During my entire undergraduate studies, I was surprised and disappointed to find that not a single course focused on South Asian political philosophy. Rather than delving into the profound ideas of our own tradition, we were repeatedly guided through courses that focused solely on Western philosophy. It is regrettable that, despite securing independence from British rule in 1947, the subcontinent — more specifically Pakistan — has still not achieved intellectual sovereignty.
Decades have passed since our bodies were unchained, yet our minds remain fiercely bound by the chains of epistemic imperialism. Our education system, particularly at the university level, continues to privilege Western knowledge systems that are neither culturally embedded nor historically aligned with subcontinental values.
Such a persistent short-sightedness, deeply rooted in the South-Asian colonial experience, carries grave consequences. These consecutive layers of omission are burying our rich indigenous tradition of political and philosophical inquiry. Thinkers like Kautilya, Ashoka, Buddha, Shah Waliullah and Iqbal are seldom treated as political philosophers, their entire intellectual worth is reduced to historical personalities, revivalists and puritans. This blind adherence makes us intellectually dependent upon the West, where Western categories, if not first, are accepted as universal. On the contrary, indigenous thought is dismissed as secondary or obsolete.
To reclaim our own philosophical and political traditions, and secure emancipation from this intellectual subordination, deliberate interventions are required. Courses should be introduced that place South Asian political thought at the core of the curriculum, instead of treating them as monumental scriptures or ornamental additions.
MPhil and PhD scholars should be encouraged to undertake research on the themes of Indian political philosophy. Otherwise, we will continue proposing alien solutions to foreign problems, and individualistic remedies to a society grounded in collectivism. Conscious prioritisation of our intellectual resources is the need of the hour to attain genuine intellectual sovereignty, and to cultivate generations capable of thinking autonomously within their own historical and cultural context.
Mohammad Nabeel Abid
Lahore
