Life Philosophy of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay

Deendayal Upadhyay was a great politician, social thinker and philosopher, who provided a new model to Indian politics for the development and good governance of India. He is one of those politicians of his time who needs to be acknowledged more. He was a scholar who tried to provide a practical alternative in politics and prepared the ground for what the new generation was craving. Traces of the cultural ethos of this country which is thousands of years old can be found in his philosophy. He not only created a cadre for the ideology of cultural nationalism but also provided a strong foundation to realize his ideals for the organisation. Pandit Upadhyay made it clear through his writings that indiscriminate use of the Western system is neither appropriate nor practical, because there are differences in the civilization, culture and administrative structure of each country. It becomes more imperative to study the thoughts of Deendayal Upadhyaya to empower the deprived sections of the society and ensure social justice for all. It is important to observe the thoughts of Upadhyay in the present political context not only because he was a great Indian philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist and political scientist but also because he was one of the most important leaders of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, who gave a new perspective to Indian politics. There is no doubt that it was due to the propagation and practice of his ideals and values that the Bharatiya Jana Sangh developed and later the BJP was born. He was completely in tune with the Sangh’s method. And through the Sangh, he dedicated his life to the service of the nation. He was one of the primary leaders who not only instilled a sense of nationalism among the people of the country but also established himself as a person who condemned and became vocal about exploitation by the state. Deendayal Upadhyay is better known for his ideas of Integral Humanism. This is a concept that is deeply embedded in the Indian public psyche. The philosophy of Integral Humanism advocates the simultaneous and integrated functioning of every human being's body, mind, intellect, and spirit. Upadhyay had set this task for himself in his Poona lecture on Integral Humanism, which later became exemplary for all human beings. While determining the role of man in the society, he had said – Contemporary politics in India was based on the understanding of man and his role in the society. The political leadership of post-independence India attempted to apply Western notions of a good society to Indian conditions, but the results were unsatisfactory. Economic growth was slow, unemployment and exploitation increased, national unification was weakened, and cultural progress was slow. Through this, Upadhyay ji has given a new direction to Indian political thinking and philosophy. Therefore, it is the need of the hour to analyse the contribution of Upadhyay ji in public life by throwing light on his political and social life. The presented research paper delves into the relevance of Deendayal Upadhyay's thoughts and values in the present time. Is his philosophy still relevant in the present changing environment due to information, communication and technology? One of the major objectives of this study is to shed light on Upadhyay's social, economic, nationalist, democratic and socialist thinking in the current political paradigm. These are such burning questions which have been raised in this research paper.