I would also like to mention one other aspect of the concept of socialism. This relates to our special responsibility to the development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes — the weaker and the neglected sections of the society. As I see it, the concept of socialism is not merely an economic doctrine but is based on certain moral and ethical values. The development of the full personality of each constituent of a society should be the corner stone of all our thoughts and actions. For generations, indignities have been heaped upon this large section of our society, inequalities and injustices have been perpetuated, and they have been exploited economically and socially. They have been segregated from the mainstream of our national life. How speedily we remedy this failing in our national life will decide the true content of socialism. It will be futile to talk of socialist goals and objectives so long as this major task remains unfinished. This is by no means an easy task. It is a task of reconstruction of the fabric of the whole society and will require a new dedication and a crusading spirit.
These are some of my basic thoughts on socialism. We must realistically survey the socio-political and economic setting of our country and analyse it in the light of these urgent and pressing problems. The one question which then remains is of the means by which we propose to achieve these objectives. There are those who believe that the only way to achieve this would be by violent means and a bloody revolution. I, however, believe that the whole ethos of our society goes against such precepts and thinking. We have given ourselves a Constitution which emphasises the democratic way of life. At the same time, the founding fathers had the vision of a new social and economic order. The Constitution did not give us merely a liberal democratic State. It also linked it to the dream that has inspired man through the ages, the dream of a better life for all. The Constitution, therefore, promised to all citizens justice — social, economic and political. But these noble principles were not confined to the preamble as a decorative piece. The Constitution has also given us the Directive Principles which should guide the State policy. These include among others the right of the citizens to an adequate means of livelihood, equitable distribution of material resources, prevention of concentration of economic power in a few hands and the importance of education and health. The detailed provisions of the Constitution also invested the government with the authority to bring into existence a new social order free from inequalities and exploitation. What was accomplished here has been accomplished in many other countries in modern times only at the cost of much bloodshed and suffering. That is why, I would like to urge that the magnitude of change should not be evaluated only in terms of violence that accompanies it.
