Self-determination of Peoples: A Possibility through Democratic Set-up

IN FOCUS, 2 Feb 2026

Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service

Self- determination Means Freedom of the Self

 The idea of self as something beyond space and time makes a man to realize his true spiritual freedom. He is freed of the bondage of flesh and is in a state of eternal bliss. Prof. LR. Shukla¹ thinks that in this state therein lies his mental integration. “But reality”, says William Brown “is beyond supra-temporal. It is not out of time – it is beyond time. It is that supra-temporal quality which gives us freedom, which enables to control our instinct in terms of mere physical science we reach impasse. We cannot get any further. Determinism is right there. We cannot do other than we are doing. That is about as far as one gets. One cannot go beyond that. But reality is beyond time and space. Reality is essentially spiritual. I am a part of the spiritual universe that puts one in the position of a free agent. The will is free but how it is free we cannot and never shall be able to explain in terms of mere science.”²

This shows that we should make an effort to realize our spiritual self with a unity of sensual self. One becomes free when he attains unity in his self. So, inner freedom will be gained when the organized self has real unity. John Stuart Mackenzie considers, “Those writers who insist on the fact that there is there is determination or law in all our actions, and who on this ground deny freedom, are commonly known as necessitarians. On the other hand, those who insist on liberty to such an extent as to deny all law or determination in human conduct are called Libertarians or Indeterminists. It is now generally recognized that these two schools of writers simply represent opposite sides of the same truth, and that is the idea of self-determination combines the two sides.”³ Standard Desk Dictionary4 defines self-determination as the principle of free-will, decision by oneself or decision by the people of a country or section as to its future political status.

However, self-determination is concerned with real freedom. There is no real freedom, since men are determined by circumstances. The freedom means simply the absence of determination by anything outside, the presence of determination by oneself inside. To be free means that one is determined by one’s owns self. Thus self-determination means freedom of the self.

Self-Realization As the Source of Self-determination

Self-determination agrees with the unity of individual self. It is the unity which is called self. Prof. Shukla⁵ describes three meanings of self: (1) the empirical self or the organized self known in waking consciousness, (2) the psychological individual or the total personality of man both conscious and unconscious, and (3) the transcendental self, the ultimate basis of unity in experience. No aspect of self is realized till we make an effort to realize Self-realization all the aspects.

Self –realization means realization of organized self. Prof. Shukla⁶ rightly observes that the human mind is a self determining organism which absorbs external influences organizes experiences according to central purpose. The perfection of human mind lies in the perfect organization of all its purposes. The process of organization of purposes is identical with the process of self realization. That is, the better the organization of self, the better the self realization. Prof. Hadfield⁷ had marked four stages in the process of self-realization. These stages are (1) the development of self-consciousness, (2) the development of the will, (3)   the development of idealism and (4) the development of character.

Thus self-realization is the source of self-determination. The process of self realization is reconciliation of the lower self with higher self. Without self-reconciliation no self- determination or self-government is possible.

Self-determination: Why?

To be free is the birth right to everyone. It is man’s very nature to be free Rousseau rightly gave his slogan, “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” To give individuals ready-made solutions is to prepare them for life-long slavery. Individuals who depend for their knowledge and practical activity upon others will never become self-reliant. They will always look upon someone else to guide them in the solution of their problems. They will not have the power to decide right and wrong, much less to oppose an authority that does something harmful to them and society.

Nevertheless, self-realization cannot be imposed from without. One’s salvation lies in one’s own will. No one can save us if we do not want to save ourselves. God helps those who help themselves. In reality, everybody can help himself herself or better if he or she gets equal opportunities to unfold his or her innate talent. This is why the United Nations has proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, hat everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedom set forth therein without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, religion, sex, language, and religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status.

Self-determination: A Possibility

Self-determination is possible only when all of the institutions of the society provide proper opportunities to all its individuals to develop their full potentialities freely without any distinction and discrimination.

Hence, all efforts of all the constituent sections of a society have to be directed to cultivate the habit of self-reliance in the people.. The people have to be encouraged to solve their problems themselves. In fact, self-determination needs a democratic framework.

According to S.V.P.  Henderson, “Democracy is based on two assumptions: the infinite value and worth of human possibility and belief that men are capable of managing their own affairs in such a way to promote the welfare of all and that, therefore, they should have the freedom to do so.”8    The reason behind the basis of democracy is the inner self of the people. Democracy cannot be externally imposed upon the people. It should be developed from within. Mahatma Gandhi, in the History of Congress, Allahabad, in 1935, said, “I hold that democracy cannot evolved by forcible methods. The spirit of democracy cannot be imposed from without. It has to come from within.” Therefore, for the self-determination of people such type of mass-education is needed which make the people familiar with democratic ideals and inculcates in them those traits which are essentially desirable in establishing democratic society.

Self-determination: Obstacles and Ways

In present times, on account of the poverty, illiteracy ad discrimination that is prevailing in a number of countries of Asia, democracy is being replaced by dictatorships.

