Gandhian Satyagraha for 21st Century

DAY 1: 12TH FEBRUARY 2024, MONDAY

Registration 9:30AM- 10:00AM
Inaugural Session 10:00AM- 11:45.AM
● Lighting up of lamps and Gandhi Bhajans

● Introduction of seminar theme by GSC Convener

● Welcome address by the Principal

● Address by the Chair- GB Chairperson

● Chief Guest Address

● Keynote address by Prof A. Raghurama Raju (IIT, Triupati )

● Vote of Thanks

Session 1: Satyagraha in Historical Perspective 12 Noon -1:30PM

Chair: Dr. R.C. Pradhan, Gandhian, Formerly Fellow at Wardha
1) Prof. Geeta Dharampal, Dean Research, Gandhian Research Institute, Jalgaon (Formerly)South Asia
Institute, Heidelberg University, Germany
2) Dr. Bhuwan Jha, Associate Professor, Department of History, DU
3) Prof. Anil Dutta Mishra, Former Deputy Director, National Gandhi Museum, Delhi

Session 2: Satyagraha and Electoral Democracy: Challenges and Possibilities 2:30PM-4 PM

Chair- Prof Ujjwal kumar Singh, Professor, Department of Political Science, DU
1) Dr. Rahul Verma, Fellow, Centre for Policy research (CPR), Delhi
2) Dr. Sajjan Kumar, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Fellow at Prime Ministers Memorial and Museum Library,
Delhi
3) Prof Sanjeev HM, Professor, Department of Political Science, DU

Session 3: Satyagraha and Cultural Resistance 4:15PM- 5:45 PM

Chair- Manindra Nath Thakur, Associate Professor, CPS, SSS, JNU
1) Dr. Neerja Singh, Associate Professor, Satyawati college, DU
2) Dr Dhananjay Rai, Centre of Gandhian Studies, Central University Gujrat, Presently Fellow at CSDS
3) Dr. Varada Sambhus, Deputy Director, ICSSR

DAY 2: 13TH FEBRUARY 2024, TUESDAY

Session 4: Gandhi and Gandhigiri: Satyagraha Discourse in Movies and Theatres 10:00AM- 11:45AM
Chair- Dr Ashish Ghosh, Actor, Director and Leading children Theatre Activist, Founder of ANANT
1) Dr Ravikant , Fellow at CSDS , Delhi
2) Prof. Smita Banerjee, Associate Professor, DCAC, DU
3) Prof. Devendra Raj Ankur, Former Director , National School of Drama, Delhi

Session 5: Satyagraha and New Social Movements 12 Noon- 1:30 PM

Chair: Dr Ajay Gudavarthy, Associate Professor, CPS, SSS, JNU
1) Dr. Mithilesh Kumar Jha, Assistant Professor, IIT, Guwahati
2) Dr. Hilal Ahmad, Fellow, CSDS, Delhi
3) Prof Anand kumar, Professor(Retd.)CSSS, SSS, JNU

Session 6: Panel Discussion Reimagining Satyagraha in 21st Century 2:30PM- 4:30PM

Chair- Prof Gurpreet Mahajan, Professor(Retd.), CPS. SSS, JNU
 1) Prof. Oinam Bhagat, C.Phil, SSS, JNU
2)Prof Bhikhu Parekh, Member House of Lords, UK ,Emiritus Professor of political Philosophy,
University of Westminster, UK and Emiritus Professor of political Theory, University of Hull
3) Prof Avijit Pathak, Professor(Rtd.), CSSS, SSS, JNU
4) Prof Anuradha Veeravalli, Formerly with Department Of Philosophy, University Of Delhi.

