The birth centenary of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia is beginning on March 23, 2009. So far socialists across the country have prepared a program by constituting committees for Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia's birth centenary in 15 states of the country. It is likely that the most of the discussion will be focused on the theory of Saptkranti (Seven revolutions). In his life, Dr. Lohia had given a number of moral statements and programs, but the theory of Saptkranti was discussed widely. When Loknayak Jayprakash Narayana made a call for Sampoorna Kranti (the total revolution) and when he was asked what he meant by Samoorna Kranti, he said it was intended to be the　 Saptkranti expounded by Dr. Lohia.

On 26th June 1962, Dr. Lohia expounded the Saptkranti theory in Nainital. He said the 20th century has two characteristics: first, it is the most ruthless era of the world; and second, the extent no era has fought against injustice as this era did. This era, on the one side, has steered cruelty to a larger extent, and on the other side, it created the desire for justice also. He mentioned about the killings of 60 lakh people in Congo and massacre of 50 lakh Jews by Hitler.　

This slaughtering has not stopped even today. Iraq and Afghanistan were destroyed by US bombarding, as once Japan was ruined in the Second World War. The only difference was the use of non-nuclear bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan, while atom bombs were used in Japan. Even today the killing of innocent people in Gaza by Israel is going on. There are continuous deaths by ethnic violence in many African countries. This kind of violence is noticeable from Chechenya (Russia) to Lhasa (Tibet).

Lohia regarded the divide of rich and poor as the first issue of his revolution. He said that there are at least 10 lakhs hierarchies in terms of income and social respect in the Indian society. Here, the downtrodden are satisfied merely by the fact that someone exists who is more deprived than them. He had said that the common man, that is the poor of this country will not understand revolution or equity rather will regard the politics of lip and tip service. If this is the case, then this world can never be changed. But, as the time passes people are bound to see the other side of the coin. He raised the issue of global and national inequality. An average American produces 14.000 Rupees every year where as an Indian produces just 400 Rupees. He highlighted inequality in the cost, agricultural value, factory produce and rights.

He always quoted two economists in his speeches. Adam Smith had given the theory that in a country, yield is increased by the division of wages. Just like that on a global scale, yield is increased by division of labor. Every country specializes in some sort of work but when any two start exchanging the work, both benefit from it. Dr. Lohia said that this theory had a flaw because it benefits developed countries and harms underdeveloped or undeveloped countries. He rejected this theory. Dr. Lohia commented on the theory of famous economist Keynes that international trade is profitable for this world only when there is no unemployment and complete employment in every country. Lohia said that it is not sufficient to just say that unemployment must not be there. Rather, it is imperative that employment must be such that delivers almost the same yield. He explained this as follows: to produce the commodity of value ten billion Rupees, if an average English, German or US citizen works for ten crore or ten billion hours, then an Indian works ten billion to fifteen billion hours for this. Although, the value of international trade remains same for all, but the exchange happens between one hour labour and ten hours. People who say that the Indian, Chinese, Sri Lankan or South American work less is wrong. We work more. After all which Englishman works more than an ordinary Indian rickshaw puller? The fact is that, there labor is more systematic.

He said that labor division theory of Adam Smith or global labor division on the basis of complete employment as propounded by Keynes was humanistic but it favored the British. Similarly, the theory of international trade benefiting all will only be success if the yield of labor in every country will be almost the same, calculated not in monetary terms but according to hours of work in a country.

Speaking on national inequality, he drew the contrast between 50 paisa earning of an agricultural labor and one lakh of Birla per day. Twenty five to thirty thousand Rupees is daily wasted on this country's Prime Minister. He said that nowhere has been such a strong leap forward in inequality as in India. He said that in Russia and US, inequality between the income of primary teacher and a University teacher is at most three times which means a daily difference of 70-200 Rupees. But, here a primary teacher gets two rupees daily where as a vice chancellor of a University gets around 200 rupees daily.

