Let us not let this happen!

The liberalism is not just about making a society monetarily better off. It is just not about the ideology that wants to lead to a free and just society. It is not just about the minimizing government controls so that the individuals can make their own decisions about the self and the society. It is all about making the whole society capable of governing itself. Other things are just sane output of the whole exercise.

Every individual must be free that makes the whole society free. They need not any Big Brother watching and herding them to the destination he feels better. A bunch of the people in governments cannot govern the aspirations of every individual. They want to make whole society a tailored garment that will not agitate and earn the means of the living in the given limited scope of their choice.

It is the wrong assumption of the critiques that the individuals are not capable of taking their own political, economic or social decisions. They think that the free markets inevitably bring exploitation. “Public sorting public problems” seems impossible to them. Rather the critiques forward a bold question, if people are so capable of making their own economic decisions, then why are they so incapable of making political or social ones?

The answer to the last question is easy. The people are not incapable of making social or political decisions but it is the system that the governance create does not allow people to make their independent decisions and to act upon it! There is no freedom in the present all governance systems that value the inherent capabilities of the individuals. So this is a worthless argument. Social history does not support this claim. When we look back at the history of India we find that the people were better off when the Kings did not interfere much in social and economic life. We find many roads and public places were built by the people after collecting the donations. The guilds led in the construction of most of the public works. It is not correct that the individuals are incapable of taking social decisions and acting on them. The kings too financially contributed to such works but it too was not mandatory. 

Lands were not forcibly acquired by the rulers but were bought at market price. We have many copper plate inscriptions those records such transactions. The right to property was acknowledged by the government. In short, the people were capable enough to make their own economic decisions. Though we have scattered information on the economic and social affairs of the pre-medieval era, they are enough to indicate the economic and social freedom people enjoyed. It reflects in the literature right from Hal Satvahana’s Gatha Saptashati to various plays and poetry till post-Gupta era. The literature mirrors the social conditions and aspirations of the individuals that were far better than medieval era when the political and religious tyranny begun to plague social fabric of India. Rather the decision making on behalf of the people by the new creed of feudal lords made people hapless. The rulers and religious bosses added to the difficulties by withdrawing their right to decide on economic and social conduct. The contrast is significant if looked at carefully.

So, it is incorrect assumption that the individuals are incapable of making social and economic decisions. The every individual knows to differentiate between good and bad. In his primordial nomadic past also he knew his social obligations without someone forcing upon him. The foundation of the criticism is the lack of confidence in the human being. Just because there are few bad elements in the society, under the pretext of controlling them, the socialists and others want to control the entire society thus depriving the individuals of using their own wisdom in taking the decisions related to his and societies well-being.

This makes no society better. It obstructs free thinking, expressions, and efforts to achieve economic goals. If free, individual becomes more responsible. In the society loaded with restrictions, individuals and so the society tends to become corrupt, lazy and irresponsible to social obligations. The public property always is attacked first in any agitation. The sense of collective ownership, when governed by few, is impossible to occur. Human tendency is the people do not like paying indirectly to any public work. There cannot be a sense of emotional attachment towards such activities that might have been introduced by the government for public good and their interest. The free society can take far better care of it.

It is not about capitalism. It is about making the human being free from the external political forces that force the human being to roam in an artificial restrictive campus. That restricts human capability to explore not only knowledge but the life of his choice. Economic gains are just outcome of the freedom, but considering them the foremost objective of the liberals is an imagined accusation of the leftist wing. Liberals are far more humanists than others. The every individual is a liberal by nature but the system makes him the slave and forces him to jump in a bottomless crevasse of tyrant system.

Let us not let this happen!

History of Classical Liberalism in India

It may be a mistake to credit the western world as inventors of classical liberalism. Liberalism is not unknown to India in politics, economics, and social life if we carefully study the socio-economic history of the country. Though Western Liberalism evolved systematically in Europe in the 18^th century, we find it was not just a thought but was already practically applied in India far back from the 6^th century BC onwards till the tenth century AD. Not that the journey of liberal thought was easier. We find that Indian history is full of conflicts between liberalism and anti-liberal ideas, not only on philosophical grounds but on political, economic, and social grounds. However, we find liberal thought survived for a period of over one and a half millennia! 

Western historians mostly have used Sanskrit literature and that is too limited to the Vedic stream to look back at Indian social and political history which has marred their overall understanding of the classical liberal thought of India. They heavily neglected ancient Prakrit literature, treaties of the Tantras, and thoughts of the Charvakas. However, both thoughts though existed parallelly, liberalism was thrown on the backfoot during the medieval era to survive in very limited aspects. Rather, the decline of Indian economics can be directly related to the slackened liberal ideas that were thriving in the earlier epoch.

Philosophically, the Tantra sources, are not just religious books of the Non-Vedic masses but they also deal with agriculture, chemistry, metallurgy, agriculture, medicine, physical science, etc. Tantra means "Technique". The scholars like Dr. Sudhakar Deshmukh admit that the tantras not only advocated social equality and freedom but the science of behavior also. The Tantras less talk about the yonder world after death but explain how the techniques can be utilized to make practical worldly affairs happier. The materialistic philosophy of the Tantras is associated with occultism and hence it was most popular among the Indian masses. The Tantras propagated absolute freedom not only in their rituals but in daily social life as well. It embraced all paths of life and offered social liberalism as an ultimate source of happiness, which was reflected in its economic practices. Literature like Kamashastra and temples like Khajuraho exhibits the degree of freedom of expression enjoyed by the people of those times. Most of the kings were followers and patrons of the Tantra tradition. The liberal socioeconomic life is well reflected in Hala Satvahana's "Gatha Saptashati" and  "Angavijja", the Prakrit texts belonging to the first century AD and many works of the later times. 

Apart from Tantra sources, we have Charvaka, a pioneering liberal of the pre-Buddhist era who turned his thought into a massive movement that gained so much so popularity that his sect was later known as “Lokayata”, i.e. the Sect of the People. He was defamed by the Vedic scholars so much so that they called him evil and destroyed the literature belonging to his sect when they became prominent. We have remains of his thought in the form of excerpts wherever his (or his sect's) thoughts were felt necessary to condemn and deny by his opponents. His thoughts are not only liberal because he denied Vedas and their ritualistic nature but he proposed first the liberty of human beings while earning a livelihood and gave importance to pleasures. Unlike other philosophers, he gave prominence to the desire and personal economics of the individual to live life happily and he called it true “Liberation.” He denied any kind of restrictions imposed by other forces and proclaimed that “liberty is salvation”.

