ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that the nature of the colonised self whose spirit is enslaved, as discussed in 'Svaraj in Ideas' by Krishna Chandra Bhattacharyya. It examines the concept of svaraj and scrutinises the relation between the incompatible concepts, namely, slavery and svaraj, and shows the asymmetry between his claim for svaraj that his recommending in his other writing Indian solution to Western problems. Rajendra Prasad asserts that Bhattacharyya 'left vague and unexplained almost all of his key-concepts'. While endorsing the strength of Bhattacharyya's intention, Ashok Kelkar points out the real danger of misreading Bhattacharyya by the 'tired' and 'lethargic mind'. Similar to the logic of J. J. Rousseau, Bhattacharyya assumes with brief hints and there the pre-slavery state of the self that is in slavery. The slavery in the political sphere is 'tangible' and effects the 'outer life' and operates at a 'conscious' level.
