By:

We gave admission to 30 students from economical weaker section of SC,
ST, OBC, Buddhist society. We will provide them Free Civil Services
Coaching (including accommodation and mess) for one year, in
DHAMMABHOOMI, Dr Ambedkar Maha Vidya Vihar, Malokhara (Hathin) Distt.
Palwal (Haryana).

We also offer graduation program in which the student can pursue his
graduation degree from any university in correspondence mode. And we
provide them Free Civil Services Coaching (including accommodation and
mess) for three year. For this the student should live
as NOVOICE (in the dress of Buddhist Monk). During 3 year we give them
training & teaching of Buddhism.

For further detail-
09813155324 (Bhante Dr Karuna Sheel)
DHAMMABHOOMI, Dr Ambedkar Maha Vidya Vihar, Malokhara (Hathin) Distt.
Palwal (Haryana).

Regards
With Metta
Amar Bauddha
(On behalf of Bhante Dr Karuna Sheel)

dhammabhoomi@gmail.com, Sun, Jul 31, 2011

POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY FOR CONTEMPORARY INDIAN SOCIETY

Desh Raj Sirswal

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Ó Desh Raj Sirswal 2011

“Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” – James Madison

The 21st Century has been acknowledged as the ‘Knowledge Century’. Every nation now finds itself operating in an increasingly competitive and globalised environment where the information, infrastructure, research and innovation systems, education and lifelong learning, and regulatory frameworks are crucial variables. In the words of Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, “The time has come to create a second wave of institution building, and of excellence, in the fields of education, research and capability building so that we are better prepared for the 21st Century.” Since India’s independence, there has been a persistent demand on behalf of the country’s intellectuals, expressed in different professional, philosophical and non-philosophical fora, to re-examine both ancient and modern philosophical systems to evaluate them and derive from them new directives for today’s changing conditions and there is a definite impetus and a sense of need towards an independent Indian philosophical identity to reinforce research and philosophical studies in India at different levels.

Each step in the journey of human development adds new bench marks in it. I am working through Society for Positive Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies (SPPIS) Haryana since 2008. For me the meaning of Positive Philosophy is to achieve an intellectual detachment from all philosophical systems, and not only to solve specific philosophical problems, but also to become sensitively aware of what we do when have we philosophized. An Interdisciplinary Study is a field of study that crosses traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or schools of thought, as new needs and professions have emerged. Originally the term interdisciplinary is applied within education and training pedagogies to describe studies that use methods and insights of several established disciplines or traditional fields of study.

I think that in order to reach at the goal of creating “knowledge society”, the majority of the people in India must be helped to overcome ‘information poverty.’ The deprived peoples be given access to relevant and timely information and knowledge to address the roles they should play in the development process and in our society we are also working to erase information poverty related to philosophy discipline in India. It is painful situation that in India, philosophy is not more than a religious thinking for academic and non academic persons and no clear difference between study and teaching. So we should try to change our mental set and go for its practical implications. This is a reflection of my thoughts which are not complete yet it is my intention to get your response. I will be happy to get your comments, suggestions and will try to improve this work accordingly.

Positive Philosophy for Contemporary Indian Society has three chapters to read i.e. (i) Meaning of Positive Philosophy which deals with the conception of Positive Philosophy and Methodology, (ii) Nature of Philosophy in General which discuss about general conception of philosophy , methods of study and writing philosophy, and (iii) Philosophy of Social Change which discuss the need of Indian Model of Philosophy of Social Change and in the end there is a concluding remarks.

While going through this work, reader should not expect to find any final answer to the problems raised. This is not what philosophy aims at. In our country, there is an urgent need of those peoples who can think positively about humanities and social sciences for the growth of society and can make nation more competent with intellectual development. I would like to thank all friends and members of SPPIS, Haryana for their support and inspirational words.

DESH RAJ SIRSWAL: Assistant Professor (Philosophy), Post Graduate Govt. College for Girls, Sector-11, Chandigarh. He is also Programme Coordinator, Centre for Positive Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies (CPPIS), Milestone Education Society (Regd.), Pehowa (Kurukshetra). Associate Member of The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, Washington, D.C.

Link for the Post:

http://www.ideaindia.com/product_detail.php?pid=1930

NATIONAL ANTI CORRUPTION CAMPAIGN

IDEOLOGY AND WHERE DOES THE MOVEMENT GO?

