Sunday, February 04, 2018

Bharatiya Chitta Manas and Kala at 25



Feb19th 2018 will mark the 96th birth anniversary of late Gandhian Historian Sri. Dharampal. This year also marks the 25th year since the publication of one of his most important works, the Bharatiya  Chitta Manas and Kala

In several ways, Dharampal in this particular work talks about the need to create an Indian View of the World. He also severely criticizes the western and modern ways of the Indian State, Scholars and Education in very strong terms in this article that was originally published in Hindi and subsequently translated and published by the Centre for Policy Studies in English in 1993.

"the attempt at imitation the world and following every passing fad can hardly lead us anywhere. we shall have no option in the world till we evolve a conceptual framework of our own", says Sri. Dharampal in this major work.

We take the time of 25 years later to look at some of the most significant questions that Dharampalji poses in this text once again starting from the 5th of February 2018. We will pose every day one of the several challenges that he poses in this work.  The idea behind this effort is for us to reflect whether we have moved any further on these questions 25 years hence. Such an reflection perhaps is a most desirable response and homage one can pay to Dharampalji.  

Increasingly, the thoughts and views of Sri. Dharampal seems to be becoming more and more relevant as does the thoughts and of views of his idol, Gandhi. This is particularly so for those involved in Indian political and social action. 

I invite those who are concerned with the Indian society and those who are even mildly interested in the social challenges to do follow and participate in this joint homage to Dharampalji.