(Sanghnomics is a weekly column that tracks down and demystifies the economic world view of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and organisations inspired by its ideology.)

‘Antoyadaya’  has become a much talked about concept ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)  government came to power in 2014. The concept of ‘Antyodaya’ has become the cornerstone of the economic policies of BJP governments -- both at the Centre and the state level. Several schemes have been launched under the umbrella of ‘Antyodaya’. The literal meaning of Antyodaya is ‘rise of the last person’. For all practical purposes as far as the government policies are concerned, it means there should be focus on upliftment and empowerment of those who are languishing at the last rung of the socio-economic ladder. The Modi government has implemented this concept by launching schemes for skill development as well as for providing highly subsidised ration to around 80 million people in the country. It has already promised to continue it for next five years if it comes back to power for a third consecutive term in 2024 which seems highly likely.

Pioneering the concept of ‘Antyodaya’

Deendayal Upadhyay, a full-time worker of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had pioneered the concept of ‘Antyodaya’. He did this while steering Bharatiya Janasangh(BJS), the predecessor of Bharatiya Janata Party. Upadhyay who was an ideologue and organiser par excellence talked about ‘Antyodaya’ in the 1960s when there was no immediate scope of BJS, the ideological mentee of the RSS, capturing the power. Since then the BJS and subsequently the BJP stuck to the concept of ‘Antoyadaya’. Wherever the party came to power, it tried to implement this concept.

Beyond welfare schemes

Antyodaya isn’t merely about launching a few welfare schemes that directly benefit the poor, it is a holistic concept that believes in preparing a Bharat-centric socio-economic framework that takes care of the nation and society’s interest in an integrated manner. Upadhayay clearly defined ‘Antyodaya’ both in context of the welfare schemes as well as going beyond it to build a resilient economy and society.  Here are some key takeaways from the concept of ‘Antyodaya’ as propounded by Upadhyaya and various other RSS ideologues-

Right to Food

The capitalists consider capital and enterprise as important factors of production and if they take a major share of profit, it is because they think it is their due. On the other hand, communists believe only labour to be the main factor in production. Therefore they concede a major share of production to the labourers. Neither of these ideas is correct. Strictly speaking, our slogan should be that he who earns will feed and every person will have enough to eat. The right to food is a birthright. The ability to earn is a result of education and training. In a society even those who do not earn must have food. The children and the old, the diseased and the invalids, all must be cared for by society. Every society generally fulfils this responsibility. The social and cultural progress of mankind lies in the readiness to fulfil this responsibility.

Basic Necessities

By and large we can see that food, clothing, shelter, education and medical attention are the five basic necessities of every individual which should be fulfilled. If we want to assess the material standard of life of any country we could take these as a starting point. If any class of a society does not. get these facilities, we may say that the standard of life of that society is not developed.

Economic Democracy

IF a vote for everyone is the touch-stone of political democracy, work for everyone is a measure of economic democracy. This right to work does not mean slave labour as in communist countries. Work should not only give a means of livelihood to a person but it should be of the choice of that person. If for doing that work the worker does not get a proper share in the national income, he/she would be considered unemployed. From this point of view a minimum wage, a just system of distribution and some sort of social security are necessary

Employment through indigenous model

WHEN we think of the means of production in India we arrive at the firm conclusion that our production process must be labour-intensive. A complex Western production process can give employment to a few people but it cannot set into motion a dynamic process which can bring about a revolutionary change in the country's economy. If we want such an industrial system, it should be in consonance with agriculture and should give adequate importance to small industries.

Shun obsession with materialistic prosperity

Not only an absence of material prosperity but also an excess of material prosperity leads to an end of Dharma. This is the special point of view of this country. The West has not thought of the result of material means. When these means create an addiction to them or to the things and pleasures to be had through them, then we can say that material influence has been established. In the absence of material wealth it ceases to be a means and becomes an end in itself. When there is too much of it, it ceases to be a means of righteous conduct and becomes a means of sensual pleasure. As these pleasures have no limit a person given to them will always feel a want of wealth and at the same time his addiction to pleasures will reduce his capacity to produce wealth.

Conclusion

The concept of ‘Antyodaya’  should become a starting point for re-establishing the ‘Hindu Economics’ or ‘Bharatiya Economics’ that is based on the Bharatiya civilizational values and have evolved over a period of a thousand years. It got lost over the last 1000 odd years though its remnants were visible in various parts of the country till the end of 18th century. However, the British rule and the subsequent obsession with the Marxist and Western thoughts in economics and other policy frameworks resulted in India adopting a policy framework that wasn’t suitable for us. A change is possible now as the welfare aspect of ‘Antyodaya’ has been implemented quite successfully by the BJP governments over the last one decade. It is time to go beyond that now and establish a body of knowledge around this concept that can become the guiding framework of this nation and catapult Bharat into an altogether different growth trajectory.

Arun Anand has authored two books on the RSS. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.