A Look At How Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay's Philosophy Influenced Bhartiya Jan Sangh

Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay keenly admired the philosophy of Integral Hinduism, which later became the base philosophy of the ruling political party of contemporary times. He believed that the primary concern of India should be to develop an indigenous economic model that puts the human being at the centre stage. The vision could be categorized under two themes, morality in politics; and small scale and swadeshi industrialization of economies. Though Deen Dayal Ji followed all Gandhian beliefs, he could be categorized as a staunch Hindu Nationalist.

Foundational Pillars of BJP

One of the foundational pillars of the Bhartiya Janata Party, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in 1937 and fell under the leadership of Shri Nana Ji Deshmukh and Shri Bhau Jugade. His affair with politics began through RSS. He became the General Secretary of the Bhartiya Jan Sangh, from its inception in 1951 to 1967 when Pandit Dayal was appointed president. Then, he became a full-time lifelong pracharak and was known as the ideal Swayamsevak for RSS.

The political leader thought that India desperately needed a 'fresh breeze' to wash its hands of post-independence westernization. He envisioned a decentralized polity and a self-reliant economy, where villages were the core basis for the country. He staunchly believed that the Indian intellect was suffocated and the political system was no longer rooted in the traditional values, which he believed was a significant roadblock in the 'Bhartiya thought'. The much-revered leader by the current BJP politicians thought that though technology must be put to use for the betterment of the country, it must be included in a way that suited Indian requirements, rather than Indians changing themselves traditionally to be adept with the technology.

Attempts To Revive Pandit Deen Dayal's Legacy

Ever since BJP came to power in 2014, several attempts have been made to revive Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay's legacy. A road in the national capital was renamed after him, the formation of a research institute that dealt with works of the late leader and several hospitals and NGOs were also named after him. In Uttar Pradesh, the Mughalsarai Junction, where Pandit Dayal was found dead under mysterious circumstances, was renamed Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay junction.

In 2017, PM Modi paid tribute to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay on his hundredth birth anniversary. Pandit Dayal's philosophy gives BJP significant support because it considered dwelling on a new political system and a better economic vision.

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