“Even while drafting the stringent anticorruption law, is it not needed to provide a period of reconciliation of up to one year that all surrender their ill-gotten wealth without any criminal action for the past and equally a threat of greater punishment than prescribed in the law for the future, if such surrender do not take place. “

We need to develop a new Democratic culture. The smallest entity – the Sarpanch of a Panchayath and the biggest- the Prime Minister is corrupt. The corruption in India has come to such a pass that ordinary people no more view it as ethically or morally wrong. Infact most people have to come to accept giving or offering bribes to get even simple things as most normal and part of life just to keep going and to make things easy. And the corrupt have come to a stage to demand for bribes as a matter of right. The corrupt deem that they get their salaries and perks for coming to the office and for all the works done by them in their office, the public should pay them. And there is no escape or deviation from the self imposed or unwritten rule here. Now is time that you and we the Indian Citizens mutually capitalize on the great success we achieved now. The legislation is needed but it is not enough.

It is not killing and hanging the Political class as if all of us others are saints. It is not our goal. Even to imprison them all is not our goal. If all the corrupt are to be killed or hanged or imprisoned, more than 50% of the Indians will get killed or at least imprisoned.

Shall we eventually but as early drop the word anti? At the same tone, it will be next to impossible to have an anti corruption campaign massively in the Panchayaths and wards, leave alone killing and hanging. India will land up in the hands of dictators or even the army or at least anarchy. We need to look positively, our perception one of Ahimsa way to resolve all issues and the campaign be seen as rebuilding the Indian Society as a corrupt free society with a sense of forget and forgiving the past except that such ill-gotten wealth of the past is surrendered.

Most of the corrupt are not corrupt by nature or by choice. They are caught in a web or in a queue they cannot fall out. 

1. IDEOLOGY OF THE CAMPAIGN

The modern science has by far resolved the issue of poverty. It is no more a question of capitalism or communism. In the new millennium, it is no more class enemy, because this enemy is now no more human being/s. Humanity as a class has a class enemy in the inanimate development paradigm and environment destruction with the mask of international corporate rulers.

India is no more an illiterate undeveloped backward country or even a developing country. We are on the verge of becoming a developed country with millions of neo rich in the nook and corner of the country, including Adivasi hamlets. There are few literates in every Panchayath and many going to schools.

1. SEVA: Instead of eliminating the “class enemy” , we get inspired from the concept of Bhoodan and campaign the ideology that every one shall do SEVA- enjoy the joy of giving and sharing.  We also raise resources by these contributions.
2. SARVODAYA: Jan Paripalan, Gram Swaraj. Every hamlet/ward/veedhi composing the Panchayath/ town/municipality and city decides their development paradigm in the true spirit of our tradition, ideals of our National founding leaders and even the constitution. The present development model requires triggering corruption in both the Governance and overall society. We need the local self governance bodies govern their citizens without corruption with a mechanism of ombudsman. This will fairly respond to the violence between the Maoists and the Government in not only Dandakaranya but elsewhere also.

The campaign should inclusive, with one core point of agenda being to build a society without corruption in not only governance but in every walk of life. The means to achieve this goal shall be Participatory Democratic Mechanism.

Let us not in “this campaign” get bogged down into other realms of ideology like Secularism and Modi bashing because we need every one to join us. Let us otherwise have plural ideology coexisting. We have a sensitive Constitution, tradition and very strong Democratic system to take care of these differences. What is needed as public initiative is to build a participatory Democratic culture in our society and Citizens are not so busy that they cannot join in the process.

2. WHAT NEXT? ENDURING AN ONGOING CAMPAIGN FOR MINIMUM FIVE YEARS FROM THE GRASS ROOT.

Let us not wait for the stringent anti corruption law to come. It will in any case come. We will pressurize but do not precipitate with Politicians and the Government. We have a longer mission that we can afford to waste our time in knitty grittiness of the law.

But, beat the iron when it is hot. Do not let the tempo die down. 

Historically, Anna Hazare is both entrusted and trusted to lead the movement as new millennium Mahatma Gandhi.  There are many others like him in different walks of life that would be willing not to get diverted into other ideological differences but to have the above universally binding ideology and be in the campaign. There are such patriotic Citizens among politicians also. Let perfection be not our aim in choosing such persons. Let there be space for every one to have ongoing positive interaction and introspection.

Annaji needs to go round the country and contact, build the second and third line by a rigorous exercise. Besides, we need thousands of full time/ part-time volunteers willing to reach out to the remote Panchayaths and other units of local self governance. In the process meet the Social workers and trigger Volunteerism in the Voluntary Organisation- so-called NGOs. Be inclusive. It is here that the urban based more aware citizens should again go to the rural and Adivasi areas to organise a positive campaign.