Prof. A Raghuramaraju
A. Raghuramaraju teaches philosophy at the Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati. He has a
Ph.D. in philosophy from IIT Kanpur and taught at Goa University and the University of
Hyderabad. His publications include Debates in Indian Philosophy: Classical, Colonial and
Contemporary; Debating Gandhi: A Reader, editor; Enduring Colonialism: Classical
Presences and Modern Absences in Indian Philosophy; Modernity in Indian Social
Theory; Philosophy and India: Ancestors, Outsiders and Predecessors; Debating
Vivekananda: A Reader, editor; Desire and Liberation: Biography of a Text by Vaddera
Chandidas, an editor. All published by Oxford University Press. Routledge
publishes Modern Frames and Premodern Themes in Indian Philosophy: Border, Self and
Other; Calibrating Western Philosophy for India: Rousseau, Derrida, Deleuze, Guattari and
Vaddera Chandidas. His edited volume is titled Seven Sages: Selected Essays of
Ramchandra Gandhi, published by Penguin. He has been writing a monthly column since
October 2019 for the English daily, The Telegraph, Kolkata.
 Dr. Ram Chandra Pradhan
Ram Chandra Pradhan, a well-known social activist and Gandhian Scholar, taught at Ramjas
College, University of Delhi for several decades. As one of the conveners of the Lokayan
project and as an activist thinker of the Movement for Peace and Alternative Development,
he travelled all over the world and interacted with activists and scholars across the continents.
Dr. Pradhan has been a recipient of the Senior Fulbright Fellowship (1979-80) and the Indo-
Canadian Shastri Fellowship (1993). He is the author of several books including Raj to
Swaraj, Raj se Swaraj (Hindi) and Reading and Reappraising Gandhi. He is engaged in
writing a multi-volume study of the Indian Socialist Movement. Presently, he is an Honorary
Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Gandhian Studies, Wardha (Maharashtra). --This text refers
to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
 Prof gita Dharampal
Prof. Gita Dharampal, PhD, Sorbonne, Paris (1980); Habilitation (=German Professorial
qualification), Freiburg, Germany (1992) was Head of History at the South Asia Institute,
Heidelberg University. After retirement in 2018, she moved to India and was appointed
Honorary Dean of Research at the Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra. Her
publications focus on pre-modern transcultural interactions between Europe and India, Indian
Ocean cultural history (1400-1800), Indian medical history, religious-ritual and caste
transformations (1500-2000), the socio-cultural and political history of the colonial period, in
general, with a special emphasis on Gandhi’s movement of political and cultural resurgence.
Last but not least, she is intent on continuing the historical work of her late father Shri
Dharampal (1922-2016).
 Dr Bhuwan Jha
Bhuwan Jha is Associate Professor of Modern and Contemporary history in Delhi University.
He has studied at Kirori Mal College for his BA (Hons) and MA. He did his MPhil and PhD
from the History Department of Delhi University. He has earlier taught history at CHS, JNU,
at Satyawati College and some other colleges of Delhi University. He has also been a Fellow
at the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library, Teen Murti, besides serving as an Affiliated
Fellow, and Deputy Director, at the Centre for Global Studies, Delhi University. He has also
worked in the administration of the University of Delhi as Assistant Registrar. He has worked
on themes related to the Indian National Movement, development of ideas and institutions
around Hindu identity, e.g. Hindu Mahasabha, Arya Samaj and other fraternal organizations;
formation and interlinkages of political groups in twentieth century; contextualizing the role
and contributions of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya; history of Central Armed Police Forces.
His most recent works include a history of CRPF (a project commissioned by the
organization) Nation First: 82 Years of Glorious Service to the Nation 1939-2020, Rupa,
New Delhi, 2021; Hindu Nationalism in India: Ideology and Politics, Routledge, Oxon and
New York, 2020 (co-authored); ‘Mahatma and Mahamana: Agreement within Differences’,
Indian HistoricalReview, June 2022; ‘Negotiating the Place of Madan Mohan Malaviya in
Modern Indian History’, Occasional Paper, Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library 2021;
‘Nehru Report, Muslim demands and the Hindu Mahasabha: Elusive Consensus on Future
Constitution’ in Indian Journal of Public Administration, December 2020.
 Prof Anil Dutt Mishra
Dr. Anil Dutta Mishra is a distinguished Gandhian scholar and writer. He started his career as
Assistant Professor in the Department of Nonviolence and Peace Studies, Jain Vishva Bharati
University, Ladnun, Rajasthan, became Deputy Director of National Gandhi Museum and
Honorary Professor, Centre for Gandhian Philosophy and Human Development, Gayatri
Vidya Parishad Degree College[ Autonomous], Visakhapatnam and former Professor
Research, U.P.Rajarshi Tandon Open University, Allahabad. Presently, Treasurer IIPA Delhi
Regional Branch, New Delhi and Hony. Senior Vice President, Sulabh International Social
ServiceOrganisation New Delhi .
He held the position of General Secretary of Indian Society of Gandhian Studies, Alliance for
Sarvodaya, Member Board of Studies, Nagpur and Punjab Universities and is Member of
Gandhian Studies Centre of different colleges and universities across India sponsored by
UGC . He has authored/ edited 50 books and published more than hundred research papers,
examined number of Ph.D scholars and delivered lecturer in almost every universities in this
country.
His latest books are
(i) Mahatma Gandhi on Education, Character and Nation Building( In 3Volumes), Regal,
New Delhi,2020
(ii) Deendyal Upadhayaya Eak Adhayan, Concept, New Delhi,2019
(iii) Debating Nationalism: Aurobindo,Gandhi,Pal, Tagore and Savarkar, Concept, New
Delhi, 2018
(iv) Mahatma Gandhi on Moral Bankruptcy, Concept, New Delhi, 2018
(v) Gandhi and Women: Gandhi's Letters to Women(In 18 Volumes ),Shityagar, Jaipur,2017.
 Prof Manindra Nath Thakur
Manindra Nath Thakur teaches Indian Intellectual Traditions in India at the
Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. He completed his
PhD at Delhi University and dedicated nearly two decades to teaching at the
same institution. Dr Thakur was honoured with a Fellowship for Innovative
Research at the Developing Countries Research Centre, The University of
Delhi.

During his tenure as a Fellow at the Nehru Museum and Library, he focused
on researching New Religious Movements in India. Beyond his academic
achievements, he played a significant role in establishing the Creative Theory
Group, which endeavors to shift the centre of intellectual activities from the
West to the East. This group annually organises colloquia in collaboration with
the India International Centre and RAZA Foundation.

Moreover, Dr Thakur is the founder and Trustee of the Foundation for Creative
Social Research. This foundation aims to provide a fresh direction to research
by addressing issues that impact people’s lives while incorporating innovative
perspectives rooted in Indian Intellectual traditions.

His also co-founded the Social Healing, which promotes conflict resolution and
the inter-community dialogue. Among his notable works, an edited volume
titled ‘Wounded History: Religion, Conflict, Psyche, and Social Healing,’
presnts compelling arguments for secularism from an Indian perspective.
Another edited volume explores the limits and democratic potential of Anna
Hazare’s anti-corruption movement.

