Importance of independent political thinking

Bhishma said that

“The king should not consult every member of the nobility, O Bhaarata, but work together with the leaders and do whatever is for the good of the entire Kshatriya Varna”

Duryodhana said that

“The man who acts under the counsel of others frequently trips and falls. Then how can his follows be expected to tread the right path?”

Rishni Sulbha said that

“In the matter of taking counsel and in the assembly of his councillors what independence can the king be said to have?”

Queen Gandhari said that

“The man who tries to win over his counsellors without first conquering himself, and who tries to conquer his enemies without subduing his counsellors, is soon vanquished and ruined. He who masters himself first, taking himself for his worst enemy, will later succeed in conquering his confederates and outside enemies. Prosperity worships the man who commands his senses and his advisors, who metes out punishment to transgressors, who acts after deliberation and who is calm and wise.”

Somedesvara Suri said that

“He verily is a thinker who acts after proper verification of even that which he has known through his own direct perception”

Kautilya says

“Philosophy (Anvishiki) is the lamp that illuminates all sciences; it provides the

techniques for all action; and it is the pillar which supports dharma.”

{1.2.12}

“Samkhya, Yoga and atheistic materialism (Lokāyata) are [the?] three schools of philosophy. One should study philosophy because it helps one to distinguish between dharma and adharma [evil] in the study of the Vedas, between material gain and loss in the study of economics and between good :and bad policies in the study of politics. [Above all,] it teaches one the distinction between good and bad use of force. When the other three sciences are studied by the light of philosophy, people are benefited because their minds are kept steady in adversity and prosperity and they are made proficient in thought, speech and action.”

{1.2.10,11}

I say that

Applying these ideas to modern times I say that one in order to succeed in politics must have ‘Independent political thought’. One can certainly seek guidance and be influence by other predecessors or peers but ultimately one should have their own independent opinions. Why even Kautilya unapologetically and scathingly criticises his predecessors and even his own teacher (respectfully mind you) in favour of his own independent political thought. Even if one looks at history after Kautilya such as The Chola’s empire Queen Sembiyan, Emperor Rajadhiraja Chola and Rajendra Chola one can see that they had their own individual political ideas. While they were influence by artha and dharm sastras they had big imagination. Enough to establish new form temple politics,organisation and patronag they even had the capacity to imagine and excite an knvaiso of Ceylon and Malay! That through The Five Hundred a merchant guild analogues to cooperation like the East India Company!”

Even today the policies and policies of the gov are lead by independent thinkers, be it Shashi Tharoor, Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal etc.

This was especially the case during the independence movement with independent political thinkers such Ambedkar, Ghandhi, Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose etc.

And even post Independence Indian politics has been heavily influenced by Independent thinkers such as Nehru, Indira Ghandhi, Manmohan Singh, Narasimha Rao, Moraji Desai etc.

Even a cursory glance at Indian history makes it clear that there has been an unbroken chain of independent political thinking. With political thinkers nonetheless informing one another’s idea across the centuries.

And indeed as time change with new problems and new technology new political thought becomes essential. And what better way to develop new political thought as well as maintain continuity with the past than through encouraging a tradition of independent political thinking.