1. We need to throw both the challenge and test the sincerity of the millions who responded to the recent call by Annaji. Only he can do it, now. The recent massive upsurge should be kept in tempo in concrete action.
2. Be inclusive, by active persuasion and passive control Build bridges with various National level movements like NAPM, Sarva Seva Sangh, Sarvodaya, Bharath Jan Andholan, Azhadi Bhachao Andholan and as many. Let not making claims and mileage in media coverage come in the way of working together, by hard perseverance and desire to be together in working towards this national campaign of building corruption free society.
3. We should not allow the Government to interfere in our freedom- freedom of the Civil Society and Voluntary Organisations. We are showing one finger focusing upon the government and politicians. Three fingers show at us Let us confess that as a part of larger Indian or global society, we have also become corrupt.. Let us start an active dialogue, process of self and collective introspection. We initiate and build collective plural mechanisms to build a corruption free civil society and Voluntary/NGO sector as the foundation for this ongoing campaign.

Over the years since Independence we have begun as an actively moral society, passed through phases of passive morality and passive immorality and today we are an active immoral society, I and you are corrupt unless we prove otherwise, without ambiguity. The happening of the recent months epitomized by the fast of Annaji has hopefully brought us back to possibilities of a base of passively moral society. We must build up on the recent gain of the Anti Corruption movement led by Annaji to rebuild an actively moral society. Let us not cynically just act against Rajas who are millions in number from the grass root in India and all over the globe.

With Regards,

V.B.Chandrasekaran,

People’s Peace and Prosperity Mission, and

Convenor, Dandakaranya SAHYOG Ahimsa Yatra,

(Under the auspicious of Sarva Seva Sangh and SARVODAYA)

Chatti Post, Chinthur Mandalam,

Khammam District, Andhra Pradesh.

Mobile: 9490109328

Email: verivaan2049@yahoo.com  antarbharatid2010@gmail.com

Reference: .B.Chandrasekaran Balasubramaniam <verivaan2049@yahoo.com>reply-tohrd-alert-india@googlegroups.com, April 18,2011

Philosophy, Education and Indian Value System

Desh Raj Sirswal

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Ó Desh Raj Sirswal 2011

Philosophy is a way of being in the world of questions, interacting with it, and responding to it. Human mind is an ongoing dialogue about the topics of philosophy such as good and evil, right and wrong, truth and falsity, appearance and reality. Education refers to an act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character, physical ability of an individual. Values are whatever an individual desires, prefers and likes. In context of present education system moral, cultural and spiritual values should be preferred. New Education Policy of India should be built on the foundation of ancient spiritualistic, modern culture and technical sophistication. It should develop scientific temper and spirit of inquiry in the students also.

The present work entitled, “Philosophy, Education and Indian Value System” is an attempt to relate philosophy, education and values at the same ground, so that they can perform the conception of complete education. Here we have three chapters i.e. (i) Philosophy and Values in School Education of India, Sri Aurobindo’s Philosophy of Education and Spiritual Approach to Education: An Indian Experience, respectively. I would like to thank my students and colleagues of Milestone Education Society (Regd.) Pehowa for their full time support and corporation in our educational programmes.

In our culturally diverse society, education system should foster universal and eternal values, oriented towards the unity and integration of our people. Such value-education should hold eliminate obscurantism, religious fanaticism, violence, superstitions and fatalism. For this purpose philosophy and values become the primary concern. Presently various dimensions of individual and social development, social transformation, value- acquisition etc., have been well identified in present time for education for a developing nation. We are of the opinion that Indian education should aim at producing men and women of knowledge, cultural values and trained skills to achieve excellence in their personal, professional and social life. An ideal system of education would provide an environment and framework that will facilitate an harmonious blending of presumptions. Teachers and education administrators have to play key role for the pursuit of truth and harmony. None of these pursuits can be meaningful or fruitful unless these are voluntary. The spirit of liberty is a necessary condition for the search for truth and for securing cooperation, mutual progress; goodness and feeling can only be achieved by a good education system.

The personal, professional, social and political environment of our lives is getting more complex and challenging. Present students will have to face certain moral situations in future in which they will have to take decisions regarding their lives instead of depending on others. It is also necessary and important that students should take moral decisions for themselves. Relevance of teaching philosophy and values to school children arises due to current scenario of our country. India has profound positive content based on our heritage, national goals, and universal perceptions. One may give the examples of thinkers like Sri Aurobindo, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, J. Krishnamurti, Raman Mahrishi and other social thinkers and educationist for this noble purpose, as they are the principal contributors of our modern wisdom.

