Lohia and America Meet 1951 & 1964

Socialism is a much maligned, and little understood word. To Lohia goes the credit of giving it a distinct meaning and philosophy. From an abstract philosophy he has reduced it to easily recognisable concrete principles.

Many believe Lohia to be irresponsible and cantankerous because of his uncompromising anger against tyranny and injustice. He is not only a very angry man, but one of the most human and humane persons. His philosophy of anger and love, the four-pillar state, small-machine technology and equal irrelevance, gives socialism a concreteness and universality that other philosophers in other climes have attempted, but never succeeded.

Lohia's view of the world and international relations is an extension of his fundamental philosophy and principles. Those who do not wish to see beyond or behind the present state of the world laugh at his ideas, a distinction that all big men throughout the ages have acquired. But those who are still open-minded and intelligent enough to understand profound things simply put, will find this vignette of fine mind refreshing.

The book Lohia and America Meet includes the Report of Lohia's visit to America in 1951 and also the press clippings of his talks, etc., when he revisited America in 1964.

Dr. Rammanonar Lohia, perhaps alone among world thinkers at that time, had, by the late forties acquired a reputation for his original concepts of third world! third camp, equal irrelevance of the two world powers, and for his illuminating contributions on imperialism, the impoverishment of the colonies; on sex, colour, race and other divisions in the world's humanity. He was invited by the Foundation for World Government to visit the United States in 1951.

During his visit, he lectured throughout that country at university campuses, groups of intelligentsia, and of those who were then attracted by the idea of world government, and concerned with the forces that had divided and continued to tear asunder, the human race. A report of his visit and on his lecture tour was prepared by Harris Wofford Jr. The introduction to the report, published as 'Lohia and America Meet' in 1951, is reproduced below;

"This report was primarily prepared for Dr. Lohia's friends in India; it is now printed here for his friends in the U.S.A.

**Contents and Sample Pages**