Recently, Dr Thakur published a book in Hindi entitled ‘Gyan ki Rainiti:

Bharteey Chintan aur Samaj Adhyayan,’ proposing a paradigm shift in social
science by disentangling Western philosophy from social science. Instead, it
advocates for a new paradigm that engages in a meaningful dialogue between
social sciences and Indian philosophy.
 Dr Neerja Singh
Professor Neerja Singh teaches at Department of History, Satyawati College, University of
Delhi. She did her Ph.D from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, under the supervision
of Professor Bipan Chandra. Recipient of UGC National Research Award, the author is a
renowned academic and has published three books namely:
1. Gandhi-Patel: Letters and Speeches (National Book trust, New Delhi).
2. Differences within Consensus and Nehru-Patel: Agreement within Differences and Patel
(National Book Trust, New Delhi).
3. Patel, Prasad and Rajaji: Myth of the Indian Right (Modern Indian Series: Sage
Publications).
She has participated in many national and international seminars and presented papers. She
has also been involved in developing reading materials for students belonging to
underdeveloped communities. She has also been associated with institutions
working in this area.
 Prof Ujjwal Singh
Ujjwal Kumar Singh is Reader, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi. He
holds a Ph.D. from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He has
been a Fellow at the Centre for Contemporary Studies, Nehru Memorial Museum and
Library, New Delhi (2002-2004), and taught earlier at Hindu College, Delhi University, and
Panjab University, Chandigarh. Dr Singh has previously published Political Prisoners in
India (1998, 2001). He has written and published extensively on laws and institutions,
electoral governance and issues concerning democratic rights. He is currently engaged in
editing a volume on Peace and Human Rights: Ideas, Institutions and Movements.
 Dr. Rahul Verma
Rahul Verma is Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi
Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science, Ashoka University. His research
interests include voting behavior, party politics, political violence, and media. He is a regular
columnist for various news platforms and has published papers in Asian Survey, Economic &
Political Weekly, and Studies in Indian Politics.

His book co-authored with Pradeep Chhibber, Ideology and Identity: The Changing Party
Systems of India (OUP: New York, 2018) develops a new approach to defining the contours
of what constitutes an ideology in multi-ethnic countries such as India.

He has a PhD in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley, US. His
doctoral dissertation examines why do some political families flourish, and others decline
quickly. He completed his MPhil in Political Science from Delhi University, MA in
Development Studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, and BA from
Kirori Mal College, Delhi University.

Dr Sajjan Kumar
Dr. Sajjan Kumar is the co-author of the book: Everyday Communalism, published by
Oxford University Press, 2018. He is a political analyst and writes regularly in academic
journals and newspapers like The Hindu, Indian Express, New Indian Express, Deccan
Herald, Huffington Post, The Wire etc. His area of interest lies in Indian Politics,
Political Theory, Research Methodology and Agrarian Issues and Election Studies. In the
last 10 years, he has conducted field studies in 20 states extensively. In 2018, he was the
Panel Convener of the session Titled, ‘Mainstreaming the Margin: BJP and North-East,
at European Conference on South Asian Studies (ECSAS-2018) held at Paris, France. He
has been the Academic Consultant to the Prime Ministers Project, NMML-Delhi,
Ministry of Culture, India.

Prof Sanjeev kumar HM

Sanjeev Kumar H. M. is Professor of international relations and global politics at the
Department of Political Science, University of Delhi, India. He has previously taught at the
South Asian University (SAARC University), New Delhi; the University of Allahabad,
Allahabad; and the Karnatak University, Dharwad. His areas of interest include Islamic
thought and international relations, international relations theory, the politics of Muslim
identity and the question of world order, India–Pakistan relations, democratization of South
Asia, South Asian security, and the history of ideas in South Asia. He has published
extensively in reputed journals such as the British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, Third
World Quarterly, Economic & Political Weekly, South Asian Survey and Society and Culture
in South Asia on related themes. His publications include the textbook Modern South Asian
Thinkers (2018), a co-edited encyclopaedic volume. He is currently working on the Indian
Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) project ‘Popular Imaginaries and Discourses on
Politics in India: Exploring Cultural Narratives as Alternative Sites of Knowledge
Construction’. He is also working on a co-authored book titled Deconstructing Islamophobic
Public Culture: Hindu Nationalism and the ‘Muslim Other’ in India.
 Dr. dhananjay rai
Visiting Fellow, Centre For The Study of Developing Societies, Delhi & Since 2011, Faculty
at Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar. Study and research in Politics, Political
Theory, Political Thought, Cultural Studies, Higher Education. Graduated from University of
Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

Dr varada sambhus
Varada holds M.A., M/Phil and PhD in Political Science from Jawaharlal Nehru University,
New Delhi. She is a founding faculty member of Maharashtra National Law University,
Mumbai and has taught at MNLU Mumbai since 2015. Currently, she is a Research Fellow at
Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi. She is a passionate teacher and an avid
researcher. Before joining MNLU Mumbai, she also taught at various institutions of higher
education in Pune and Mumbai. Her research interests include religion and politics; bhakti
traditions; gender; law, governance and Public policy.
 Dr Ashish Ghosh
Ashish Kumar Ghosh was born in a village in West Bengal in 1944. Memories of the place
continued to inspire his artistic self even after he shifted to Delhi in 1957 to complete formal
education and make a career in academics in the University of Delhi. Theater was in the
family. He was fortunate to find mentors in academics, theater, music, and choreography to
combine these inputs to start working in children’s theater from 1986. Henceforth, most of
his research themes centered on children, the grassroots, and performance traditions. His
original plays are written in Bengali and rooted to culture-friendly traditions of India. His
Hindi plays have been devised in workshops first and subsequently written with contributions
from the participants. He writes, directs, and performs in plays with the conviction that
simple is the most profound. He also leads projects on drama and education. The rest of his
time is spent in organizing ASSITEJ India.
 Dr. Ravikant
Ravikant is a bilingual historian, writer, and translator. He read, researched, and taught
modern Indian and world history in various colleges of Delhi University before joining the
Centre’s Sarai programme at its inception in 2000. He is the author of Media ki Bhasha-leela,
New Delhi, Vani Prakashan, 2016. His collaboratively edited books include Translating
Partition: Stories, Essays, Criticism with Tarun Saint (2001); Deewan e Sarai 01: Media
Vimarsh: Hindi Janpad (2002), Deewan e Sarai 02: Shaharnama with Sanjay Sharma (2005)
and Hinglish Live: Language mixing across media (2021). His collaborative filmography
includes Andaz Production's Kali Shalwar (2001), an adaptation of Saadat Hasan Manto's
eponymous story, and Jo Dooba So Paar (2011).