Today we find that the value earned by a farmer of this country by virtue of rates fixed through price commission is thirty rupees only, whereas a lowest central government employee earns daily three hundred and twenty five rupees after the sixth pay commission recommendations followed. We find a stark contrast between 70 crore people who earn 20 rupees per day on the one hand and Ambani family having assets of five lakh crore rupees which earns one lakh rupees per second. There are numerous violent and non-violent struggles against national and global inequality today and they were present in those times also. Dr. Lohia had said that in the next five years, the struggle between rich and the poor will take a critical turn. It has to be examined that this struggle has reached at which stage today? UN has prepared millennium development goals. World Bank is also running various programs in the name of poverty eradication. We are being shown that the World Trade Organization will remove poverty through free trade, but reality is that the capital accumulation is much more than ever in this world today. World's half of the resources are in the hands of Fortune 500 companies. But the fight against poverty has not reached its goal even today. Deepening inequality has become a critical question today in this world.

Lohia regarded the injustice laid down by the upper castes on the lower as an important issue. He said that the class is a compartmentalized form of caste whereas caste is the class made flexible. Speaking about the worker's increased wages in Europe, he said that despite the increased wages and better living conditions, the ratio of contribution in the national produce between workers and the executives is unchanged. Flexible caste or class is present throughout the world. Dr. Lohia aimed at eradicating the rotten caste system. Dr. Lohia had also shown his commitment in this direction which is reflected in the correspondence between him and Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar between 1955-1957. He also gave his views on the formation of Republican Party of India and policies-programs of Akhil Bhartiya Pariganit Jaati Sangh before that. On the untimely death of Dr. Ambedkar, he wrote a letter to Madhu Limaye saying that Dr. Ambedkar was a great figure for him in the Indian politics and was equal to any great upper caste Hindu after Gandhi. Dr. Ambedkar was a scholar. He was courageous, free minded and was a stable personality. He could have been shown as the icon of India's strength to outside world. He said, "I want that India's lower caste people think about the last four decades politics rationally. I would like that they regard Dr. Ambedkar as their icon of respect and learning, ignore his vices and accept his free mindedness, and regard him not only as the leaders of Harijans but as a statesman of the whole country". But this never happened. Ambedkarite organizations limited him as the leader of Dalits, not as the leader of India.

Dr. Lohia said in his speech on Saptkranti that just as the inequality between the rich and the poor serves as the basis of all kinds of injustice, similarly we must see the inequality between men and women. Just as the poor wants lip and tip service not equality, so the women of this country only aspire for ornaments, not the genuine equity. He said that the natural inequality against women can be removed by ways if they are given more opportunity. This applies to women as well- the lower castes amongst women, Shudra, Harijan, tribals, muslims and christians cannot progress without providing them special avenues and options.

Dr. Lohia said that any kind of inequality cannot be removed without eradicating the gender inequality. This can be made possible only if the women are given more opportunity organizationally. As far as the Harijans and tribals are concerned, I feel that after thirty-forty years of special concession to them, it will have to be scrapped. But we must understand what we mean by special opportunity. All parties regard qualification over special opportunity. Samajwadi Party treats opportunity over qualification.It says that first give opportunity, then simultaneously acquire qualification.

Lohia brought the question of women reservation into the agenda of Indian polity. After that 33% reservation for women in local body elections were also arranged. The follower of Lohia and Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar has raised this percentage to 50%. But, this provision has not yet been implemented in Legislative Assemblies and Lok Sabha because women reservation bill is still pending. Parties like Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janta Dal, Lok Jan Shakti Party and its leaders have raised the question of 33% reservation for backward castes due to which women reservation bill is in air. It must be asked that on the occasion of Lohia's centenary year, will the socialist leader take this opportunity to get the bill passed with some amendments as their collective responsibility after the new parliament sits.

Lohia had included the issue of apartheid also in Saptkranti. He said that the European whites have ruled on the institutions for last 300-400 years, which is why they are treated as beautiful and wise. He said that beauty has become synonymous to whiteness. The people who rule and have money are regarded by writers and poets. This mockery is continued since last 40 to 50 years. In Florida or London always a white girl is chosen the beauty queen. But in the next 20-25 years, blacks will also be chosen. Dr. Lohia's words are now true today. In the last few years, we have seen beauty queens like Rita Faria, Yukta Mukhi, Diana Hayden, Sushmita Sen, Aishwarya Rai, Lara Dutta etc.

