Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Oct 16: Deen Dayal Upadhyay’s concept and philosophy of “Antodaya” is the ultimate yardstick of any democracy. And indeed, the true test of a successful democracy lies in whether the fruits of prosperity have actually reached the last man in the last queue.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said this after releasing a book titled “Ram Rajya: The people’s welfare State” written by senior IAS officer of 1985 batch Tamil Nadu cadre bureaucrat, Dr Jagmohan Singh Raju.
Based on the author’s research and understanding of the various facets of a welfare State, Raju’s book seeks to amalgamate the various concepts of welfare and ideal State. It also seeks to find answers to questions raised from time to time by different schools of thought, some of them subscribing to the left, some to the right and some to the centre. The book also tries to place the concept of Hinduism and Hindutva in the right perspective.
Making his comments after the release of book, Dr Jitendra Singh said, some of the biggest political philosophers of post – independent India, including Deen Dayal Upadhyay were denied the privilege of adequate research and understanding because of different priorities of the political establishment. Nevertheless, he said, the philosophy of ‘integral humanism’ and the concept of ‘Antodaya’ have stood the test of time.
When studied minutely, Dr Jitendra Singh said, Deen Dayal Upadhyay’s political philosophy seems closely linked to Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology which the Bapu summed up saying that he wishes that the last tear in the last eye of every Indian should be wiped away.
The emergence of Narendra Modi on the political scene of India, Dr Jitendra Singh said, marked the rise of grassroot democracy. This is also the vindication of true democracy which is no longer subservient to dynasty or family lineage.
Dr Jitendra Singh hoped that Raju’s book will be yet another addition to the research and referral material available for scholars and students working on the various facets of the Indian State which could address the aspirations and needs of each and every section of society.
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