While choosing the pleasures, Charvaka warned, that they should not bring pain as a consequence to any. Choice of morality Charvaka left on the individuals. Liberty to him was a total absence of exploitation of any. He also denied the artificial divisions of society. He disproved the concept of chastity forced upon the women and allowed the same freedom that was afforded to the males. He accepted the importance of the king because he was one who held the power and was a real entity, unlike imaginary Gods.

Charvakas above and other thoughts on religion were felt dangerous by the Vedic scholars and even Buddhists. Lord Buddha in the Vinayapitaka had forbidden the Buddhist monks to occupy with Lokayat doctrine.  (India's Past:A survey of Her Literatures, languages, and Antiquities By Arthur Anthony Macdonell, page 158) 

However, during Buddha's time, the economy was already functioning on the basis of materialistic thought that was propagated by the tantras and Charvaka. We do not find any adverse impact of Buddhist thought on trade and commerce. Rather, if we read Jataka stories, we find that manufacturing and trade were flourishing during the Buddhist era too!   

Since this doctrine was so popular in all probabilities the political powers too possibly would have been influenced by it. We find many kings of ancient times patronized some or other branches of the Tantras and Lokayata. Arthashastra of Kautilya has given importance to the Lokayata and Tantra doctrine while enumerating the sciences that should be known to the King in the beginning chapter of the Arthashstra. This will reveal that the Charvaka doctrine was considered by the political powers important to learn before the Vedas. Kautilya implies that the base of the state should be materialistic philosophy and he found it in Lokayata and Sankhya School.

Since, to Kautilya, the basis of the State was materialistic philosophy as proposed by Charvaka doctrine, we find he did not make it applicable to society. Though we are not sure of the time of Kautilya as looking at the small hypothetical kingdom that he kept in his mind while writing his book. We are not sure whether he really knew the empires. However, he has covered almost all the economic activities of his time. Contrary to the Charvaka thought Kautiliyan state works on strict controls and state monopolies. For example, mining, salt, weaving, and prostitution were supposed to be controlled by the state. His tax policy is filled up with discriminatory elements.  We can say that Kautilya while respecting Charvaka and Sankhya's materialistic doctrine for the benefit of the state, did not offer the same liberty to the benefit of the citizens.

However, we are not sure whether his hypothetical policies were adopted by the kings. The socio-economic history of India reveals otherwise. For example, we come across the guild system that managed the overall economy of the states without much interference from the State over a long period. Though we do get scattered information from ancient literature, copper-plate inscriptions, and numismatics it is enough to show how liberal was the economy then.

Guild System

All the students of Indian history are aware of the caste (occupational) guilds, called “Shreni” or “Nigam” those used to operate like the present Chamber of Commerce or trade/manufacturers associations. These guilds would manufacture the specialty articles, conduct internal, interstate, and foreign trade. Nigams were allowed to issue coins too, which are found in excavations from Gandhar to south India. Rather in Janpada era till Gupta era, the issuing authority of the coins were the guilds. Every guild had its own unique trademark associated with the symbol of their kingdom (janpada) or Gana’s. (Republics) Rather Shrenis were an economic, a socio-political dominant segment of ancient India that survived till the 12^th century AD.

Let us first understand what Shrenis were. Every Shreni was an association of artisans, merchants, or traders. The traders and artisans engaged in the trade or manufacturing of the specific articles or goods would form their Shreni. People residing in the same area and engaged in the same occupation naturally cooperated with one another to achieve common goals. The Shreni of artisans existed for a particular group of persons engaged in the same vocation. There is mention in various scriptures and various epigraphs that there were Shrenis of the artisans like blacksmiths, goldsmiths, weavers, carpenters, bamboo-craftsmen, cobblers, makers of ivory articles, metal workers, miners, Jaggary producers, potters, and so many other professions. The Shreni system secured the rights of the producers and traders thus offering them the freedom to produce without any interference from the Royal Houses.

The merchants and craftsmen needed allied services like transportation also. Goods used to be transported by bullock carts, loaded on the backs of the oxen or donkeys or ships. The destinations could be far off. For example, Al Masudi informs us how goods were brought to Cheul harbor loaded on thousands of oxen. Some transporters were transporting specialty goods, such as salt, food grains, wood, etc. Other services included security providers to the inland caravans. The variety of service-based occupations too emerged during this vast span of time to meet the needs of the craftsmen and merchants. Such service providers too formed their own guilds.

Romila Thapar informs us that "The ancient sources frequently refer to the system of guilds which began in the early Buddhist period and continued through the Mauryan period. ….Topography aided their development, in as much as particular areas of a city were generally inhabited by all tradesmen of a certain craft. Tradesmen's villages were also known, where one particular craft manufacturing was centred, largely due to the easy availability of raw material.”

It appears that the State just facilitated the economic activities instead of controlling them. We can see that the principle of Classical Liberalism was very much in practice that demands lesser or negligible government controls. It was the guilds  (Shreni) who regulated the manufacturing standards, trade, ethical codes for the member artisans, prices of the crafts, quantity, and quality, training to the artisans etc. which could ensure smooth and timely production. The major duty of the Guild President (Adhayksha, Shreshthi, or Jyetthaka ) was to represent the guild in the Royal Courts for any grievances about taxation or any other matter relating to the supplies. The Guild would work as an assembly where specific problems related to their member artisans or businesses could be discussed and solved. If any criminal/unethical elements regarding the service or manufacture are detected, the Guild could fine or banish the member artisan from the guild. The verdicts of the Shreni could not be challenged even in the Royal courts. Every Shreni had a respectable status in society and in the Royal houses and normally no decision in connection with the production or trade of the crafts would be taken without consulting Shreni’s.

Unlike the later “Independent Village System”, till the tenth century AD manufacturing was almost centralized. This was an ideal system to make mass production of articles or metals. From Jataka, we know about the villages of bamboo Craftsmen (Burud) and other such 36 villages dedicated to mass manufacturing of specific goods. In Maharashtra, from copper plates and rock inscriptions, we know about the villages of the Cobblers, Jaggary makers, Weavers etc. The artisans, who specialized in certain crafts,  together would form Shreni, elect their President and other office bearers to represent them to protect their professional interests and account keeping as Craft guilds would provide loans or accept deposits from the member craftsmen and the public.