Ravikant’s doctoral work, 'Words in Motion Pictures: A social History of Language of 'Hindi'
Cinema', navigated inter-media sites such as print, broadcasting, and web in an effort to offer
creative connections between these media forms and their diverse publics. The Hinglish
Project, in collaboration with SOAS, London, tries to make sense of contemporary
bilingualism in North India. He also works for the Indian Languages programme at CSDS
and its peer-reviewed journal Pratiman. His recently published essays can be found on the
web at Academia.edu, Kafila, Rachnakar, Gadyakosh, Janaki Pul, and the Deewan mailing
list, which he manages
 Prof Smit Banerjee
Dr Smita Banerjee is Professor in English at Delhi College of Arts & Commerce, Delhi
University. She specialises in Postcolonial, Feminist and Cinema Studies. She is the author of
Modernities and the Popular Melodrama: The Suchitra–Uttam Yug in Bengali Cinema,
Orient Blackswan, India. 2023; co-editor of The Working Woman: Indian Perspectives on
Stereotypes, Marginalisation and Empowerment, Bloomsbury Prime India 2020 and Tawaif
and the Travelling Bioscope, Apple Books India 2015. Her recent publications include book
chapters: ‘The Caged Woman: Female Desire, Guilt and Transgression in Bimal Roy’s
Bandini(1963)’ in ‘Bad’ Women of Bombay Films: Studies in Desire and Anxiety, Palgrave
Macmillan 2019; ‘Performing the Bhadramahila Suchitra Sen and Popular Bangla Cinema’ in
A Companion to Indian Cinema Wiley Blackwell, 2022, ‘Marginalizations and Repressions
in Vijaya Mehta’s Pestonjee and Hamidabai ki Kothi’ in Women Filmmakers in
Contemporary Hindi Cinema, Palgrave Macmillan 2023.She has published widely in
International and UGC-Care listed journals.
 Dr. Devendraraj Ankur
Born in1948 in Sirsa, Haryana, Shri Devendra Raj Ankur studied theatre at the National
School of Drama in Delhi, where he obtained his diploma in 1972 specializing in direction. In
1981, he took his Master s degree in Hindi from the University of Delhi. After a stint in
NSD’s Repertory Company he joined as faculty in NSD 1979, and has since served NSD in
various capacities in Delhi and its Resource Centre in Bangalore. He was appointed Director
of NSD in 2001.
As a theatre director; Shri Ankur has staged a variety of fiction and other literature without
their adaptation into dramatic form. Since his initial experiments in 1975, Shri Ankur has
produced numerous stories, novelr, and plays in this manner, drawn from literature in Hindi,
urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, and other languages. His important productions include Mahabhoj,
Anaro, Khanabadosh, Rustam-Sohrab, Yahudi ki Ladaki, Abhigyana Shakuntalam,
Mirchkatika, Ai Ladki, and Uska Bachpan. He has conducted production-oriented workshops
in various parts of India under NSDs extension programme, and has participated in several
seminars. His publications include two collections of his articles in Hindi -Pehla Rang (1999)
and Rang Collage (2000) -and the volume Oarshan Pradarshan (2002). The Sahitya Kala
Parishad; Delhi, has conferred its Parishad Samman on ShriAnkur in 2000-2001. His book
Pehla Rang received an award from the Hindi Akademi in 2001. Shri Devendra Raj Ankur
receives the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to theatre as a director.
 Dr Ajay Gudavarthy
Ajay Gudavarthy is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Political Studies, JNU, and his
areas of interest include political theory, contemporary political movements, civil society and
democracy, post-colonial theory, and populism. Prior to teaching at JNU, he also taught at the
National Law School, Bangalore, from 2003 to 2006, and was a Visiting Fellow at the Centre
for Modern South Asian Studies, Tubingen University, Germany, in 2015. His most recent
books: "India after Modi: Populism and the Right" (Bloomsbury, 2018) and (ed) "Secular
Sectarianism: Limits of Subaltern Politics" (Sage, 2019). He is currently working on
"Democracy and Revolutionary Violence," which will be published by Sage, and writes
regularly for various News Dailies including The Hindu, Telegraph, The Wire, and
Newsclick.

