Indian Political Thought

19

Jayaprakash Narayan: Marxism, Democratic Socialism and Gandhism

Mahendra Prasad Singh and Himanshu Roy

Power which is a fundamental ingredient of politics and a ubiquitous social phenomenon evokes different responses from different political actors depending on their personal dispositions and cultural and historical milieus. Among these responses, the one that appears most desirable is represented by the attitude that Gandhi brought to bear on power and, for that matter, politics generally. Jayaprakash Narayan (1902–1979), a posthumous follower of the Mahatma, stands out as the most creative innovator of Gandhian politics, just as Jawaharlal Nehru seems to be the safest bridge between Gandhi and modern science and technology, and Acharya Vinoba ...