Merchant guilds would distribute the goods in local markets as well as export to other regions or foreign countries without much hindrance. Craftsmen could sell their goods individually as well through the guild. Especially Merchant Guilds had the authority to mint the coins and issue them. All the coins we have from the 6^th Century BC onward were issued by the merchant Guilds and not the king. Mauryan kings too didn't issue their coins. In a way, Merchant and craft guilds were the backbone of Indian economic stability and prosperity. There are instances where we find that the Guilds even lent the King in a time of distress.

The post of the President (Shreshthi or Jyetthaka) of the guild was not hereditary. There are instances where the Shreshthi’s have been removed by the member artisans or merchants. Moreover, it seems that mobility from one profession to another was frequent. It was because the vocational training was made available by the Guilds to meet the needs of the additional workforce. The people who wanted to raise their economic status by entering into more flourishing businesses could get easy training and thus entry. Even local artisans would travel far afar in search of better opportunities. Depending on the demand, supplies of the raw material, or political unrest, there could be a rise and fall in all of the selective occupations. The craftsmen either would acquire other vocational training and change their profession by joining another guild or try to sustain in wait of the better days.

Guilds would donate to temples or Buddhist or Jain sanctuaries. Mathura inscription (2nd century AD) refers to the two permanent endowments of 550 silver coins each with two guilds to feed Brahmins and the poor from the interest money. 

A Nashik Inscriptions (2nd century AD) records the endowment of 2000 karshapanas at the rate of one percent (per month) with a weavers' guild for providing cloth to bhikshus and 1000 karshapanas at the rate of 0.75 percent (per month) with another weavers' guild for serving light meals to them. Apart from these more epigraphs and inscriptions are mentioned as evidence in this regard. In addition to this the guilds engaged in works of Charity as well. Guilds worked to alleviate distress and undertook works of piety and charity as a matter of duty. They were expected to use part of their profits for the preservation and maintenance of assembly halls, watersheds, shrines, tanks, and gardens, as also for helping widows, the poor, and the destitute. We have epigraphical proofs from Maharashtra that show the craftsmen, like cobblers, Potter, Ploughmen (Halik), etc. have donated in an individual capacity to build arches or water tanks for the Buddhist caves. This would mean that the artisans were in prosperous financial conditions.

So much so was the power of the craft and merchant guilds that Kautilya advises the King that he should ensure that the heads of the guilds are not united. However, there is no evidence that the guilds ever tried to capture political power, but they maintained their dominant position in politics.

The position of the guild can be explained in different five stages of doweling from 600 B.C. to 1200 A.D. from the perspective of the socio-economic environment of ancient India.

I.                   Pre-Mouryan Period (Indus era to – 320 B.C.)

II.                Mouryan Period (320 -200 B.C.)

III.             Post-Mouryan Period (200 B.C. -300 A.D.)

IV.            Gupta Period (300 - 600 A.D.)

V.                Early Medieval Period (600 – 1200 A.D.)

In these eras Guilds transformed, prospered, declined, and vanished from the socio-economic scene. The roots of the Guild or Shreni system can be traced back to the Indus era, for it was a manufacturing and trading community. From the Indus seals, we can guess that the seals were meant to inform the origin and name of the goods and the price. The later coins of Mahajanpada era too were incorporated certain information in symbolic forms, such as the name of the mint, issuing guild, etc. As Indus civilization declined, the guild structure of those times too must have disintegrated, becoming less powerful and local. Later we come across the Mahajanpada era or the pre-Mauryan period when Guilds seem to have come into prominence and continued to be dominant till the end of the Gupta period.

However, Post-Mauryan Period (200 B.C. -300 A.D.) saw a stiff rise in the Guild system in the Indian economic scenario. Santanu Mahapatra in his essay states that-

“ In this period north-western and western part of India controlled by the Indo-Greeks, Sakas, Kushanas, and Parthians. The Mourya Empire disintegrated into a number of kingdoms and tribal republics. This led to the slackening of state control over administration and economy and the guilds assumed more power and influence that developed closer commercial contact with the Roman Empire. The discovery of the northeastern monsoon, ascribed to Hippalus, in C. 46 A.D. gave impetus to the mid-sea voyage, reducing the time of journey, minimizing the danger of piracy and also obviating the need of the service of middlemen in Indo-Roman trade. Then Indian mercantile activity also extended to central Asia and China. India was the main exporter of luxury items to the Roman Empire and earned huge profits. A large number of coins of this period those of the Indo-Greeks, Sakas, Parthians, Kushanas, indigenous rulers and tribal republics, cities and guilds have been found, some in hoards. It indicates a greater circulation of money-economy and fairly advancement of trade and commerce, in which guilds must have played a significant role. ‘Milindapanho’ (ed. Trenckner, 1880) refers to a number of occupational guilds, their number being much greater than the early period.” 

In the Gupta era too, guilds, whether merchant or craft, remained prominent, but it seems that the authority to issue coins was withdrawn. We do not find coins issued by the guilds during the Gupta era. Rather than banking activities, accepting deposits, and advancing loans, of the guilds gradually shifted towards select temples. Though the artisans and merchants, along with farmers were prosperous in this era too, the foundation of the guilds started weakening. The post-Gupta era saw the rise of feudal lords and various independent powers, thereby disturbing the political stability that India had enjoyed even under foreign rule. Constant conflicts between regional rulers made it difficult to smoothly operate the trade. 

Later, we find a series of Islamic invasions in North-west India causing further political instability and disturbance in trade and commerce. “As a consequence, people’s confidence in these institutions must have waned. Their prosperity and affluence an account of which they commanded social status must also have diminished. Thus political upheaval exercised its worst effect on the guild organization.” thus states P. C. Jain.  In a way, Samantas or feudal lords gradually became more dominant for the need of the time to fight out aggression. It diminished the earlier social status of the Guilds and their economy. Also, the taxation structure was changed putting a heavy burden on the craftsmen, merchants and so the guilds. 

“Arthuna inscription of Parmara Camundaraja, dated 1079 A.D, also gives a list of taxes levied on different trade and crafts. On the account of these taxes, the guilds of merchants and traders were losing prosperity in the preceding centuries. This prevailed from their donations which clearly give the impression that they were poorer. To keep up their old reputation of donations and defraying there expenses views of a region federated themselves and pooled their resources” so informs Mr. Mahapatra. 

By the tenth century AD, the guild system witnessed a tremendous decline in trade, which naturally hampered the production of all the crafts. In a way, it was like a situation of the great recession. Craftsmen soon started deserting their centralized workplaces. This was the exact situation that had caused the decline of the Indus Civilization. But political instability, constant wars among local rulers, and Islamic aggressors were not the only reason behind the disintegration of the Guild system. Another series of natural calamities began in 11^th Century AD…and that was famines. We will discuss the circumstances that led India to destitution.  