Poverty

With a birth rate Asia is reduced to poverty. S. Chandrasekhar⁹ righty observes that the basic economic and social problem in Asia is really demographic, for here more people means more poverty and vice versa. Asia with about 18 percent of the world’s land surface and 55 percent of the world’s population receives only 12 percent of the world income. The per capita income of a vast majority of Asians is below the poverty line. It ranges between 50 and 120 US dollars. Low income brings misery in Asian countries.

However, a hungry man cannot think of freedom. He may be a slave to getting bread. The people may be prepared to forego their political freedom if their freedom does not help problems of bread.

The world government, like UNO, should provide seed money to Asian countries to raise their national income so that they may feel free to solve their own problems.

Illiteracy

If the people are uneducated there will develop an autocracy in the garb of democracy. Masses will be exploited by the government of the state. All the acts and behaviours of the people will be determined by the state. People will have no freedom of self. Where people are illiterate, there will be no place for self-determination.

It is estimated that there are more than 500 million illiterates in Asia in 1975. It is not possible for all Asian counties to provide educational resources to all their children and adult illiterates Governments are not even able to provide trained teachers, school buildings and equipments for all of them.

However, UNESCO is aware of necessity to remove illiteracy from the world through various means. A UNESCO publication, Learning to Be: the World of Education Today and Tomorrow¹⁰, reports, “All in all, few literacy campaigns have achieved what are generally agreed now-a-days to be the real objectives of the struggle against illiteracy. The aim is not simply to enable an illiterate person to decipher words in a text book but to become better integrated into his environment, to have a better grab of real life, to enhance his personal dignity, to have access to source of knowledge which he personally may find useful to acquire the know-how and the techniques he needs in order to lead a better life.”       

Education leads to democracy. Educated people can form democracy. Education makes a man free of external and internal bondages. Educated persons become capable of solving their own problems by themselves. They are free to decide their own future.

Discrimination

The General Conference of UNESCO on Convention against Discrimination in Education explained the term “discrimination”. “It includes any distinction, exclusion, limitation or preference, which is based on race, colour, sex, language, religion, or other opinion, national or social origin, economic condition or birth.” Discrimination among people and peoples of nation and nations creates a feeling of high and low, superior and inferior, majority and minority. No doubt, majority people are free to realize their full selves, but minority people are deprived of opportunities to develop. In Asia discrimination is great.

However, democracy stands for an absence of class distinction. In Democracy, all people enjoy equal rights of education and work. There are no social disabilities inflicted on any class of people in the society. Then Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi spoke in Kabul on July 4, 1976, “We have had to take action not merely to safeguard our chosen economic path but to defend the very unity and democratic integrity of the country. A nation like India which is composed of numerous religious and linguistic groups must be ever vigilant to see that every constituent section gets fair-play and equal treatment.”

In India, due to certain religious and social disabilities, Scheduled Castes Scheduled Tribes and Backward classes have had an inferior status in Hindu Society, which is low, fast disappearing, it is good sign. Certain provisions of Indian Constitution and also progressive socialistic ideas are helping to erase the social inequalities. The Constitution has prescribed protection and safeguard for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes.

Notes

1. R. Shukla, Principles of Education, Nandishore and Sons, Varanasi, 1947.
2. William Brown, Psychology and Psycho-therapy, p. 106.
3. John S. Mackenzie, A Manual of Ethics, University of Tutorial Press, London, 1939, p. 76.
4. Funk and Wagnalls (Eds.) Standard Desk Dictionary. Radhakrishna Prakashan, New Delhi, 1971, p. 607.
5. cit. p. 63.
6. p. 89.
7. R.A. Hadfield quoted in Principles in Education by L.R. Shukla, p. 72.
8. V.P. Henderson, Introduction to Philosophy of Education, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, pp. 141-42.
9. Chandrasekhar, “Asia Population Problem”, Asia Handbook, edited by Guy Wint, Penguin Books, 1969, pp. 601 and 603.
10. Learning to be: The World of Education Today and Tomorrow, A UNESCO Publication, Sterling Publishers, New Delhi, 1973, p. 39.
11. Indira Gandhi, 20 Point Economic Programme, Broadcast to the Nation, July 1, 1975.

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This Article is based on the paper presented in the IAEWP Second Asian Convention held from August 23-25, 1976 on the theme Mutual Understanding of Peoples and Minority Group Education at Hotel Sendai Plaza, Japan organized under the leadership of Dr. Shintaro Iwashita, Professor of Education, Tohoku University, Japan, and published in the Proceedings of the Asian Convention.

Dr. Surya Nath Prasad, Former President of the International Association of Educators for World Peace (IAEWP), Retired Professor of Education (India), Former Visiting Professor at Graduate Institute of Peace Studies, Kyung Hee University, Republic of Korea, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Peace Education: An International Journal. dr_suryanathprasad@yahoo.co.in

This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 2 Feb 2026.

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