MN Roy Memorial Lecture 2025 at Jaipur by Aruna Roy

The program began with MN Roy's quote

"Who is a revolutionary? A revolutionary is one who has got the idea that the world can be remade, made better than it is today; that is was not created by a supernatural power, and therefore could be remade by human efforts. A revolutionary further starts with the knowledge that the world has been remade time and again, and that the process of remaking the world takes place of necessity. "

 

Speaker Aruna Roy

Topic: Radical Humanism and its Relevance in Contemporary Times

The Videos of the MN Roy Memorial Lecture, 2025, are available here 

Part 1: https://youtu.be/o9g0TdFj67I

Part 2: https://youtu.be/s6zK63hZVXY

Part 3: https://youtu.be/BfY7G6iEhX4

Part 4: https://youtu.be/EZQNGdStwaE

Part 5: https://youtu.be/ISpAPkY_B8E

The MN Roy Memorial Lecture for 2025 was delivered by renowned social activist Aruna Roy on March 23, 2025, at Samgrah Sewa Kendra in Jaipur, Rajasthan. In keeping with the legacy of MN Roy—philosopher, political thinker, and the pioneer of Radical Humanism—Aruna Roy’s lecture explored the continued relevance of his ideas in today’s rapidly changing political and social landscape.

Focusing on Radical Humanism, Roy emphasized that in the current era, marked by political polarization, digital surveillance, and the erosion of democratic institutions, Roy’s call for a cultural and political revolution is more relevant than ever. She argued that meaningful change cannot be achieved solely through legal reforms or policy shifts; it also requires a deep transformation in public consciousness. Citizenship, she insisted, must go beyond the act of voting—it must be rooted in critical thinking, participatory governance, and a collective sense of responsibility.

In the face of increasing technological control and the commodification of data, Roy called for reimagining citizenship education. She spoke about the urgent need to equip people—especially youth—with the tools to question authority, understand their rights, and actively engage with democratic processes. She warned that without such awareness, democratic spaces risk being hollowed out, and the promise of equality and justice remains unfulfilled.

Aruna Roy also celebrated the power of grassroots movements in challenging systemic injustice and asserting the rights of the marginalized. Citing landmark struggles like the Right to Information (RTI) movement, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), and the Right to Food campaign, she underscored how sustained people's movements have succeeded in pushing the state toward greater accountability. These movements, rooted in community participation and democratic values, are living embodiments of Radical Humanism in action.

The lecture served not just as a tribute to MN Roy’s intellectual legacy but as a clarion call to reclaim democracy through humanist values, collective action, and moral courage. In Aruna Roy’s words and work, Radical Humanism found a powerful and timely contemporary voice. 

Aruna Roy stands as an enduring inspiration for millions across civil society, particularly for those committed to grassroots activism and working in solidarity with the marginalized. Her lifelong dedication to transparency, accountability, and participatory democracy has empowered countless individuals and communities to assert their rights and demand justice. Through her leadership in transformative movements like the Right to Information campaign and NREGA, she has not only influenced policy but also shaped a powerful model of people-centric governance rooted in ethical politics and radical empathy.

Moreover, her recent book, "The Personal is Political: An Activist Memoir," reflected on the personal dimensions of activism. The memoir offers a nuanced exploration of the intersections between personal choices and public action. Through it, Roy illustrates how intimate, everyday experiences of injustice and resistance are inextricably linked to larger macro-level struggles for democracy, equality, and justice. Her life and work challenge the false binary between the personal and political, showing how the two are fundamentally interconnected.

Remembering the Founding Mothers of the Indian Constitution

March 8, 2025

In my article that appeared here https://janataweekly.org/remembering-the-founding-mothers-of-the-indian-constitution/, I wrote about the Indian women who played a key role in pre-colonial times, contributing immensely to the freedom struggle and shaping the Indian Constitution. 

The pioneer women paved the way for democracy, and it is because of their efforts that Indian women today enjoy equal citizenship rights. They serve as a role model for future generations. Their legacy continues to inspire generations of women to engage with the state and assert their citizenship rights. 

Decades later, the impact of their work is visible. Then, 15 women participated in drafting the Constitution; today, 1.4 million women serve as panchayat leaders. While more women must be joining the top-level decision-making bodies, including the Parliament, the Supreme Court, the High Courts, and the Legislative Assemblies, it is important to celebrate the role of the Founding Mothers. 

As the world celebrates Women's History Month, India could take a moment to recognize the contribution of its Founding Mothers, who advocated for lasting changes. 

As early as 1939, women's collective, in their report of the Sub-Committee on Women's Role in Planned Economy, reimagined the Indian woman as a complete, self-sufficient, and pro-active citizen. 

This report noted, 

"We do not wish to turn a woman into a cheap imitation of a man or to render her useless for the great tasks of motherhood and nation-building. But in demanding equal status and opportunity, we desire to achieve for women the possibility of development under favourable circumstances of education and opportunity, and while doing so, urge upon the State its responsibility towards women in this respect."

Based on this report, the Indian Women's Charter on Rights and Duties was prepared, which highlighted that educated and capable men and women, enjoying their rights to freedom and equality, could contribute to societal progress. 

The outcome of their struggles was a radical step towards liberation. The writing of the Constitution refuted the colonial logic of natives being incapable of self-rule. 