We can see from the above that the economy in practice was liberal with the least control of the State. The traders and craftsmen enjoyed enough freedom to get engaged in the production and trading activity of their choice. They fulfilled their social obligations by applying their own mind. During this era, they were taxed minimally as compared to taxation which overburdened the economic activities and caused a heavy decline under Islamic rule. The rise of anti-liberal ideas coincided with the political upheaval causing further damage to the economy and social structure. Social mobility, unlike what is thought, was quite high. The professions (castes) could be changed easily if an individual sensed a prospectus in other activities. Unlike the stratified Varna system of the Vedics, Gatha Saptashati or Angavijja does mention the various occupations but does not mention at all the stratified caste (Jati) system among non-Vedic masses!  

To sum up:-

1.     The roots of Indian socio-economic doctrine were based on the foundation of the liberal philosophy of tantras and Charvaka.

2.     The artisans, traders, and farmers enjoyed the freedom and hence they could prosper and in turn made India a “Golden Sparrow”.

3.     Banking and minting were not owned or controlled by the State but by the Guilds, a private sector! A classical liberal would have desired the same in modern times.

4.     The explosion of art and literature in India belongs to this era only which suggests that the liberal economy opens many ways to human creativity.

5.     Indian dark age that begins in the early medieval era directly coincides with the fall of the liberal economy.

6.     India needs a revival of classical liberalism in a modern sense which again shall make India prosperous to unbounded levels!

  

-Sanjay Sonawani

 (To be contd.) 

Atrocity Act is dividing the society!

Social atmosphere in Maharashtra is presently strained because of the Atrocity Act and some other social issues. There are massive protest marches in many districts, thankfully the protests are peaceful, but the underlying outburst is obvious. Superficially, it may sound that Maratha, a politically strong community of the Maharashtra is against this act, and may be true to some extent, at the least for present agitations, but many sections of the society as well are opponents of this law.

Though, in the rest of the country, people have not assembled on the streets in protests, the resentment about the Act brews almost everywhere. On the other hand, despite the law coming into the force since 1989, the atrocities against the Dalits are ever growing. There have been two amendments in the law, making it more stringent, since then, but the effect is minimal. For example, so called saffron cow protectors are committing many atrocities against Dalits and Muslims, but instead of addressing the right issue Modi Government has made further amendments to appease Dalits, attempting to assure them that the government is not against them. This is, in a way, brutal atrocity upon the law.

While introducing this law, the reasons were more political than social. Rajiv Gandhi Govt. passed the Act in 1989 just on the wake of general elections. The second amendment, of 2014,  too, found the same timing… general elections. Modi government too made further amendment for the same reason, eying forthcoming elections in UP. SC/ST communities always has been attempted to be used for the political gains. There never was any serious intention to curb caste based atrocities among all sections of the society. They had vile intentions while passing this Act in hurry, expecting no opposition, as no one risks being called “Anti-Dalit”.

It was forgotten while making such law that the root cause of the Dalit atrocities lies in our system. It was failure of our socialist system which could not uplift the deprived societies, educationally and economically, the way it should have been.The economic inequality leads to social inequality and in the country like India, caste became a major factor in strengthening the inequality.   We forgot that we need a united and liberal society where caste and religion doesn't become hindrance in the progress. At the least the laws should not be divisive. It was not intended by Dr. Babasaheb at all. I do not say that atrocities should not be punished heavily, but its ambit should be applicable to all the citizens. Then whoever commits atrocities on dalit or any other should be equally held responsible. This is only way to eradicate atrocities.

But the basic principles laid down by the constitution were violated while passing this Act, which we should take seriously. The Preamble of India assures us “EQUALITY of status and of opportunity”. Article 14 assures us that “The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India”.  Article 17 speaks about the eradication of the untouchability and provides stringent actions against “any person” of “any community” practicing untouchability or the offenses fall under untouchability. The article does not discriminate anybody based on the caste or religion. Article 35 too prohibits parliament to make any law, contrary to the directive principles of the constitution.

Here, without getting into legal jargon, let us understand how this Act is unconstitutional. It is claimed by the experts that the Atrocity Act does not have any constitutional ground because it has made special provision for only SC/ST communities and not for all the citizens of the country. In fact, it cannot go beyond the scope of the untouchability as prescribed in Article 17. It also violates the fundamental principle of the constitution that all the citizens will be held equally in the eyes of the law. Also provisions of this law violates the principle of the liberty that is the core foundation of our constitution. For example there is no provision for the bail to the accused even if the offenses under which accused is booked are of minor nature.

However, the fact must be noted that judgements, in bail cases filed under this law, are passed mostly based on the provisions of the Act. Constitutional validities almost remained unquestioned by them, because before them were the crimes in question  and not the entire law, upon which they had to decide whether bail be granted or not.

Now let us ask basic questions.

1.      Are the atrocities committed only by non SC/ST communities on the SC/ST Communities? Can’t it happen otherwise or SC committing an offense against ST or within the castes, those are listed in SC or ST communities?

2.      There are many castes, more prone to the atrocities, such as VJNT’s, (or De-notified and Nomadic tribes/castes) why they could not get shelter under the scope of the present law? 

3.      Within the so-called upper castes, there also prevails caste based hierarchy and social discrimination based on that. Many crimes listed in the Atrocity Act are indeed applicable to them too...but unfortunately the lawmakers had decided to neglect them completely. 

4.      There have been many additions, corrections in the lists of the Castes / Tribes, made by the National SC/ST Commission. This means that some castes/tribes were excluded from the ambit of the law while new were added. In future too, many are going to be added or excluded. Doesn't this mean that the definition of the SC/ST communities is ambiguous that makes this law too bad?

Here we can understand the “positive discrimination” in order to bring weaker sections and SC/ST’s in main stream by granting them special privileges for their socio-economic upliftment so that they mingle in the society with self respect. But this very principle cannot be applied to the criminal laws as a set principle is the crime has no caste or religion and the criminals should be punished irrespective of their caste or religion.

Rather the present act divides the whole society by placing SC/ST communities against the rest of the society. It is misconstrued in the law that the particular society only can cause atrocities on the SC/ST’s and such crimes cannot take place within the SC/ST communities. In a way this is the new Two-Nation Theory that has divided the whole society by creating enmity, hatred  and distrust between two societies. This is not at all helpful to build united India. It violates the principles of “Equality, Fraternity and Liberty” upon which our constitution is built.

