Ram Madhav’s The Hindutva Paradigm attempts to elucidate Deendayal Upadhyaya’s philosophy of integral humanist thought

Madhav goes beyond the personality cult of Upadhyaya and his often quoted “four lectures series” to navigate the philosophies and concepts that influenced Upadhyaya to propound his “integral humanist thought”. The author further extrapolates this thought to contemporary challenges India is facing and suggests the way forward.

“Ekatma Manav Darshan” or “integral humanist thought” forms the cornerstone of this book but is not limited to it. The book gives insights into personalities, ideologies and historical events that have influenced and shaped the current world. It is also a primer about the understanding and standpoint of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its ideological parivar on varying issues. Ram Janmabhoomi movement, Akhand Bharat and Kashmir are bound to find place in a book written by a pracharak of RSS but it also includes perceptive chapters on human rights and dignity, womanhood in Western and Indic traditions. These will not only enlighten the critic but will also make the admirer pause and reflect.

The chapter, “Rashtram: The Indian concept of Nationhood” investigates the deep philosophical foundations of Bharat and is a must-read in the context of the “civilisational vs Constitutional” debate. It explains the Indian experience of rashtram as a “unifying and development-oriented concept developed by seers and sages through persistent experimentation and analyses of social life.” “The Hindutva Paradigm” discusses institutional frameworks for social and economic order and deals with complex issues such as caste, employment, industry and agriculture. The chapters on these bring some interesting ideas like “work to every hand and water to every land” but also leave enough space for debate and disagreement.

Throughout the book, there are marvellous references to shlokas from the Vedas, Upanishads and debates from the Constituent Assembly and Parliament sessions. The author writes in the preface, “Deendayal’s followers did not make the effort needed to take forward his core thoughts and give them the shape of a complete political philosophy. Instead, they were preoccupied by vague theories like Gandhian Socialism for several years, and subsequently settled for the relatively easier formulation of Cultural Nationalism.”

The book is an honest effort to put forward the ideas of Upadhyaya for an audience that is willing to engage. It is neither a response to previously written accounts nor a propaganda tool. The author doesn’t carry the baggage of appeasing anyone or resorting to sensationalism. He is candid in his quest for a non-Western world view. The Hindutva Paradigm must be read for making an effort to step out of ideological confinements into the world of ideas.

(The writer is Officer on Special Duty to Chief Minister, Arunachal Pradesh)