Dr. Mithilesh Kumar Jha

Mithilesh Kumar Jha teaches Political Science at the Department of Humanities and Social
Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. His research interests are political
thought, theory, and Indian politics. He is the author of Language Politics and Public Sphere
in North India: Making of the Maithili Movement (Oxford University Press, 2018). Dr. Jha’s
articles and review articles have appeared in journals like EPW, Studies in Indian
Politics, Contributions to Indian Sociology, Seminar, The Book Review, and LSE Review of
Books. He has also contributed chapters in edited volumes published by Sage, Orient
BlackSwan, and Springer.
 Dr Hilal Ahmed
Hilal Ahmed works on political Islam, Indian democracy, and politics of symbols in South
Asia. He is associated with the Lokniti programme of the CSDS.
His first book Muslim Political Discourse in Postcolonial India: Monuments, Memory,
Contestation (Routledge 2014) explores these thematic concerns to evolve an
interdisciplinary approach to study Muslim politics.
Ahmed’s recent books, Allah Naam ki Siyasat (Setu Prakashan, 2023), Siyasi Muslims: A
story of Political Islam in India (Penguin-Random House, New Delhi, 2019) and Democratic
Accommodations: Minorities in contemporary India (With Peter R deSouza, and Sanjeer
Alam, Bloomsbury, 2019) further elaborate these themes and make a modest attempt to
explain the discursively constituted nature of contemporary Muslim political discourse in
India. He has edited Companion to Indian Democracy: Resilience, Fragility, Ambivalence
(With Peter R deSouza, and Sanjeer Alam, Routledge, 2021), Rethinking Muslim Personal
Law: Issues, Debates and Reforms (with R. K. Mishra & K. N. Jehangir, Routledge, 2022)
and Sudipta Kaviraj: A Reader (Hindi, Setu Prakashan, 2023).

Ahmed is the Associate Editor, South Asian Studies, journal of the British Association of
South Asian Studies. He is also part of the editorial team of CSDS’s Hindi journal Pratiman.

He was a Visting Professor at Krea University (2021-22), Visting Fellow, Institute of

Advanced Studies-Nantes (IAS-Nantes, France, 2018-19), Visiting Fellow, at Victoria
University Wellington, (2013-14), Visiting Asia Fellow, University of Dhaka, (2011) and
Visiting Professor at University of Pune (2011).

He also taught a course Political Sociology at the Victoria University, Wellington, New
Zealand. Ahmed has worked as a lecturer of political science at University of Delhi.

Ahmed has also conceptualized and developed an academic mobile app SHARC-DILLI an
app on the Partitioned City of Delhi, (with Deborah Sutton, Lancaster University). It is an
outcome of a project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), UK.

Ahmed did his PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
(2007).He was awarded the Institute of Advanced Studies-Nantes (IAS-Nantes, France)
Fellowship, 2018-19, the Rajya Sabha Fellowship (2015-2016), the Asia Fellow Award
(2008/2010), the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies Fellowship (2009), the Ford
Foundation-IFP Fellowship (2002), the ATRI-Charities Aid Foundation Fellowship (2001),
and UGC Senior Research Fellowship (1999) and the UGC Junior Research Fellowship
(1997).

A film Beacons of Hope (English, 2008) documents Ahmed’s life story.

Prof Anand Kumar

Anand Kumar is a retired professor of sociology at Jawaharlal Nehru University, an ex-
member of the Aam Aadmi Party, he contested for Lok Sabha (India's lower house of
parliament) from the North East Delhi parliamentary constituency in the Indian general
election. He is PhD in Sociology at the University of Chicago, 1986. He was a Lecturer in
Sociology at BHU from 1979 to 1989, an Associate Professor of Sociology at JNU from 1990
to 1998, and has been a Professor of Sociology at JNU since 1998.Also taught as India Chair
in Germany (Albert Ludwig University, Freiburg), GSP Scholar at Humboldt University
(Berlin, Germany), He was Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Tufts University from January to
May 2013. International Faculty at Innsbruck University (Austria), GSP faculty at FLACSO (
Buenos Aires, Argentina), Visiting professor at NEHU (Shillong) and Kashmir University
( Srinagar).
 Dr Gurpreet Mahajan
Gurpreet Mahajan is Professor at the Centre for Political Studies, School of Social Sciences,
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She has published widely on issues relating to
multiculturalism, cultural diversity and minority rights, secularism and civil society. Her
publications include Explanation and Understanding in the Human Sciences, Identities and
Rights: Aspects of Liberal Democracy in India, and The Multicultural Path: Issues of
Diversity and Discrimination in Democracy; she has edited Democracy, Difference and
Social Justice and The Public and the Private: Issues of Democratic Citizenship.
Gurpreet Mahajan is Professor at the Centre for Political Studies, School of Social Sciences,
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She has published widely on issues relating to
multiculturalism, cultural diversity and minority rights, secularism and civil society. Her
publications include Explanation and Understanding in the Human Sciences, Identities and
Rights: Aspects of Liberal Democracy in India, and The Multicultural Path: Issues of
Diversity and Discrimination in Democracy; she has edited Democracy, Difference and
Social Justice and The Public and the Private: Issues of Democratic Citizenship.
 Prof Oinam Bhagat
He is Chairperson, Centre for Philosophy, School of Social Sciences Chairperson, Special
Centre for the Study of North East India Jawaharlal Nehru University. His area of
specialisation includes Existentialism and phenomenology, philosophical anthropology,
social & cultural philosophy, ethics, aesthetics, contemporary Indian philosophy. Indigenous
knowledge traditions, religion, ethnicity, identity politics, conflict, gender. Some of his
publication are Northeast India: A Reader, , Perspectives on Manipuri Culture, Spirituality
and Mysticism in the indigenous faiths of North East India (preparation under the aegis of
ICSSR, New Delhi), Indigenous Philosophy from North East India (under preparation)
 Lord Bhikhu Parekh
Bhiku Parek is an eminent political theorist in Britain and an active member in the House of
Lords. During his tenure, he has contributed immensely towards societal changes that were
once a major cause of concern to Britain's culture in the early 70's. He has pioneered many
concepts on multiculturalism, collective rights and responsibility and other socio-cultural
issues that have influenced the governance in UK. Commonly addressed as Lord Bhiku, he
has worked to bring about a noninterventionist and tolerant political view where people of
different ethnicities could live in harmony. It was through his ideologies and his unrelenting
dedication towards his work that he managed to bring a significant understanding of Indian
culture on a global platform. During his lifetime, he has been conferred with a number of
awards such as the Sir Isaiah Berlin Prize, Distinguished Global Thinker Award, Padma
Bhushan, etc. by many international forums.