The Swarna Bharat Party is against such discriminatory laws those divides India. Rather SBP says in its manifesto that create so much so opportunities by abandoning socialism, adhering to the liberal policies, so that every weaker section, including SC/ST’s, prosper and become the part of the mainstream. Discriminatory acts can never bring fraternity and equality within all the sections of the society. In fact SBP believes, if we want to eradicate the caste system in India, that has been haunting us since last one thousand years, we need to liberate the people first from the evils of socialist economy and open new innumerable doors to prosperity. Most of the caste based crimes finds its root in the poverty and illiteracy that the politicians have used recklessly eyeing their vote banks. This is why they have created this all dividing act to woo certain sections that has been proved useless in caste eradication and ending atrocities of all kinds.

SBP have decided to challenge this Act in the Supreme court to end any discrimination in the society. SBP demands that the crimes listed in the Atrocity Act be made part of the Indian Penal Code and make applicable to all the citizens so that the “All are equal before the law” principle is followed.

-Sanjay Sonawani

Happy Independence Day!

15 August 2016 – for immediate release

The Swarna Bharat Party’s new President, Mr Sanjay Sonawani of Pune, wishes the people of India a very happy independence day. Mr Vishal Singh, former President, and now the Vice President of the Party, joins him in greeting the people of India.

Mr Sonawani said that this is a day for all Indians to review where we have reached. India became independent in 1947 but has not yet become free. We continue to rank poorly on global indicators of personal, media and economic freedom. Our freedom fighters sacrificed their lives for liberty, but would have been disappointed with what today’s India. Our governance system is now one of the world’s worst. Corruption, injustice, insecurity and filth stalks us at each step. Daily life has become very difficult.

Instead of choosing liberty, our political parties have chosen the path of socialism. Not only have they placed innumerable obstacles on our liberty and violated all principles of good policy, they have institutionalised deep-rooted incentives for corruption within our governance system. As a result, the governments of India can no longer deliver even basic services, such as police and justice.

No political party in India other than Swarna Bharat Party cares for the liberty of Indians. This state of affairs can only be fixed when citizens form a strong commitment to liberty and a total overhaul of India’s governance system.

SBP is dedicated to achieving the dreams of those who fought for India’s independence. Mr Sanjay Sonwani said that he will devote his full time in the coming year to the spread of the message of liberty. He said that he is being joined by at least two other full time senior party leaders, Alok Kumar in Uttar Pradesh and Sanjay Garg in Rajasthan; apart from many other leaders committed to liberty.

Mr Sonawani noted that the party has undertaken a number of events across the length and breadth of the country in recent weeks. He said that only SBP’s policies can create a world-class governance system for India, enabling India to become a land of freedom and opportunity. Details of SBP’s policies are provided in the party’s manifesto which is available on the party’s website.

End

Notes for Editors

SBP is India’s only liberal party, committed to defending liberty and promoting prosperity.

Contacts:

Sanjay Sonawani, President (Pune), +91 9860991205            
Vishal Singh, (Bengaluru), Vice-President, +91 9920613669
Madhusudhan K. (Hyderabad), Joint Secretary, +91 9676914719

SBP commends Supreme Court's initiative to re-examine same-sex relationship

SBP commends Supreme Court's initiative to re-examine same-sex relationship

Swarna Bharat Party, India’s only liberal party, commends the Supreme Court’s decision to re-examine the question of same-sex relationship and hopes the Constitutional Bench will quash Section 377 of the IPC which criminalises homosexuality.

SBP president Vishal Singh said in a press note that this provision violates the principle of equality and liberty guaranteed to every citizen by India’s constitution.

From the scientific perspective, homosexuality has long been proven to have a significant biological (i.e. genetic) component. Criminalising homosexuality is a throwback to the time when ignorant prejudice ruled the world.

In 2013, the Supreme Court upheld this obnoxious section of the IPC. The party believes that was an inappropriate decision. A government can have no role in people’s bedrooms in matters of consensual sex. Section 377 is a direct assault on citizens’ liberty and privacy. Such a perspective on human behaviour is inappropriate in a day and age when India must actively promote the scientific attitude so it can prosper on the foundations of scientific knowledge.

Mr. Singh further said that SBP stands firmly on the side of activists who have fought to decriminalize gay sex. SBP hopes the Supreme Court will soon hear the curative petition and determine to abolish this blight on human dignity and liberty.

Mr. Vishal Singh also outlined the party’s position on an important related issue. Gay couples that wish to live together in a marriage-like relationship, should legally be able to do so. It may be inappropriate, however, to term such a relationship as ‘marriage’, to distinguish it from traditional heterosexual marriage.

Mr. Singh also noted that it may be inappropriate to give such form of cohabitation the right to bring up adopted children. However, the party is committed to an evidence-based approach and believes that a detailed assessment of evidence, with the best interests of children in mind, should inform the country’s final position on this issue.

Prohibition is no solution to alcohol abuse, says SBP President

Press Release dated 1 February 2016

Committed to liberty, Swarna Bharat Party (SBP) denounces prohibition or excessive restrictions on the sale of alcohol by some States. Some of these States treat rich Indians or foreigners differently, with alcohol allowed to be served in five star hotels. Such arbitrary policies imply that some Indian citizens are less responsible than others, that such Indians are fit to vote but unfit to make responsible decisions on the question of alcohol. This two-tier approach harks back to India's colonial era. It also begs the question why alcohol is allowed to be manufactured in India in the first place. 

In a press note issued by the SBP President, Mr. Vishal Singh noted that “Prohibition has been a disaster wherever it has been attempted. The evidence is overwhelming - from across India and the world - that prohibition is never realised in practice. Instead, illicit liquor and crime receives a fillip, including smuggling from nearby non-prohibition States. This causes governments to lose essential tax revenues, even as taxpayers pay more to deal with the consequences of increased crime and corruption.” 

Moreover, Mr. Singh pointed out that such restrictions are a direct attack on the promise of liberty assured by the Preamble to India’s Constitution. No doubt, the Directive principles enjoin the State to impose prohibition on the ground that “intoxicating drinks … are injurious to health". However, SBP believes that the merits and demerits of alcohol need to be constantly reviewed in the light of new scientific evidence. A Constitution is not the place to make public policy.

Even if alcohol were proven to be injurious to health, a government would not necessarily have a role. A government's role must be limited to addressing any harm that people cause others, for example, driving when intoxicated or domestic violence, not harm they may choose to cause themselves. 

