Asoka Mehta

Asoka Mehta (24 October 1911–10 December 1984) was an Indian political activist, trade union organiser and prominent socialist thinker who played a formative role in the development of socialist politics during the decades surrounding India’s independence. His political career extended from the freedom struggle to high-level policymaking in independent India, and he contributed significantly to debates on economic planning, democratic socialism and labour rights.

Early Life and Education

Asoka Mehta was born in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, to Ranjitram Mehta, a noted Gujarati writer. His early education took place in Ahmedabad and Sholapur, after which he proceeded to Bombay University, graduating in 1931. His student years coincided with the height of nationalist mobilisation, and he was exposed to the Swadeshi movement, which shaped his early political consciousness. These formative experiences laid the foundation for his later commitment to socialism and labour welfare.

Role in the Indian Freedom Movement

Mehta’s political involvement began with participation in the Civil Disobedience Movement, for which he was imprisoned in 1932. His role expanded further during the Quit India Movement of 1942, when he was again arrested and subjected to rigorous imprisonment. Over the course of the freedom struggle, he was sentenced to prison five times, reflecting his sustained engagement in nationalist mass movements and his ideological alignment with socialist leaders of the period.
Mehta became associated with the Congress Socialist Party (CSP), organised alongside figures such as Jaya Prakash Narayan and Rambriksh Benipuri. Within the CSP, he contributed to consolidating the socialist wing of the Indian National Congress. His work during this period focused heavily on urban political organisation, particularly in the city of Bombay.

Post-Independence Political Activities

Following India’s independence, Mehta turned his attention towards trade union organisation. He was among the founders of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), contributing to its emerging role in representing labour interests across industrial sectors. From 1946 to 1947, he served as Mayor of Bombay, during which he addressed civic issues arising from rapid urban expansion and post-war pressures.
Mehta temporarily withdrew from active electoral politics in the early 1950s. During this period, he authored several works on the freedom struggle and the necessity of socialist reforms in a newly independent nation. His intellectual contributions helped articulate a distinctly Indian vision of democratic socialism.

Formation of the Praja Socialist Party

A key turning point in Mehta’s political career came with the merger of the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party and the Socialist Party in 1952. The merger created the Praja Socialist Party (PSP), driven largely by the collaborative efforts of Ram Manohar Lohia and Asoka Mehta. He became the General Secretary of the PSP and went on to serve as its President from 1959 to 1963. Under his leadership, the party advocated land reform, decentralised planning, and labour rights, seeking to position socialism within democratic parliamentary politics.

Parliamentary Career and Policy Contributions

Mehta represented the Bhandara constituency in the 1st, 2nd and 4th Lok Sabha, marking three terms in the lower house of Parliament. He was also a member of the Rajya Sabha from 3 April 1966 to 26 February 1967. His parliamentary work frequently centred on economic policy, labour welfare, and planning.
In 1956, Mehta became a founding member of the first Governing Body of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), India’s first independent economic policy institute. His involvement in this institution underlined his interest in using empirical research to guide public policy.
In 1963, he was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, a position from which he influenced national developmental strategies during a critical phase of India’s economic consolidation. He subsequently served as a Union Minister after 1964, reflecting his integration into mainstream national governance.

Political Realignments and Later Career

After internal disputes within the Praja Socialist Party, Mehta joined the Indian National Congress in 1964. The later split in the Congress in 1969, which created the Congress (I) faction led by Indira Gandhi, saw Mehta join the opposing Congress (O) faction.
During the Emergency (1975–1977), he was arrested on 26 June 1975 and detained in Rohtak Jail in Haryana, joining many other political leaders imprisoned during this period of suspended democratic processes.
In 1977, under the premiership of Morarji Desai, Mehta was appointed Chairman of what became widely known as the Ashok Mehta Committee, which was tasked with examining and recommending reforms for Panchayati Raj institutions. The Committee’s report emphasised the significance of a two-tier system, district-level planning, and grassroots participation, influencing subsequent debates on local governance.

Major Works

Asoka Mehta was a prolific writer whose works explored economic planning, political organisation and socialist ideology. His notable publications include:

• Economic Planning in India
• Who Owns India? (1950)
• Democratic Socialism
• Studies in Socialism (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan)
• Reflections on Socialist Era (C. Chand and Co.)