Radhakrishnans professional priority ?
Answers
Only a rudimentary Indian education. He had certainly no Western
education. Thus, his education thought and philosophy as such was very
orthodox, thought
it was cast in the pre-colonial mental makeup. Take the life of Dr. S.
Radhakrishnan.I gave a second reading of his biography his son and
distinguished history writer Savapalli Gopal this time when I sat down
to type these lines. Sarvapalli Gopal had done a historic duty, he
didnt hide or gloss over any unpleasant sides of his great
father’slife. Here I want to only point out that he was born poor and
for him life seemed a struggle from the very beginning. And the poor man
only wanted a government job.That too at the Presidency college,Madras.
But that eluded him. All his attempts to reget the place there, he once
had as a teemporary hand, failed and that was his one great
disappontment. Of course as fate willed it,he went on to produce history
in every step he took afterwards and reached the very height of his
career that had no parallel in Indian society.
His career
But what I want to say here is this: even he didnt think for a minute
what jobs came his way.He was always acutely felt the job
insecurity.Even as a Spalding Professor at Oxford his tenure was only
for five years when he was appointed and he despaired about his future
for he was not yet fifty. And also when he read the just published
Nehru’s Autobiography he jotted down in his diary”Puts us all to shame
for our selfishness and careerist tendencies”.So,when one job came to an
end he seized upon another. Though he continued in the Chair for
longer,when India attained Independence he was ready to take on
non-academic and even diplomatic assignment.This time a Ambassador’s job
in Moscow. He served two terms as Vice-President for the simple reson
there was no vacancy for the next slot.
Even after he served a term as President, he was tempted to stay on. Of course Kamaraj’s assurances didnt materialise ‘Indira Gandhi had her own ideas. He returned home and for such an eminent philosopher, his retirement didn’t give him peace of mind. He missed the Delhi political air! I thought a philosopher of his eminence woud have found an inner peace in a quiet retirement. Radhakrishnan was,I thought, afterall an Indian like all of us! See how our leaders,great men and women conduct themselves these days in Delhi!All seek cushy jobs, Rajya Sabha nominations or some other jobs that would come with all the privileges and comforts of government accomodation in plush New Delhi environment!