Chanakya's Arthashastra details how alcohol can be regulated. But India’s own history and that of other free countries can also provide useful insights. One way is to tax liquor, keeping in mind that if desi liquor is taxed heavily, the poor may switch to illicit, often toxic, liquor. Breath tests of drivers should be regularly undertaken, with revenues generated from fines defraying the cost of these tests. Those who harm others should be made to pay; not those who use alcohol responsibly. 

Mr. Singh noted that excessive consumption of alcohol by someone in the privacy of their home can sometimes become a social issue. Social organizations should provide scientific information to the community on the harms of excessive drinking. SBP will also disseminate such information through its social outreach efforts. 

Mr. Singh re-iterated that “A government’s job is to defend the liberty of every citizen, while addressing the harm caused by any irresponsible exercise of liberty. SBP's manifesto outlines mature and well thought-out regulatory approaches on all aspects of public policy. The recent alcohol ban in Kerala, the proposed ban in Bihar, and existing bans or significant restrictions in Gujarat, Mahrashtra and other parts of India should be immediately reviewed.”

Swarna Bharat Party launches new website on Republic Day

Swarna Bharat Party (SBP), India’s only liberal party, congratulates everyone on the auspicious occasion of the Republic Day, when India's liberal constitution came into effect in 1950.  

Today we must all pledge ourselves to the key objective of liberty that is embedded in the Preamble of India's constitution. It is the reason we wanted freedom from British rule - so we could live our lives as a free people. But unfortunately, the idea of liberty has long since been destroyed by successive governments in India. Today, India is one of the most unfree nations in the world on almost all comparative benchmarks.

SBP is committed to your liberty and prosperity. SBP believes that India’s colonial governance arrangements, weakened further by socialist policies, have dramatically exacerbated corruption and inefficiency in government. We no longer have basic things like security, property rights and justice.  

SBP is committed to the total reform of India’s governance system, as detailed in its manifesto. No other party has any idea of the reforms India needs in order to become - once again - the greatest nation on earth.

SBP was registered by the Election Commission as a political party in mid-2014. We are launching our new website today. Please visit http://swarnabharat.in

We invite you to join the party. Please visit the website and register either as a member or volunteer. You can become a lifetime member on payment of a nominal fee of Rs.100. Please also donate liberally to the cause of liberty and good governance in India. 

SBP is your party, your platform to fight for your freedom and to transform India's governance.

Restrictions on liberty or Protection to the liberty?

Liberty not always is violated by the authorities, no matter whether they are political, religious or economic. There exist many other elements in the overall body of the society that too attempts endlessly to rob you from your individual liberty. Attempts of the parents to make their child “cultured” of their own estimate, force their ideas upon him which they have accumulated from the society and so-called heritage. In schools too kid is bombarded with the values those are thought to be superior over other societies, to make him nationalist, culturist and if possible religious citizen of best kind. The out sided forces are so much so that they in some or other way try to control your thinking process, politically or religiously which means restriction of the freedom of the individuals to think and act independently. If the process of enslaving the kid to make a good citizen out of him begins so early, what liberty would mean to him?

Just talking of political liberty or tyranny of majority may not be enough when we dream for real liberty. Conditioning of human mind from childhood by the parents and society is equally dangerous to the concept of liberty. If mind is conditioned notions of the liberty too will be conditioned and hence the liberty will always be tainted with the slavish sentiments. Talk on Liberty thus becomes just a fashion to enchant the intellectuals which rather prefers limited liberty, accepting some restrictions for the harmonious co-existence.

However, if closely investigated, we will find that our definitions of the liberty are problematic because they are made by the people those have grown up in the problematic conditions. Solutions to the problems they have faced or facing may seem liberty to them but it may not cover all the aspects of the liberty.

People are ultimately grown up in the environment where purposely their mind is conditioned right from childhood. Freedom from X or Y is felt when they counter them and decide X or Y are the obstructive to their freedom. To remove X or Y from their way they think leads them to the freedom. Freedom to them thus becomes political, economic or religious in nature. The institutions they think are hindrance in their way to their “free” action they think are tyrant. Any institution for that matter is always tyrant to some or other extent. The gravity of the felt tyranny changes with what the people feel about the institution. In a way concept of liberty becomes secondary because it does not come into existence in absence of tyranny, real or false.

Coming back to the starting point, why parents desire to make their child “cultured”? Culture in a way is collective subconscious activity of the people that reflects in people’s actions. The culture varies with time and geography. The cultural ethics and practices too vary, significantly, with people to people and region to region. Making a person “cultured” would mean making him able enough to cope up with the accepted social norms while aspiring for well being of his self, family and the society he lives in. He should not create any nuisance, treason or any harmful act that will cause disturbance in the smooth functioning of his society. The liberty too is set within the circle of such norms.  Liberty thus has the guidelines, many a times tending to go in contrast with the very concept of liberty.

This way liberty would mean one thing at front door and other, may be opposite, when at back door. Norms may change with society to society and time to time. There is nothing like absolute liberty in the world because no matter how the definition of the liberty is widened it always will be restricted by some guidelines, laws and institutional rules. Liberty to an American and Indian, that too depending on to which class, caste, sect or religion he belongs, would not mean the same, no matter how carefully it has defined. The words convey differently to the different people belonging to the different sections and the different environments they have grown up with. The conditioning of the mind, deliberate or not, decides what one may take the liberty as! The fact is the society is the first factor that begins encroachment on the liberty of its newcomer citizens. It begins with the restrictions. The restrictions of the law are secondary about which we mostly always are sensitive, but what our approach is towards the society?

Would this mean the liberty always be shadowed by some kind of self sanctioned slavery? Wouldn’t it mean that the liberty our thinkers are seeking is the liberty restricted by, whether less or more, laws? Why absolute liberty would be impossible, because absolute liberty may mean anarchy…lawlessness? Would it mean to have a society without any social obligations?

Politically liberty may mean anything depending upon the philosophies and understandings of the liberty they have under their arms. Leftist or rightists or socialists may claim how they desire to protect the liberty of the individuals, but indirectly it becomes enforcement of restrictions on the liberty. The government is not only law maker but a machinery to enforce them. Most of the time people feel that the laws no more protect their liberty; instead they restrict their freedom to think and act rationally. Direct and indirect restrictions even in libertarian social systems are so much so that the meaning of liberty has become more and more ambiguous and obscure. Liberty has become, in a way, dream song for a person who is governed by many forces against his will.

