This section of the Indian Political Traditions course aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics and contemporary relevance of political thought and practices in India. This course aims to examine the evolution of Indian political thought in the modern era, focusing on key thinkers who have contributed to shaping India’s political landscape. Through critical analysis of their ideas, students will gain insights into contemporary political debates and challenges facing Indian society.
Course Content
Unit I
a) Rabindranath (R. N.) Tagore
- Education
- Views on Nationalism and Internationalism
b) Sri Aurobindo
- Spiritual Nationalism
- Political Goal and Techniques
Unit II
a) Mahatma Gandhi (M. K. Gandhi)
- Nonviolence
- Swaraj
- Satyagraha
- Trusteeship
b) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
- Annihilation of Caste
- Social Justice
- Social Democracy
Unit III
a) M. N. Roy
- Marxism and New-Humanism
b) Jawaharlal Nehru (J. L. Nehru)
- Socialism
- Secularism
- Internationalism
Unit IV
a) Madhusudan Das
- Odia Nationalism
- Socio-economic Ideas
b) Gopabandhu Das
- Nationalism
- Reforms and Education
Essential Readings
- Ambedkar, B. (1991). “Constituent Assembly Debates”, in S. Hay (Ed.), Sources of Indian Tradition, Vol. 2 (2nd Edition). Penguin, pp. 342–347.
- Dalton, D. (1982). Indian Idea of Freedom: Political Thought of Swami Vivekananda, Aurobindo Ghose, Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore. The Academic Press, pp. 154–190.
- Gandhi, M. (1991). “Satyagraha: Transforming Unjust Relationships through the Power of the Soul”, in S. Hay (Ed.), Sources of Indian Tradition, Vol. 2 (2nd Edition). Penguin, pp. 265–270.
- Mungekar, B. (2007). “Quest for Democratic Socialism”, in S. Thorat and Aryana (Eds.), Ambedkar in Retrospect: Essays on Economics, Politics and Society. IIDS and Rawat Publications, pp. 121–142.
- Nehru, J. (1991). “Selected Works”, in S. Hay (Ed.), Sources of Indian Tradition, Vol. 2 (2nd Edition). Penguin, pp. 317–319.
- Parel, A. (Ed.). (2002). “Introduction”, in Gandhi, Freedom and Self Rule. Delhi: Vistaar Publication.
- Radhakrishnan, M., & Debasmita. (2003). “Nationalism is a Great Menace: Tagore and Nationalism”, in P. Hogan, Colm and L. Pandit (Eds.), Rabindranath Tagore: Universality and Tradition. Rosemont Publishing and Printing Corporation, pp. 29–39.
- Rodrigues, Y. (2007). “Good Society, Rights, Democracy, Socialism”, in S. Thorat and Aryana (Eds.), Ambedkar in Retrospect: Essays on Economics, Politics and Society. IIDS and Rawat Publications.
- Sharma, J. (2003). Hindutva: Exploring the Idea of Hindu Nationalism. Penguin, pp. 124–172.
- Tagore, R. (1994). “The Nation”, in S. Das (Ed.), The English Writings of Rabindranath Tagore, Vol. 3. Sahitya Akademi, pp. 548–551.
Source: Undergraduate (UG) Political Science Syllabus – Core XIX (Semester VII): Indian Political Ideas – II.