DD Kosambi was a scholar, scientist, philosopher and revolutionary theorist whose work and actions reshaped the study of Indian history, science and the theorizing of laws that govern the development of society. His work spanned the breadth of human knowledge, and he saw every aspect of human action worthy of study. He saw different tenets of knowledge as inter-connected and championed the use of ‘combined methods’ to study society. He bridged together history, statistics, archeology, sociology and anthropology to understand the Indian people.
A study of Kosambi’s life shows a profound belief in the democratic ideal. He fought against the idea that scientists could engage in scientific research removed from society and from the people who created him or her. He did not believe in ‘experts’ that had exclusive ownership of knowledge, but believed in the capacity of all human beings to struggle for the truth. He demonstrated the possibility of a new kind of scientist -- one who attempted to engage in a revolutionary science which acted by changing its scene of activity. In fact, knowledge could be brought closer to completion only through the democratic participation of the people.
Kosambi understood that ordinary people armed with the right ideas could reshape the future and that science was an essential part of this process. For him, it was the task of science to affect change. If freedom was the recognition of necessity, he formulated that ‘science was the cognition of necessity’. He wrote, “Science and freedom always march together. The war mentality, which destroys freedom, must necessarily destroy science. The scientist by himself can neither start nor stop a war. . . . But a scientific analysis of the causes of war, if convincing to the people at large, could be an effective as well as a democratic force for peace.”
Kosambi knew the power of ideas and strove to create new formulations that could illuminate paths for the future of India and the world. He strove to be rooted in the life worlds of the people of this nation. He went among them as both a scientist and a student, learning from their ways and beliefs with humility. He looked for the material basis of their ideas and beliefs, rather than dismiss them as backward and superstitious. Among the people he attempted to address the incredible diversity of the lifeworlds of Indian people and theorize variation in society. He said, “The material, when it is present in human society, has endless variations; the observer is himself part of the observed population”. Thus, he saw himself as part of the Indian people who he attempted to explain and study.
Most importantly, through his work he corrected the colonial narrative about the Indian people and showed that India indeed had a history. He did not try to fit Indian history into the rigid categories of Western historiography, but studied Indian civilization scientifically on its own terms. ‘India is a country of long survivals,’ he said, and that we had a ‘living prehistory’. He understood that history is not just the past, but it lives on in people, shaping their worldviews and assumptions. To understand history then, was also essential to understanding ourselves.
DD Kosambi was guided by deep moral and ideological conviction. He was one of the founders of the Indian peace movement and was the only Asian delegate at the Cultural and Scientific Conference for World Peace. He saw the issue of world peace as interlinked with the struggle against hunger, poverty and illiteracy in the third world. He formed an integral part of the world peace movement which saw peace as a precondition for development and the flourishing of human knowledge, art and science. He fought against the use of nuclear weapons.
Kosambi moved through the world with the moral authority of one who did not fear taking a stance for what he believed to be right. He deserves to be known among the Indian people and the people of the world. What he achieved in his life, ideologically, politically, and morally remains an example of an extraordinary life for us today. As the world and Indian society undergo deep changes, we look to Kosambi to scientifically understand the world and our place in it. We seek to study his life and establish our legacy so we can march confidently towards our future.