The questions will arise here that whether man is afraid of liberty, whether by nature he likes to be governed, does by nature he likes to govern others while being governed? Forces governing to the government could be abstract in nature, but they still do exist and even topple the governments at times. When people desire for the government of some nature that does only mean that they inherently need a government that can enforce power upon them to maintain law and order. And at other end people, individually, strive for the liberty! It is a kind of paradox, with which our society is shrouded.

We have to go to the roots of the human nature. Is liberty mere a hypothetical concept that everybody dreams for but do not want it in practice? Is liberty thought to be just for individual without his caring for the equal liberty of the other individuals? Is liberty a force that is applied to restrict others liberty and not protecting it?

Parents are at liberty as to how to nurture their kid. They are at liberty to mend their kid with teaching the values they feel best to their understanding. They may even plant their unfulfilled dreams in their kids mind, inspiring him to walk in that direction to achieve them. Parents have that liberty. But as far as kid is concerned, wont it be restriction on his liberty by imposed values and dreams? Would he be at his own liberty to make his own choice of the values and dreams? May be that he manages somehow to obtain his freedom, when grown up, but to what extent? The values taught at home and in school and in colleges keep on haunting the individuals for their life forcing him to define liberty in restricted sense.

However, liberty just is not a hypothetical concept, it has the practical implications. Hence it has to be dealt with utmost care. Also we will have to think whether restricted liberty is needed or protection to the individual liberty is expected from the governments. And the last and main question will be whether at all government is needed that somehow restricts the liberty or we need just an institution (not government) that will perform the role of protector of the liberty and nothing else?

(To be contd.) 

What Liberty means to NT/VJNT's?

Indian social system is weird. It is not only discriminatory in its root but is paradoxically filled up with the elements of endless exploitation of the weaker sections in the name of democracy, justice and religion. There condition is no better than what it was during colonial rule. India achieved political freedom and democracy, but social freedom and social democracy remains as yet completely neglected. Rather the social democracy is foundation of political democracy. Social freedom is a ladder to walk towards individual freedom. But these are not thought to be the essential tenets of our democracy.

In India there are various tribes classified as NT/VJNT. But together they suffer from constant onslaught of the settled society and law at one hand and religion at the other. In a way they are suffering mostly from the social tyranny. Many even do not know what the freedom and free India means. No sufficient provisions of education, vocational courses, health care, no ration cards, no permanent homes hence no proper listings in voting lists are the hurdles at one side and to the other constant harassment from law and settled villagers and farmers. The traditional occupations have become outdated. Many are illegal and what legitimate occupations remains are insufficient to feed them.

The policymakers did not plan anything for the upliftment of these classes to bring them in main stream using their skills for the overall productivity. There were commissions appointed but they just consumed years after years without coming up with the proper solutions and policy guidelines. They were scrapped by the Central Govt. one after other to make space for the new Commission. Plight of NT/VJNT’s remains unending.

Population of NT/VJNT tribes is estimated to be over 25 crore. This is not a small population. Very small percentage out of this could pave way through the numerous odds to make their life successful. But most remains in the dark of illiteracy and hence superstitious and poor. Ones upon a time these tribes were prosperous in different social and economic conditions. For example Stone masons are responsible to build the huge mountain forts and castles and palaces. They are responsible to carve out wonderful caves like Ajanta and Ellora. We owe to them for many beautiful monuments and sculptures. But as economy and social needs changed they became jobless and had to depend upon petty work such as crushing the stones on rail tracks or roads or Canal or dam works. Their art died with time. They were not substituted with new occupations. They could not find on their own for the Indian tyrant social order won’t allow them to do so. Though politically free country, as yet none has tried to address their problems and guided them as to how to break these barriers.

Condition of the shepherds, other nomadic tribe, is no more different. Animal husbandry, prior to independence, was second largest business in the country. With rapid industrialization grazing lands dramatically were reduced. With dams, rehabilitation works, political leader owned private education complexes further shrank the available grazing lands. To add to the calamities forest regulations restricted shepherds to enter into the reserved areas with their sheep. It is in a way an assassination of an industry which still holds 8% of the GDP with a bleak future. This also is loss to the national economy. They too are in search of the new destiny that can make their lives better. But they remain neglected and harassed.

So where is the democracy? Where is the social freedom and social democracy? The hunting tribes of the past, classified by the British rule as criminal tribes, are still criminals in the eyes of the law and suffer brutalities and atrocities at the hands of law! Liberty to them may sound a funny, out of world, word not to be even trusted upon. Understanding its meaning and attempt to enjoy it in practice would be a far-fetched dream to them! Politicians have neglected them because they are scattered and useless to them in vote-game.

Sure, liberty is not a thing granted by others. Liberty has to be achieved with self-efforts. But when the situation is that the educated people lack many a times understanding essence of the liberty, we just cannot hope the illiterate and deprived masses would understand how liberty can change their lives!

There we the sane people have to come forth to fight out with the law and the society that has been holding these people in the clutches of imposed slavery. Judicial system needs to abolish the tyrant laws to let them breath in the free air. Not that all doors to opportunities open with mere education. If government cannot provide agreeable substitute it has no right whatsoever to snatch their present means and leave them deprived. Illiterates given an opportunity can perform miracles. However we have failed in building such free atmosphere where people can dare to venture in new areas after having basic training in the new skills.

Much can be said on this, but to sum up, I would say that the liberty to the NT/VJNT goes through the drastic reforms in our social and judicial system. The reforms not only mean change in the laws, rather they are secondary, but main thing would be change in our overall thinking.   

Liberty to NT/VJNT and other deprived sections would mean they do not remain neglected, their voice is heard, their past contribution to the economy and culture is acknowledged, their self-pride is respected and doors to sufficient opportunities are opened. This could be liberation of them from the slavery of society and government. 

SBP : On way to freedom!

Progressiveness is neither a movement nor agitation against the world. It is against the dark we are perpetually fallen in of the self imposed slavery. It is an eternal struggle to walk from dark to the Sun, where true freedom shines in the realms of humanity.

This is the path invented by the suppressed human being to free him from the clutches of the open or masked feudal and tyrant system. This is the path that leads to the unending opportunities of progress in free atmosphere, no matter whether it is education, economy, politics or expression. This is real struggle to open the doors of wisdom for everyone.

Everybody should have thoughts of his own nurtured and atmosphere so healthy and open that they develop on their own making the world beautiful. The thoughts of people developed in restricted atmosphere, without any wisdom, sometimes go so dangerous that it only produces the destructive, corrupt and terrorist minds. We want our nation to be a leading force through the endeavors of SBP together with like-minded citizens to achieve the freedom to we always were looking for!

