Towards Universal Integral Humanism

25th September marks the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, whose philosophy of Integral Humanism could well have served as a foundational guide for contemporary governance. Yet, much like how Gandhian ideals were often sidelined in earlier decades, Upadhyaya ji’s vision seems to have received less attention than it deserves. On this occasion, we felt it was important to revisit the high ideals he stood for. We invited our regular columnist, Tish Malhotra, to reflect on his legacy and relevance today. Here is his article.

Towards Universal Integral Humanism

Tish Malhotra
 
The birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, a visionary who holds a place of pride among the architects of modern India, will be observed on 25 September. Born in 1916, he was tragically found dead under mysterious circumstances on 11 February 1968 at Mughalsarai (officially renamed Deendayal Upadhyaya Junction in 2018) near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The circumstances surrounding his death remain unresolved to this day.

The impetus to write this article came from the chapter titled 'Pure Indian' by Dharamveer Bharati, the renowned Hindi writer, included in the book Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya – A Profile, published by the Deendayal Research Institute, New Delhi, in 1972. Bharati, who served as the Chief Editor of the popular Hindi magazine Dharamyug, emphasized in that chapter: “Every party should have some persons who think for themselves, going beyond the usual claptrap of its formal ideology, which only serves as handcuffs and masks for its members, and think in depth. It is they who save their party from being enmeshed in new forms of stagnation, heresy and opportunism, and who extend its vision towards a new horizon. All such men, whether ultra-rightists, middle-coursers or ultra-leftists, attract me.”

According to Dharamveer Bharati, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya “had broken through the limits of his party (earlier called Jan Sangh, now known as the BJP) and his RSS background; he was standing altogether on a new elevation and thinking in depth. His thoughts commanded respect, though perhaps not acceptance… I found that every day he was attaining a new stage on the path to intellectual freedom… He was closer to the common man of India, to the peasants of the land.”

More importantly, Bharati was emphatic in his admiration, writing: “He [Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya] was fortunately free from the hypocrisy of the khadi kurta and dhoti, and the limpet-like hold on the seats of power. Only three personalities were purely Indian, unburdened by the weight of dead tradition: Ram Manohar Lohia, Lal Bahadur Shastri, and Deendayal Upadhyaya. Alas, all three have now left us.”

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s most significant contribution to Indian thought was his articulation of the philosophy of Integral Humanism (Ekatma Manavvaad). In his own words: “Man should be at the centre of our entire system. This is reflected in the saying that a part completes the whole; this is the essence of individual representation in the system. Materialistic objects merely provide comfort and luxury; they are not the end. A system that fosters only mediocre development of a man’s body and mind, while neglecting the soul, remains incomplete. It produces individuals driven by cunning and self-interest, not complete human beings. Our foundation must be the development of the Complete Man, who embodies the harmonized strands of thought and culture. All other systems must be built upon this concept.”

The Integral Humanism is also described as a political and socio-economic philosophy that calls for the holistic development of the individual and society by bringing together spiritual and material aspects for promoting moral laws as the guiding principle for balanced growth and development.  It aims to establish a society that is rooted in the Indian culture and values.  The main emphasis is to have self-reliant villages and a decentralized economy.  This will be an alternative to the Western capitalist and socialists theories.

Integral Humanism draws inspiration from ancient Indian philosophy, which emphasizes the four aims of human life — Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha — as a framework for integrated and meaningful living. This worldview envisions society as an interdependent whole, where each individual plays a vital role in the collective good and the survival of all. Integral Humanism offers a genuinely indigenous alternative to Western ideologies such as capitalism and socialism, which are often critiqued for being overly materialistic and fragmented. Western development models have long been criticized for overlooking the spiritual and cultural dimensions of society and human existence.

In order to have the villages as the centre of self-reliance, the Integral Humanism advocates for a decentralized form of governance.  For this, the philosophy calls for economic self-sufficiency at the level of villages.  In order to achieve this objective, it will have a mix of Indian traditional values with modern technology for development and growth.  Further, to ensure sustainable development, the Integral Humanism gives immense importance to maintaining of complete harmony with nature.

In light of the foregoing, the time has come to re-explore the concept of Integral Humanism in depth, while drawing upon resonant ideas from other eminent economic, political, social, scientific, intellectual, and cultural thought leaders — as well as from scriptures and spiritual masters representing diverse religious traditions across the world. Building on this foundation, we must strive to evolve a synthesis of universally acceptable principles and insights, culminating in a framework of Universal Integral Humanism (UIH), rooted in the inherent strength of the Integral Humanism envisioned by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. UIH would serve as a holistic and inclusive paradigm, ensuring sustainable progress across economic, educational, occupational, social, religious, mental, emotional, physical, political, literary, and cultural dimensions — for the well-being of all humankind. In a world torn by strife and fragmentation, UIH stands as a timely and necessary ideal.

The true aim of Universal Integral Humanism is to transcend the principle of survival of the fittest, as well as the politics of exploitation rooted in man-made caste-based hierarchies, religious divisions, cults, and vote-bank dynamics. Its guiding and enduring spirit will be the survival and upliftment of the weakest. At the same time, Universal Integral Humanism will remain deeply committed to the protection and sustenance of all visible and invisible elements of creation and nature.

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