Key Points

A two-day seminar and exhibition commenced at the NDMC Convention Centre in New Delhi to revisit speeches delivered by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.

Arun Kumar, Seh Sarkaryawah of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said that both the Jan Sangh and BJP have a historical legacy, and will complete 75 years on October 21.

He said these outfits’ founding vision was not merely to build an organisation, but to transform society.

He pointed out that post-independence, India’s biggest challenge was ideological confusion. “Independence did not just mean ending British rule; it required a clear national vision, which had started fading,” he said.

Arun Kumar added that when Pandit Deendayal founded the Jana Sangh, he faced two questions: Whether India had its own ideological foundation, and whether the existing political system could support growth, or whether a new party was needed.

“When they contested the 1952 elections and won three seats, the Jana Sangh established itself as a national party. With national expansion and cadre-building, the philosophy of Integral Humanism was introduced,” he said.

He said that Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya never claimed to present a new ideology, but offered a different interpretation of India’s existing traditions.

The seminar is part of a national series of events commemorating 60 years of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s Integral Humanism. He noted that this is not only the 60th year of Integral Humanism, but also the 75th Amrit Kaal of Indian independence.

Earlier, Arun Kumar paid floral tributes to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s statue and inaugurated the exhibition organised by the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Foundation and PPRC.

- IANS