Ranade- The Prophet of Indian Nationalism

 Ranade- The Prophet of Indian Nationalism

 Ranade was the prophet of Indian nationalism. He was the first Indian thinker to insist that national development must be based on the principles of democracy, secularism and liberalism. He emphasised the importance of religious tolerance and Hindu-Muslim unity because he believed that the Indian people were the chosen people of God and India was the true land of promise. It was their historic duty to show the patch to the world.

Ranade made it clear that Hindu or Muslim culture could not become the foundation of Indian nationalism. According to Ranade, the chief quality of the Indian people was their ability to absorb the best from other cultures and to give a new shape and form to their culture.

Ranade maintained that all the major communities in India should come together to attain common objectives and fight against poverty and backwardness. Freedom and prosperity were not possible without unity. He made it clear that it was the common tenet of Indian nationalism that progress for India meant progress of all its parts and communities.