Surendra Sheodas Barlingay
Encyclopedia
Surendra Sheodas Barlingay (July 20, 1919 - 19 December 1997) Nagpur, India) was an India
n logic
ian and Marathi
writer. He earned his Ph.D in philosophy
at Nagpur University. He taught at University of Pune
prior to 1962, and 1970-79, and Zagreb University, from 1962 -1963. He was chair of the philosophy department at Delhi University from 1964 -1967. He was chair of the State Board of Literature and Culture for the government of Maharashtra from 1980-88. He was incarcerated during India's independence movement.He introduced the concept of gene-analysis in philosophy.
(1942-43). He did his post-doctoral research at Oxford University (1958-59). He got the honour to be the first Indian student of Gilbert Ryle
.
S.S.Barlingay was not only a philosopher but a man of action. As a freedom fighter, he was closely associated with the mainstream of our national life, right from Mahatma Gandhiji, Pt. Nehru, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Rajaji, the then president Rajendra Prasad, Ram Manohar Lohia, shri Yusuf Meherally, Acharya Narendra Dev, S.K. Patil, Achyutarao Patwardhan, M.N Roy and Elen Roy and Acharya Dada Dharmadhikari, Shri Shriman Narayan, Jaiprakash Narayan, Swami Ramanand Tirth, Annasaheb Sahasrabuddhe, Baba Raghavdas, Sane Guruji and Vinobha Bhave to common people. He was always sensitive to what was going around him and this led him to participate in the Freedom Movements of 1932 and 1942. He also participated in the Hyderabad Struggle of 1947-48. He was Secretary of all India Student’s Conference 1940 and the General Secretary of C. P. and Berar Students’ Federation 1940-41. He was one of the Founders and a Joint Secretary of All India Students’ Congress and also one of the organizers of the Rashtriya Yuvak Sangh which played an important role in pre-independence period. He also participated in the Kisan and Labour movements.
As a founder of several colleges and educational institutions, he has contributed to the spread of education in Marathwada and the Telangana. He was the founder Principal of People’s College, Nanded
(1950-56), College of Arts and Science, Siddipeth, Medak (1956-57) and principal of S. R. R. College of Karimnagar (1957-59). He has also been the founder Secretary and sometime Vice-President of the Nutan Vidya Samiti and New Science College., Hyderabad.
As a teacher of Philosophy, he was also associated with S. V. University, Tirupati, University of Delhi, and University of Poona in India and Universities of Zagreb (Yugoslavia) and Western Australia. In fact he was the first Indian Professor of Philosophy and Culture at Zagreb (Yugoslavia). He also had the honour of delivering lectures at the Universities of Oslo, Manchester, Belgrade and Udain.
He has represented India at various International Conferences and Seminars. These include the Seminar on ‘Man to-day’ at Dubrovnik (Yugoslavia), Australasian Philosophy Conference at Weimar. He also attended the UNESCO Experts’ Meet at (Senegal) as a delegate.
The Philosophy Community of India has duly recognized SSB’s services to Philosophy by conferring the befitting honors. He has been the General President of the Darshan Parishad, Ranchi (1975), Indian Philosophical Congress, Madras 1979. He was the President of Indian Academy of Philosophy, Calcutta. He has been a U. G. C. National Lecturer (1974), and a fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Simla (1976-77).
S.S.Barlingay has been the founder editor of Deshbandhu (a daily) and Inquilab (a weekly) of Nagpur. He has revived the former ‘Philosophical Quarterly’ of Amalner as the ‘Indian Philosophical Quarterly’ and has also started two Philosophical Journals, Paramarsha (Marathi) and Paramarsha (Hindi) in University of Pune, Pune.
As head of the department of philosophy in Pune university he tried to build and develop the Department in many ways. For instance, he,
(1) Started three journals of philosophy in English, Marathi and Hindi respectively
(2) Managed to appoint a Nyaya pandit to teach Nyaya and other philosophies, (3)Managed to revise the philosophy syllabus.
(4) Organized a series of seminars where there could be dialogue amongst pandits and philosophers trained in the western way.
(5) Introduced Modern Logic - symbolic and philosophical logic in the curriculum
(6) Did establish chairs in Jain philosophy and philosophy of science.
(7) Organized summer institutes for a number of years.(in one such summer institute Professor Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya was invited, SSB submitted to him a memorandum with a request to establish ICPR.
([8) Introduced "open course" to encourage free thinking, where teachers are allowed to formulate their own thoughts and present them in the form of a course which was treated on par with other coursed listed in the syllabus."
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
ian and Marathi
Marathi people
The Marathi people or Maharashtrians are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, that inhabit the Maharashtra region and state of western India. Their language Marathi is part of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages...
writer. He earned his Ph.D in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at Nagpur University. He taught at University of Pune
University of Pune
The University of Pune , is a university located in northwestern Pune, India. It was founded in 1949. Spread over a campus, the university is home to 46 academic departments...
prior to 1962, and 1970-79, and Zagreb University, from 1962 -1963. He was chair of the philosophy department at Delhi University from 1964 -1967. He was chair of the State Board of Literature and Culture for the government of Maharashtra from 1980-88. He was incarcerated during India's independence movement.He introduced the concept of gene-analysis in philosophy.
Education
S.S.Barlingay's scholarly career too, has been equally impressive and inspiring. He was a fellow at the Indian Institute of Philosophy, AmalnerAmalner
Amalner, IndiaAmalner, India is a city and a municipal council in Jalgaon district in the state of Maharashtra, India, situated on the bank of the Bori River....