Prof Avijit Pathak

Professor Avijit Pathak Taiught Sociology at JNU for more than 3 decades. He has written
extensively on education. Critical pedagogy, modernityand social theory. His major
publications include Ten Lectures on Education; Recalling the Forgotten: Education and
Moral Quest; Modernity Globalisation and Identity: Towards a Reflective quest; and The
chaotic Order: An Unknown Tearcher’s Pedagogic Travelogue. He is also a regular
contributor in the tribune, The Indian Express and The New Team

Dr. Anuradha Veeravalli

Anuradha Veeravalli taught philosophy for 24 years, firstly at Hindu College and 2005
onward at the Dept. of Philosophy, University of Delhi, until she took voluntary retirement in
2017. She has published a book titled, Gandhi in Political Theory: Truth, Law and
Experiment (Ashgate 2014). She has contributed the entries “Indian Philosophies” and “Nyaya” in
The Encyclopaedia of Religion, ed. Lindsay Jones, 2005. She has worked and written on Gandhi,
political theory, and religion from an epistemological point of view and is currently working on a
book considering the foundations of the vernacular.
 Abstracts:

Reexamination of the Relationship between Theory and Action

The Theory of Non-Violence in Bhagavad Gita and Satyagraha in Mahatma Gandhi
A Raghuramaraju,
Conceding a complex relation between theory and action, the paper highlights two tasks the
discipline of philosophy performed in India and the West. Critically evaluate the readily
available philosophical texts and make ready-made, novel ideas. Badarayana in India St.
Thomas Aquinas, and St. Augustine in the West belong to the second group. Drawing
inspiration from these writers, the paper acknowledges that “Gandhi was no theorist through
the pen” and he “was a man of action” and tries to provide theory to his actions, especially
the movement called Satyagraha. In this context, I will use one of Mahatma Gandhi’s texts,
Essays on Gita. I will discuss the idea of Satyagraha based on ahimsa. In this context.
I will discuss how Gandhi critically engaged with Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who
associated Gita with violence. I will also discuss how he negotiated with the contents of the
Gita that promoted violence, where Lord Krishna asks a reluctant Arjun to fight a war that
involves violence. This dominant view is counter-posed by Gandhi, who claims that the Gita,
instead of promoting violence, promotes non-violence. I will show how the theory of non-
violence is the foundation for Satyagraha.
In this context, I will discuss the relationship between the Bhagavad Gita, the metaphysics of
Samkhya, and the contents and context of the Gita in particular and Mahabharata in general
 Satyagraha Unveiled:
Gandhi’s Legacy Invoking a Paradigm Shift in Contemporary Politics
Gita Dharampal

Modernity, with its Enlightenment ideals of rationality, secular progress, individualism, and
humanism, has been a beacon of progress, fostering advancements in science and technology.
However, this modern world has also been marred by the emergence of imperialism,
militarism, and the exploitation of vast swathes of humanity. In response to these destructive
forces, various social movements emerged in the 20th century, spanning the East and the
West, seeking to combat social-economic injustice, racial inequality, and violent oppression.
Foremost among these movements stands Mahatma Gandhi, a staunch critic of industrial
modernity, who either concretized or symbolically inspired many of these strategies.
Gandhi’s legacy is paradigmatic, heralding him as a leading initiator of three pivotal
revolutions of the 20th century: the unequivocal condemnation of racism, resistance to
colonialism, and the rejection of political violence. In fact, Gandhi revolutionized the very
concept and substance of revolution. Notably, the historic date of 11th September 1906
marked the birth of modern Satyagraha, with Gandhi as its prime architect. This paper traces
the historical-cultural genealogy of Satyagraha, emphasizing Gandhi’s profound impact,
which first manifested in South Africa.
Through an exploration of the genesis of Satyagraha, this short paper aims to illuminate how
a more nuanced understanding of Gandhi’s legacy holds the potential to catalyse a paradigm
shift in contemporary politics. By deconstructing the iconic stature of Mahatma Gandhi and
rendering his nonviolent; weapon; of Satyagraha more accessible from both theoretical and
practical standpoints, we seek to uncover actionable insights for navigating the challenges of
the 21st century.
Drawing from Gandhi’s principles of nonviolent resistance, we endeavour to elucidate how
Satyagraha can offer tangible solutions to contemporary global issues. From climate change
and social inequality to terrorism and geopolitical conflicts, the principles of Satyagraha
present a compelling alternative to traditional power dynamics and confrontational politics.
Moreover, this talk will explore the applicability of Satyagraha in diverse cultural and
political contexts, transcending geographical boundaries to offer a universal framework for
transformative change. By examining case studies and contemporary examples, we aim to
demonstrate how Gandhian principles can inform modern activism and policymaking,
fostering dialogue, reconciliation, and sustainable progress.
In conclusion, by revisiting Gandhi’s legacy and reimagining the relevance of Satyagraha in
the modern era, this short presentation seeks to inspire a renewed commitment to ethical
governance, social justice, and peacebuilding. As we confront the complexities of our times,
Gandhi’s timeless wisdom serves as a guiding light, illuminating the path towards a more
just, equitable, and harmonious world.
Aspects of Consonance and Dissonance----Acase study of Gandhi and Patel.
Dr. Neerja Singh
It is pertinent to note that both the Sardar and Nehru shared deep emotional ties with Gandhiji
which beyond the mundane spheres of politics, power and office. They believed in Gandhian
method of Satyagraha. In popular perception Nehru was regarded as the favourite colleague
of Gandhiji but in the eyes of contemporary Congressmen, Patel was viewed as his true and
devoted disciple, and Nehru was regarded as a devout but critical follower of Gandhiji. It
would be seen, however, that in neither case the relationship was totally blind or
unqualified. Differences arose a plenty amongst them during the course of the
national movement though differences existed between the two over several issues from non-
violence to acceptance of Congress -Ministry, but both Gandhiji and Patel believed that if the
masses were politically active, they could achieve any goal they desired. Patel though argued
with Gandhiji on the question of infallibility of non -violence and Satyagraha as a means of
protest against modern state, of the capacity of the people to struggle, of the appropriateness
of different forms of struggle at different points of time. But once convinced in the moral
strength of Gandhiji's Satyagraha Patel stood like a pillar behind all movements
launched by Gandhij.
Satyagraha as a Democratic Protest: Making Sense of Maratha Morchas in
Maharashtra