After Lohia, much has changed in this world, apartheid is now no more in South Africa. Even Dr. Lohia had experienced this distinction based on color when he visited US. He was not allowed entry in Jackson's Mauritius Cafeteria restaurant on 27 May, 1964 and was arrested. US administration had to apologize for this　 arrest afterwards. Today, US have chosen a black president Mr. Obama. Dr. Lohia's campaign against apartheid through Satyagraha has reached a logical stage. It is the same thing as Gandhi's struggle against apartheid through Satyagraha and when the British left this country, this was regarded as Gandhi's achievement in Satyagraha. Similarly, Lohia's followers see Mr. Obama as the achievement of their leader and his ideology.

Dr. Lohia included the campaign against nuclear bomb in Saptkranti. Not only he regarded nuclear bomb as threat, but wanted to create a public awareness against smaller ammunitions like swords and pistols also. He said that this awareness cannot be created until we hold the power of truth i.e. Satyagraha in our hands. He said that if people develop the habit of asserting truth, it will help save this civilization. This directly relates to empowering truth and rationality. The people who believe in arms always assert their individual truth on their force only. The power of nuclear bomb, sword or a pistol destroys rationality. Therefore he said that the rationality must be empowered such as to face the violence non-violently. It is the force which says that "We will neither obey you nor attack." He termed this concept as civil disobedience.

Today we see an arms race in this world. After the end of cold war era between Russia and US, arms manufacturer nations are engaged in developing destructive weapons and pose themselves as ambassadors of peace throughout the world. US first destroyed Afghanistan and Iraq by dropping bombs and using weapons. Now the US and European companies are engaged again in loot in the name of reconstruction. Same is being repeated in Gaza. We can easily see the effect on development programs in the Indian subcontinent due to the arms race between India and Pakistan. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh should strive for creating a larger unison, but they they are ready to increase mutual hostility. Chinese government has recently increased its budget allocation on defence to 20 percent which means the arms race will become three times. In a situation where India has done a nuclear deal with US and has become a member of the nuclear club, nuclear hostility and tension seem to remain at the same level. Therefore embargo on arms race propounded by Dr. Lohia is very much relevant in today's context nationally and globally for the survival of human being.

Dr. Lohia also said that there must be some space in the life where there is no role of state, government, organization and clan. He said that the state and political parties deprive our lives just like we lose our land. He was of the view that political parties and government has no role to play in the personal matters relating to lifestyle and marriages etc. He said that mercy killing is an issue which must be thought upon, specially in those diseases that thrive for years and years, not a few days. This not only affects the affected, but the family as well. He was of the view that each and every person must have the right to suicide.

Many countries have legalized mercy killing. Various organizations in Japan and other countries are working on the issue of mercy killing. Country is engaged in a debate over interference in privacy due to some recent cases of telephone tapping and sting operations. Many governments including that of Ramkrishna Hegde in Karnataka have suffered the brunt of telephone tapping. Tens of MP's have lost their membership due to sting operations. Consent is being formed that the private life must remain out of the purview of government and party, but no such legislation has yet been constituted.

The seven forms of injustice that Dr. Lohia has mentioned in his Saptkranti are relevant even today. In Dr. Lohia's words, "Seven revolutions are simultaneously going on in this world. We must try to unify them in our country also so that the people can stand against injustice and form a new world and society which is filled with inner and physical peace. I do not claim that this society will guarantee complete equity. This is a utopia, an ideal, an ambition which ought to be achieved".

For the socialists celebrating Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia's birth centenary, the primary goal must be to sharpen the struggles against all seven forms of injustice.

Dr. Sunilam
General Secretary INSOCO
A 7, Sahkari Parisar, Kalpana Nagar
Raisen Road, Bhopal(MP)
Phone: 09425109770　
Phone: 0755-2754727
Email- insoco@rediffmail.com
Website- www.insoco.org.in