(1942-43). He did his post-doctoral research at Oxford University (1958-59). He got the honour to be the first Indian student of Gilbert Ryle
Gilbert Ryle
Gilbert Ryle , was a British philosopher, a representative of the generation of British ordinary language philosophers that shared Wittgenstein's approach to philosophical problems, and is principally known for his critique of Cartesian dualism, for which he coined the phrase "the ghost in the...
.
Career
S.S.Barlingay was a distinguished scholar and teacher of Philosophy. Teacher, educationist, social reformer, journalist, political activist and philosopher all rolled in one, Professor Surendra S. Barlingay is known for his strikingly unorthodox views on different fields of knowledge. SSB's vision had penetrated into the future of philosophy, particularly making Indian Philosophy a living and socially relevant inquiry. His reunderstanding Indian Philosophy gives us new vista and new making of life.S.S.Barlingay was not only a philosopher but a man of action. As a freedom fighter, he was closely associated with the mainstream of our national life, right from Mahatma Gandhiji, Pt. Nehru, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Rajaji, the then president Rajendra Prasad, Ram Manohar Lohia, shri Yusuf Meherally, Acharya Narendra Dev, S.K. Patil, Achyutarao Patwardhan, M.N Roy and Elen Roy and Acharya Dada Dharmadhikari, Shri Shriman Narayan, Jaiprakash Narayan, Swami Ramanand Tirth, Annasaheb Sahasrabuddhe, Baba Raghavdas, Sane Guruji and Vinobha Bhave to common people. He was always sensitive to what was going around him and this led him to participate in the Freedom Movements of 1932 and 1942. He also participated in the Hyderabad Struggle of 1947-48. He was Secretary of all India Student’s Conference 1940 and the General Secretary of C. P. and Berar Students’ Federation 1940-41. He was one of the Founders and a Joint Secretary of All India Students’ Congress and also one of the organizers of the Rashtriya Yuvak Sangh which played an important role in pre-independence period. He also participated in the Kisan and Labour movements.
As a founder of several colleges and educational institutions, he has contributed to the spread of education in Marathwada and the Telangana. He was the founder Principal of People’s College, Nanded
Nanded
Nanded is the second largest city in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India. It is also headquarters of Nanded district in the Marathwada Division of the state. It is an important holy place for the Sikh faith and is famous for the Hazur Sahib Gurudwara. It is the district headquarters once...
(1950-56), College of Arts and Science, Siddipeth, Medak (1956-57) and principal of S. R. R. College of Karimnagar (1957-59). He has also been the founder Secretary and sometime Vice-President of the Nutan Vidya Samiti and New Science College., Hyderabad.
As a teacher of Philosophy, he was also associated with S. V. University, Tirupati, University of Delhi, and University of Poona in India and Universities of Zagreb (Yugoslavia) and Western Australia. In fact he was the first Indian Professor of Philosophy and Culture at Zagreb (Yugoslavia). He also had the honour of delivering lectures at the Universities of Oslo, Manchester, Belgrade and Udain.
He has represented India at various International Conferences and Seminars. These include the Seminar on ‘Man to-day’ at Dubrovnik (Yugoslavia), Australasian Philosophy Conference at Weimar. He also attended the UNESCO Experts’ Meet at (Senegal) as a delegate.
The Philosophy Community of India has duly recognized SSB’s services to Philosophy by conferring the befitting honors. He has been the General President of the Darshan Parishad, Ranchi (1975), Indian Philosophical Congress, Madras 1979. He was the President of Indian Academy of Philosophy, Calcutta. He has been a U. G. C. National Lecturer (1974), and a fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Simla (1976-77).
S.S.Barlingay has been the founder editor of Deshbandhu (a daily) and Inquilab (a weekly) of Nagpur. He has revived the former ‘Philosophical Quarterly’ of Amalner as the ‘Indian Philosophical Quarterly’ and has also started two Philosophical Journals, Paramarsha (Marathi) and Paramarsha (Hindi) in University of Pune, Pune.
As head of the department of philosophy in Pune university he tried to build and develop the Department in many ways. For instance, he,
(1) Started three journals of philosophy in English, Marathi and Hindi respectively
(2) Managed to appoint a Nyaya pandit to teach Nyaya and other philosophies, (3)Managed to revise the philosophy syllabus.
(4) Organized a series of seminars where there could be dialogue amongst pandits and philosophers trained in the western way.
(5) Introduced Modern Logic - symbolic and philosophical logic in the curriculum
(6) Did establish chairs in Jain philosophy and philosophy of science.
(7) Organized summer institutes for a number of years.(in one such summer institute Professor Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya was invited, SSB submitted to him a memorandum with a request to establish ICPR.
([8) Introduced "open course" to encourage free thinking, where teachers are allowed to formulate their own thoughts and present them in the form of a course which was treated on par with other coursed listed in the syllabus."
Legacy
In his honor the Indian Council of Philosophical Research organized a three-day programme called "Meet the Philosopher: Surendra S .Barlingay" in March, 1993 in the University of Delhi. The volume, Confessions and Commitments is outcome of this event. On his completing sixty years of his age on 20th July 1979, to mark this occasion a felicitation volume '"Philosophy: Theory and Action" was prepared. And to mark his contribution to the nation as freedom fighter he was interviewed by Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi in 1993 in the Oral history Project. This material was later used in the TV serial 'Discovery Of India'. The department of Philosophy, University of Pune expressed its deep gratitude and concern by publishing three volumes. One in Marathi and two in HindiWorks
- Mee Pan Majhee (1982)
- Saundaryache Vyakarana (1956)
- Maze Ghar Masa Desh (1985)
- Inquilab (1985)
- A Modern Introduction to Indian Aesthetic Theory (2007)