Dr. Varada Sambhus

Deputy Director (Research)
ICSSR, New Delhi
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in his last speech in the Constituent Assembly equated the
Satyagraha, as popularised by Gandhi during the freedom movement, as “grammar of
anarchy”. In a democratic set-up, citizens are expected to raise their demands and/or express
dissent through the institutional set-up and within the framework of the law. Therefore,
breaking the law in the manner of civil disobedience was believed to create anarchy in a state
which was newly introduced to modern democracy. However, one of the prominent forms of
social as well as political protests has been Satyagraha. Though one can debate what protests
can be considered Satyagraha, as was practised and articulated by Gandhi, such non-violent
protests are often popularised as Satyagraha. In the recent past, Maharashtra witnessed large-
scale Maratha protests. Among other demands, the primary demand of the Maratha Kranti
Morcha was to accord the Other Backward Caste status to the Marathas and thereby extend
the benefits of OBC reservations. However, some OBC castes vehemently opposed this
demand. Despite fetching millions of protesters, there was no face or leader of the Maratha
Kranti Morcha, especially during the first spell of the protests till 2019. Very recently, the
Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil has emerged as the leader of the Maratha protests. The
demands of the protesters are partially accepted by the state government and a legal battle in
the court of law will have to be fought to sustain the reservations within the constitutional
framework. It seems that in a modern democratic state, non-violent mass protests or
satyagrahas open the avenues of negotiation with the state more effectively as compared to
the violent means on the one hand and merely taking up the formal root of appeals and
litigation in the court of law.

Gandhi on Screen: From the 1960s to contemporary Representations

Smita Banerjee
Professor, Department of English
Delhi College of Arts & Commerce

This Paper narrates a fragment of the representation and screen avatars of Mahatma Gandhi
located in the 1960s and beyond to explore the multiplicity of these screen appearances to
foreground the fascination with the Mahatma’s image and his long shadow in the popular
imaginary of Hindi Cinema. His charismatic presence which has been compared to that of a
‘star’ has appeared and reappeared in multiple ways across genres to animate discussions of
the nation and its history, politics and social life. Using Biopics and other films that have
used
Gandhian ideas and ideals to narrate their stories, this paper uncovers how Gandhi and his
thought legacy inhabits Hindi cinema’s canvas. I begin by giving a taxonomy of films and
genres to give a broad picture of how the Mahatma has been represented and then move on to
the two sections of the paper.
In section one, I draw upon two biopics, Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1982), and Shyam
Benegal’s The Making of Mahatma (1996) to discuss the narration of Gandhi’s life story, his
biography on film. In this section I also discuss the possible reasons why no attempt was
made to make a film on his life in independent India till the early 1960s and the production of
the Attenborough film in 1982. I use insights from Trauma theory and Melodrama Studies to
speculate on this absence, drawing upon the work of film scholars such as Bhaskar (2005),
Vasudevan (2002) and Singh (2010).
In the second part I discuss three films: one that poignantly captures a sense of collective
guilt at his assassination, Maine Gandhi ko Nahin Maara (2005). It demonstrates what can be
termed the ‘hauntology’ (Derrida’s term) of Gandhi’s spectral presence that the nation was or
is trying to lay to rest. I then discuss two films that attempt to humanise Gandhi and bring
him closer to the masses: Gandhi My Father (2007), present Gandhi as a family man, and
Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006), gives us an image and philosophy of Bapu as a guide for
everyman and everyday travails of the common Indian. This film coined the term ‘gandhigiri’
that animated the popular discourse in the early 2000s. This film is significant as it turns the
popular gangster film on its head and uses the trope of ‘satyagraha’, Gandhi’s most popular
weapon of resistance to stage its narrative. I place Lage Raho’s discourse on Gandhism
alongside an earlier Benegal film Aarohan (1982) that narrates the story of a landless
farmer’s fight against the feudal landlord and is set in the context of ‘bargadari’ system of
land reform undertaken in West Bengal. I argue that Gandhi’s representation can also be
tracked via such metaphorical references to his core belief in the upliftment of the Dalit
peasant and his empowerment. In conclusion I suggest that Gandhi’s long shadow on popular
cinema appears via routes that speak to and are relevant for the times of their articulations.

