The Politics of Economic Justice: Subhas Chandra Bose’s Vision for a Postcolonial India

Abstract

Subhas Chandra Bose’s socio-economic vision occupies an exceptional and transformative position within modern Indian political thought, far surpassing his reputation as a militant nationalist. This paper examines Bose’s developmental philosophy, with particular emphasis on his vision of Samyavada, a doctrine of ideological synthesis that sought to reconcile democratic values, socialist planning, and cultural nationalism. It also explores Bose’s conception of freedom extended beyond political independence to encompass social justice, economic equity, and moral regeneration. His advocacy for centralized planning, land reforms, scientific agriculture, cooperative farming, and state-supported industrialization forms the core of the analysis. Drawing on his speeches, institutional interventions—such as the establishment of the National Planning Committee—and comparative references to global economic models, the paper traces Bose’s nuanced response to Western capitalist modernity and Gandhian rural idealism. By analyzing Bose’s socio-economic ideas within the broader context of anti-colonial political economy, the paper argues that he must be recognized not only as a revolutionary nationalist but also as a pioneering thinker of postcolonial development. His integrative approach remains relevant for rethinking nation-building in the Global South.