Social issues

There are three reputed Centres of Advanced Studies in Philosophy at Chennai (Madras), Varanasi, and Visa Bharati established in 1963-64. Out of 40 studies at Chennai only one shows some reference to social problems; at Varanasi among 53 research projects none refers to social issues and at Visva Bharati only two studies out of 144 had some relevance to socio-political problems. The rich heritage of the Jaina and Buddhist logic and philosophy, and the non-English-speaking ideas of our times are completely ignored by our Centres of Advanced Studies in Philosophy. Young thinkers of India are kept devoid of knowledge of discoveries of scientific achievements. Director of one of the Centres is reported to have established a new religious sect of his own.

In 1914 the “patriotic” war of Europe had turned an imperialist Bertrand Russell into a socialist crusader for world peace. Jewish persecution in Europe aroused indignation of the western philosophers like Jasper and Sartre, and the Vietnam war in the 70’s had produced a critical re-examination of the American nomos by a host of its philosophers led by Noam Chomsky. But thousand years of injustice meted out to the shudras, tribals and womanfolks of India, burning of satis at the open-air-altars and in our times half a dozen patriotic wars between the peoples of South Asian sub-continent, massacring of million innocent men, women and children at the time of partition of the country, burning of Harijans and other minorities had no effect upon the Indian philosophers. India’s spiritual saints unaware of these realities search in vain for peace and solace in the transcendental wisdom of Vedanta and Sri Aurobindo. One wonders what type of people are we called Indian Philosophers who are not disturbed even when millions are deprived of the basic human needs?