Who is the grandfather of India?

The affectionate and deeply respectful title of "Grand Old Man of India," which is effectively the "Grandfather of India," is held by Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917). A towering intellectual, a pioneering nationalist, and a relentless critic of British colonialism, Naoroji was one of the most influential figures in the early Indian independence movement. His life's work laid the intellectual and political foundation upon which later leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, would build the campaign for freedom.

His title of "Grand Old Man" was not just a reflection of his age but a testament to his wisdom, his paternal guidance of the nationalist cause, and the immense reverence he commanded across the political spectrum.

Naoroji's most significant contribution to the freedom struggle was his meticulous and groundbreaking "drain theory." In an era when many Indians believed British rule was beneficial, Naoroji was the first to systematically prove how the colonial administration was systematically draining wealth from India to Britain.

Through his scholarly work, particularly his seminal book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India, he used extensive economic data to demonstrate that India was being impoverished by exploitative British policies. He calculated that a significant portion of India's national product was being siphoned off through salaries and pensions for British officials, military expenditures, and profits from trade, leaving the Indian populace in extreme poverty.

This theory provided a powerful and tangible economic argument against colonial rule, galvanizing a generation of Indians and fundamentally shifting the discourse of nationalism from mere political representation to economic justice and complete self-rule, or Swaraj.

Beyond his intellectual contributions, Dadabhai Naoroji was a trailblazer in Indian politics. He was a co-founder of the Indian National Congress in 1885, the organization that would spearhead the freedom movement, and served as its president three times. In a remarkable achievement, he became the first Indian to be elected as a Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons in 1892, representing the constituency of Central Finsbury.

From within the heart of the British Empire, he used his platform to advocate for India's rights and expose the injustices of colonial rule, earning him respect even among his British colleagues. He was a mentor to many prominent freedom fighters, including Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who in turn was a mentor to Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhi himself looked up to Naoroji, seeking his guidance and considering him a true patriot. It is for this pioneering spirit, his profound intellectual contributions, and his role as a guiding elder statesman of the nationalist movement that Dadabhai Naoroji is lovingly and rightfully remembered as the Grand Old Man of India.