Antyodaya philosophy principles
Q. Which of the following is/are true regarding philosophy of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay?
1) It is similar to philosophy of Gandhiji.
2) It advocates middle ground between capitalism and socialism.- Published on 30 Sep 16a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
ANSWER: Both 1 and 2
- According to Upadhyaya, the primary concern in India must be to develop an indigenous economic model that puts the human being at center stage.
- Antyodaya (Integral Humanism) means to ensure that the last person in the ladder or the chain gets the benefits of growth & development.
- He visualised for India a decentralised polity and self-reliant economy with the village as the base.
- It is opposed to both western capitalist individualism and Marxist socialism, though welcoming to western science.
- It seeks a middle ground between capitalism and socialism, evaluating both systems on their respective merits, while being critical of their excesses and alienness.
- Upadhyaya rejects Nehruvian economic policies and industrialization on the grounds that they were borrowed uncritically from the West, in disregard of the cultural and spiritual heritage of the country.
- There is a need, according to Upadhyaya, to strike a balance between the Indian and Western thinking in view of the dynamic nature of the society and the cultural heritage of the country.