Progressiveness is just not to deny past and abuse system and abuse some religion or caste, as wrongly assumed by some present progressives. Progressiveness is in bringing reforms in almost everything, right from Governing system to individual’s way of life. Politics to us is not just game of power;to us it is a major tool to redefine the politics to make our society liberal.  

The present mobsters in politics have stolen the freedom of the citizens, have blocked their free will and have used them as a mean to satiate their power-lust. Because of this we can see many reform bills remains stalled for decades without any resolve. The basic needs of the deprived sections of the society still remain unfulfilled and yet politicians can use them to gain power with just empty promises and money. The professionals and business community still have to make their way through the insane obstacles to achieve higher productivity. Many examples can be cited, such as about education. The worst scenario in education field has impaired the core abilities of our students making them a crowd of job seekers without developing their inborn abilities to make them experts in the areas of their natural inclination.

We cannot say this is the freedom. Swarna Bharat Party is all about liberalism. It is progressive and liberal in above explained sense. It respects individualism and insists for less interference of the government and administration in citizen’s life. Swarna Bharat Party is working in this direction…by redefining the politics.

The manifesto of SBP is available for you in following link : 

http://swarnabharat.in/manifesto/

Liberate yourself first!

From millenniums we have been taught to be a slave, either of religion, state or community! We have been so used to the slavery that we think being in slavery is our freedom. Politically too, no matter who are in the power, indigenous or foreign, we always were oppressed pawns! The degree of oppression varied but it didn’t vanish. We are told that there was golden age in remote past in India, but the social history contradicts this claim. It could be a golden age for some, not for the common people!

We the Indians believe that the conditions of present pitiable life are product of the sins committed in past life and thus faithfully have been living it without protests. The ruling or rich or religious classes, we thought, must have accumulated many righteous acts in their past life; hence protesting them too was a sin! Rather, not questioning the system was only righteous act that was expected from us! They used the tactic to make their life comfortable at the cost of common people!

This idea was greatest invention of India that helped tyrants to rule the masses incessantly without any need to wield the weapons or using the forces! The slavery was accepted as part of their destiny. There obviously was no need to search for optional political ideologies to strengthen the rule or oppose the rule. Priestly and political class worked hand in hand. The doctrine was rooted so much so that the people accepted most obediently the plight of their present life. Saints too were no exception. Nobody bothered for the salvation from the slavery of present material life. They all eyed on the salvation after death! There were protests long ago in the remote past to this evil thought, but they were systematically diluted in course of the time, so much so that they became distant unrealistic mythical memory!

Today, though we think we are free, our state of mind remains still unchanged. The political freedom too, which we think we have, is not the freedom in its true nature. Rather our freedom is an illusion! Our overall thinking process still works as same as it was working during the pre-independence era and in the times the feudal system had become basis of our society. It did happen simply because, since we never knew that we are been made volunteering slaves, and we loved it, there was no question to think of overthrowing the yokes of slavery forced upon us by our overall system.

Let us have a look at how the slavish mentalities still keep on haunting our life! To overthrow Vedic social system of inequality, we tried to find system of equality without abandoning the basic philosophy of inequality. Rather, what such people did was they changed their idols. They changed their scriptures and embraced the books written by the eminent personalities those were born in their caste! They changed their salutations. They nourished hatred against so-called upper class and other equivalents as well to establish their own supremacy. They too became propagandists the way so-called religious tyrants were. They too desperately fell in quest for searching of their own identities in remote past in some clans and clung to it. They also started to write the history that was suitable to their purpose. They did not think their idols of recent past too have become outdated as the knowledge and thoughts too keep on moving forth! The defeat of progressive movement was marked as soon they too followed the same rout, falsely thinking they were leading the path of freedom!

This was no different than what religious fanatics were doing! RSS all the time kept on harping of the tyranny of Islam rule thus teaching hatred to the people they thought are Hindu’s. They always spoke highly about the so-called Veda’s and infinite science loaded in it! They too embarked on a mission to rewrite history that could satiate their egos to boast of rich legacy of the past! The legacy of the only selective section of the Indian society!

In a way, we can say that this is a process of making people slaves of the past, slaves of the idols and slaves of the false identities! The master might have changed, but slavery did rule, same way as it were in the past, in different forms!

Religion, history and languages are the major tools in the hands of the people those want to be enslaved and to enslave people! Let us not forget, creating inferiority complex in some segments of the society is form of forcing slavery, no matter what mean is used! Inferiority does not allow any scope for equality! But, however, we find that all the sections of society, to establish their pseudo identities, are in quest of attaining and forcing the slavery of its worst kind!

The pity is slaves of the past try to find their self in false glory of the past. Indians have forgotten that the history did not take its course for their present convenience. History is history and it has to be evaluated without forcing present relevance’s and prejudices upon it!  History is not for anybodies convenience. But we are using the history as a tool. We are using languages too as a tool to boast of some section’s superiority over others! Language, to be brief, cannot be an invention of some isolated group of the people and taught to others. It is always a collective process. Still such philosophies are in wide circulation and commoners fall prey to them!

We need to liberate ourselves from such inhuman philosophies of the history and political sciences those are created to throw us in crevice of slavery! This is a quest in which slaves attempt desperately to make other slaves. But the fact remains, none is free. Falsehood doesn’t lead mankind anywhere. 

The problem is with our slavish mentality. Problem is with what we really think of the liberty. Problem is with our viewpoint as to how we look at our own life. Problem is with our lack of wisdom!

The process of liberation begins from We the individuals.  Unless we know what the liberty is in its real sense, mark it, we are destined to be eternal slaves of the circumstances. Many a time’s slavery is convenient because it gives false pleasure! But ultimately it swallows your freedom and forces you to be silent even if you might want to speak out sometime! Unless you are free from self-imposed slavish mentality, you will never find true political freedom!

What we aim at? We aim at the true freedom! We aim at true wisdom. We want to open the path of awakening of every self. Political freedom begins with the individual’s freedom. The freedom is from the religious tyranny, freedom from the clutches of falsely glorified history. Freedom from inferiority complex! Freedom to be an individual of own estimates.

This is all about liberty! Present politics is devoid of such liberty because they too want to use you as mere slave. They don’t want you to be an independent thinker. The independent voices are always suppressed. We don’t want our nation full of the people where individuality is at stake and risk!

When I say about liberty, I just mean to say, liberate yourself first, only then you can liberate the world around you!