Gandhian Conception of Swaraj and its Post-Independence (Re)Interpretations by Jayaprakash Narayan and Rammanohar Lohia

• Autores: Mithilesh Kumar Jha
• Localización: Araucaria: Revista Iberoamericana de Filosofía, Política, Humanidades y Relaciones Internacionales, ISSN 1575-6823, ISSN-e 2340-2199, Vol. 27, Nº 58, 2025, págs. 439-462
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.12795/araucaria.2025.i58.20
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Concepciones gandhianas de Swaraj y sus (re)interpretaciones posindependencia por Jayaprakash Narayan y Rammanohar Lohia
• Enlaces
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• Resumen
  • español

    Swaraj ostenta un lugar preeminente en el imaginario sociopolítico en la India moderna. Sus múltiples interpretaciones por parte de líderes y organizaciones, a menudo desde posiciones opuestas en el espectro ideológico, han moldeado el pensamiento sociocultural, político y económico y la vida intelectual de la nación. Este artículo examina la concepción gandhiana de swaraj, comparándola con otros conceptos igualmente importantes en el léxico político de Gandhi, tales como verdad, no-violencia, satyagraha y sarvodaya. Nuestro estudio enfatiza la importancia de las concepciones socioeconómicas de swaraj, las cuales Gandhi expresó a través de los programas constructivos. La segunda parte del artículo examina las (re)interpretaciones de swaraj por parte de dos preeminentes líderes socialistas: Jayaprakash Narayan (1902-1979), popularmente conocido como JP, y Rammanohar Lohia (1910-1967). Ambos fueron los fundadores del Partido Socialista del Congreso (CSP), fundado en 1934. Aunque inspirados por el liderazgo y el programa de Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), JP y Lohia estuvieron, en ciertos momentos, enfrentados ideológicamente con los ideales y métodos gandhianos. No obstante, cada uno a su manera, (re)interpretaron la conceptualización gandhiana de swaraj en la India posindependencia como parte de la “reconstrucción” de su forma política y social.

  • English

    Swaraj has a prominent place in modern India's socio-political imagination. Its multiple interpretations by the leaders and organisations, often on the opposite spectrum of political ideologies, have shaped the nation's socio-cultural, political, and economic thinking and intellectual life. This paper examines the Gandhian conception of swaraj by comparing it with other equally important concepts in Gandhian lexicons of politics, such as truth, nonviolence, satyagraha, and sarvodaya. It underlines the significance of the socio-economic conception of swaraj, which Gandhi expressed through constructive programmes. The second part of this paper examines its re/interpretations by the two prominent socialist leaders – Jayaprakash Narayan (1902-1979), popularly known as JP, and Rammanohar Lohia (1910-1967). They were founding members of the Congress Socialist Party (CSP), formed in 1934. Although inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's (1869-1948) leadership and programme, JP and Lohia were, at one point, ideologically opposed to Gandhian ideals and methods. However, in their distinct ways, both re/interpreted the Gandhian conception of swaraj in post-independence India for the 'reconstruction' of its polity and society

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