The Founding Mothers significantly shaped the Preamble, advocating for equality, liberty, justice, democracy, and secularism, besides affirmative actions for the marginalized. 

Despite facing numerous challenges, they championed the rights of women in a male-dominated society. 

Their legacy continues to inspire future generations. 

Quotes by MN Roy

M.N. Roy: A Global Intellectual and Revolutionary Thinker

While working on the fifth volume of Selected Works and Writings of M.N. Roy, I was struck by the depth, clarity, and foresight of his ideas. Roy emerges not merely as an Indian political thinker but as a truly global intellectual and revolutionary, one whose contributions spanned continents and ideologies. His writings reveal a powerful synthesis of Marxist thought, radical humanism, and democratic ideals.

Throughout his career, from his involvement in international communist movements to his later advocacy of reason, individual freedom, and ethical politics, Roy remained committed to the pursuit of truth and the emancipation of human consciousness. 

Many of his quotes reflect a profound concern for the moral and intellectual development of society, making his work as relevant today as it was in his time.

I am adding some of these here

“Who is a revolutionary?

What is a revolution? And who is a revolutionary? A revolutionary is one who has got the idea that the world can be remade, made better than it is today; that is was not created by a supernatural power, and therefore could be remade by human efforts. A revolutionary further starts with the knowledge that the world has been remade time and again, and that the process of remaking the world takes place of necessity. Those Indians who have felt the necessity of remaking our country, and are convinced that the people of India have the power to do so, are revolutionaries. One cannot be a revolutionary, without possessing scientific knowledge. One must have the conviction that not only human beings can remake the world, can make and unmake gods, but ever since the birth of the race have been doing that. Human nature is to set up gods, topple them down, and set up new ones.”

― MN Roy

"Freedom is the supreme value of life, because the urge for freedom is the essence of human existence."

M.N. Roy, Reason, Romanticism and Revolution

"Freedom is not a beautiful castle built in the air of imagination. It rests on the triple pillar of humanism, individualism, and nationalism."

MN Roy

"It is true that the common people are illiterate; they may not be able to govern the country. But at the same time, is it not a fact that, left to themselves, even the most ignorant peasants can manage their affairs better than our present government? The distrust for the ability of the common people to think for themselves and take care of themselves is only a pretext for seizing power in their name and abusing that power to suppress their liberty.”

MN Roy

"Science has given confidence to a growing number of human beings that they possess the power to remake the world."

 MN Roy, Science, Philosophy, and Politics, 1942

We stand for a thorough reconstruction of national life. Our political objective is the establishment of democratic freedom, which will mean effective political power for the people. We strive not only for national freedom, but also for the social emancipation of the toiling masses. Our task is to spread enlightenment, which will dispel obscurantism in the political and spiritual life of the country. We advocate modernism in every walk of life against revivalism. We want the disinherited to come to their own and enjoy the richness and fullness of life on this earth. We want man to be the master of the world and the maker of his destiny.”

MN Roy

"The spirit of inquiry into every physical phenomenon confronting us is a spirit of science."

MN Roy, Science, Philosophy, and Politics, 1940

https://www.academia.edu/127727821/Science_Philosophy_and_Politics 

"… the purpose of all rational human endeavour must be to strive for the removal of social conditions which restrict the unfolding of the potentialities of man. The success of this striving is the measure of freedom attained."

"Human beings starts with science. Baffled in primitive efforts to explain natural phenomenon in physical terms, he fell back on metaphysical assumptions, but in the last analysis, these also are analogous to the hypotheses of the scientific enquiry." 

MN Roy, Science, Philosophy, and Politics, 1940

https://www.academia.edu/127727821/Science_Philosophy_and_Politics 

"The realisation of the possibility of a secular rational morality opens up a new perspective before the modern world… It must be realised that human existence is self-contained and self-sufficient; and that, therefore, man can find in himself the power to work out his destiny, to make a better world to live in."

M.N. Roy, Reason, Romanticism and Revolution
From time to time, the march of history is obstructed by the requirements of the established social order,which sets a limit to human creativeness, mental as well as physical. The urge for progress and freedom,born out of the biological struggle for existence, asserts itself with a renewed vigour to break downthe obstacle. A new social order conducive to a less hampered unfolding of human potentialities isvisualised by men, embodying the liberating ideas and cultural values created in the past. A newphilosophy is born out of the spiritual heritage of mankind to herald a reorganisation of society.The passionate belief in the creativeness and freedom of man is the essence of the romantic view of life. The idea of revolution, therefore, is a romantic idea; at the same time, it is rational because revolutions take place of necessity. Revolution, thus, may appear to be a self-contradictory concept

MN Roy Reason, Romanticism, and Revolution 

"When, as a school boy of fourteen, I began my political life, which may end in nothing, I wanted to be free. Independence, complete and absolute, is a new-fangled idea. The old-fashioned revolutionaries thought in terms of freedom. In those days, we had not read Marx. We did not know about the existence of the proletariat. Still, many spend their lives in jail and went to the gallows. There were no proletariat to propel them. They were not conscious of class struggle. They did not have the dreams of Communism. But they had the human urge to revolt against the intolerable conditions of life. They did not know exactly how to those conditions could be changed. But they tried to change them anyhow. I began my political life with that spirit, and I still draw my inspiration from that spirit than from the three volumes of the Capital or three hundred volumes by the Marxists."

MN Roy, New Orientation, p. 120-121