Philosophers and behavioural scientists can surely attempt to find practical ways in which people may be inspired to become altruistic and moral. Government, Universities, and other organizations like UGC, ICPR, NCERT should promote such types of researches. Some peoples may have disagreements on what we have said in previous chapters holding the view that till a total and radical social and Cultural Revolution drastically changes the actual socio-economic conditions. For this noble purpose more attention and importance should be paid to non-religious, socio-political thinking while dealing with the educational courses at all level of Indian education-system. Any conclusion from this dialogue will only tentative, leaving adequate scope for dialogue continuation. Solutions of problems raised in this process should be beneficial for our system and this aspect should be constantly examined in the process of continuing dialogue.

DESH RAJ SIRSWAL: Assistant Professor (Philosophy), Post Graduate Govt. College for Girls, Sector-11, Chandigarh. He is also Programme Coordinator, Centre for Positive Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies (CPPIS), Milestone Education Society (Regd.), Pehowa (Kurukshetra). Associate Member of The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, Washington, D.C.

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Philosophy, Education and Indian Value System By Desh Raj Sirswal

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Author ESH RAJ SIRSWAL

No. Of Pages :28 Publisher: COOPERJAL LIMITED, 35 Ravenscroft Avenue, London NW11 8BH  United Kingdom

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Singh, Bhagat (1907-1931)

Bhagat Singh was born on 27 September 1907.

Indian revolutionary and a major figure in the Indian independence movement of the early Twentieth Century. Singh was active in revolutionary struggle from an early age and he was briefly affiliated with the Mohandas Ghandi’s “Non-Cooperation” movement, although Singh would break with Ghandi’s philosophy of non-violent resistance later in life.

Singh embraced atheism and Marxism-Leninism and integrated these key components into his philosophy of revolutionary struggle. Under his leadership, the Kirti Kissan Party was renamed the Hindustan Socialist Republican Organization. As Singh and his organization rose to new prominence in the Indian independence movement, they became the focus of public criticism from Ghandi himself, who disagreed with their belief that violence was a necessary and vital component of revolutionary struggle.

Singh’s secularism was perhaps his most important contribution to the socialist and independence struggles. During those turbulent times, British Imperialism used every tactic to create antagonism among the different religions of India, especially between Hindus and Muslims. The Sanghatan and Shuddi Movements among Hindus; and tableegh and many sectarian movements in Muslims bear witness to the effects of this tactic. Bhagat Singh removed his beard which was a violation of Sikh religion, because he did not want to create before the public the image of a ‘Sikh’ freedom fighter. Nor did he want to be held up as a hero by the followers of this religion. He wanted to teach the people that British Imperialism was their common enemy and they must be united against it to win freedom.

On April 8, 1924, Baghat Singh and his compatriot B. K. Dutt hurled two bombs on to the floor of the Central Delhi Hall in New Delhi. The bombs were tossed away from individuals so as not to harm anyone and, in fact, no one was harmed in the ensuing explosions. Following the explosions, Singh and Dutt showered the hall with copies of a leaflet that later was to be known as “The Red Pamphlet.” The pamphlet began with a passage which was to become legendary in the Indian revolutionary struggle:

“It takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear, with these immortal words uttered on a similar occasion by Vaillant, a French anarchist martyr, do we strongly justify this action of ours.”

Singh and Dutt concluded the pamphlet with the phrase “Long Live the Revolution!” This phrase (translated from “Inquilab Zindabad!” became one of the most enduring slogans of the Indian Independence Movement.

Singh and Dutt turned themselves in following the bombing incident. Following the trial, they were sentenced to “transportation for life” and while imprisoned, Singh and Dutt became outspoken critics of the Indian penal system, embarking on hunger strikes and engaging in agitation and propaganda from within the confines of the prison. Shortly after the commencement of his prison sentence, Singh was implicated in the 1928 death of a Deputy Police Superintendent. Singh acknowledged involvement in the death and he was executed by hanging on 23 March 1931.

Bhagat Singh is widely hailed as a martyr as a result of his execution at the hands of oppressors and, as such, he is often referred to as “Shaheed (Martyr) Bhagat Singh.”

Mike Bessler, 2006

Further Reading: Bhagat Singh Archive

Cited from:

http://www.marxists.org/glossary/people/b/h.htm#bhagat-singh