Satyagraha as a theory of political action

Hilal Ahmed
Satyagraha is one of the highly misused, distorted, and misrepresented political metaphors in
the Indian context. Governments, political parties, social movements, NGOs and even the
corporate world are obsessed with it. There is a strong assumption that Satyagraha is a
‘tolerable’ technique to assert powerlessness in a peaceful manner simply to register one’s
victimhood and relative marginalization.
This uncontested acceptability of Satyagraha is inextricably linked to a particular image of
Gandhi. He is invoked as an old, ever-compromising, exhausted, and non-assertive
personality, who rationalizes Satyagraha as a weapon of the weak. The popular Hindi saying,
‘Majburi ka naam ka Mahatma Gandhi’, hence, gets justified.
This rigid imagination of Satyagraha is highly problematic. It goes against the central premise
of Gandhian praxis, which is based on profound philosophical thinking and a deep adherence
to social and political transformation. Gandhi’s Satyagraha is a radical program of political
action based entirely on the purity of individual commitment. Retrieval of Gandhi’s own
explanation of Satyagraha, in this sense, is very relevant to commemorate him as an original,
creative, and courageous political thinker. This paper is a modest attempt to revisit the
Gandhian idea of Satyagraha as a theory of political action.

Why do protest politics and electoral outcomes follow a different trajectory?

Dr. Rahul Verma

Since the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the national centre-stage, the government
has found itself on a collision course with various interest groups. For instance, trading
classes were alienated by demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax; students protested
in many parts of the country after Rohith Vemula died by suicide; Dalit groups mobilised
against the dilution of the legislative framework against atrocities; labour unions began a
movement against changes in labour laws; and religious minorities stood up against the
proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens; and the famers
movement over three farm laws. The impact of these protests on electoral outcomes in the
last ten years, have been, at best minimal. The reason lies in the logic and scale of political
mobilisation in these two spheres. Using data from public opinion surveys and election
results, this paper makes an attempt to understand the linkages between protests and electoral
politics in contemporary India.

Learning/Unlearning Gandhi: The Tales Of A Teacher's Engagement With His

Students
Prof. Avijit Pathak
( This is about my pedagogic as well as sociological engagement with my students in
the process of understanding and reading Gandhi-- his religiosity, his vision of a
new world and his art of resistance or satyagraha)
Socio-Political Changes/Challenges in India and the Gandhian Ideal of Swaraj
Mithilesh Kumar Jha, Asst. Professor, IIT Guwahati

Swaraj is an article of faith for the millions of Indians fighting for freedom and justice. It has
acquired a prominent place in the imagination of modern India. The conception of Swaraj has
deeply influenced the socio-cultural, political, economic as well as the intellectual life of the
nation. It has inspired many leaders, groups, and organizations who have often been at the
opposite spectrum of political ideologies. This term has been invoked in post-independent
India during its numerous critical moments such as the socialist movement particularly of
Lohiaite brand in the early decades after the independence (particularly his ideals of Sapt
Kranti); JP and students’ movement (his ideals of Sampoorn Kranti); Narmada Bachao
Andolan, Campaigns Against Corruption/Anna Hazare movement and initiatives in recent
years like Swaraj Abhiyan, Jan Suraj Party of Prashant Kishore and so on. They have all
invoked the concept of Swaraj. Thus, undoubtedly, the Gandhian ideal of Swaraj has become
a rallying point for numerous social and political groups and communities in their struggle for
freedom and justice
This paper examines the historical, conceptual and intellectual context of the term Swaraj. It
does so by situating it in the broader socio-political and intellectual context of early
twentieth-century India. It examines the concept of Swaraj by comparing it with other equally
significant concepts in Gandhian lexicons of politics such as Truth and Non-violence,
Sarvodaya, and Swadeshi. It compares it with its non-Gandhian interpretations too. In doing
so, this paper seeks to examine how the ideals of Swaraj, as interpreted by Gandhi, turned out
to be a rallying point for the millions in India. How did they understand and relate to the
concept of Swaraj?

कला, साहित्य और गांधी

- देवेन्द्र राज
अंकु र

उपर्युक्त शीर्षक से लिखे गये आलेख को हम 13 फरवरी को गांधी के ऊपर आयोजित

सत्र में पढ़ने जा रहे है। यहाँ हम उसके कु छ मुद्दों की चर्चा संक्षेप में चर्चा कर रहे हैं।
सबसे पहली जिज्ञासा तो यही उठती है कि 21 वीं शताब्दी में इधर गांधी के विचारों,
मूल्यों और स्थापनाओं पर समाज, देश और राजनीति में फिर से पुनर्विचार करने की
ज़रूरत क्यों महसूस की जा रही है?

इसी के समानानान्तर कला, साहित्य, फ़िल्म इत्यादि में भी पिछले पचास - साठ वर्षों
में गांधी को लेकर जितना विचार-विमर्श हुआ है उसका भी संज्ञान लिया गया है।
हिन्दी, गुजराती, मराठी और अंग्रेज़ी में लिखे गये नाटक, उपन्यास, फ़िल्में - इन सब के
परिप्रेक्ष्य में इस बात पर विचार किया गया है कि आखिर गांधी की ज़िन्दगी में ऐसा
क्या है जो बार-बार अलग-अलग माध्यमों के रचनाकारों को अपनी ओर आकर्षित
करता रहा है।

सबसे बड़ी बात ये है कि इन सभी रचनाओं में गांधी न तो पौराणिक पुरुष हैं, न
किसी कहानी या लोककथा के नायक है और न ही मधकाल के ऐतिहासिक व्यक्तित्व
है। उन्हें हम जैसे एक हाड़-मांस के जीते जागते आम आदमी के रूप में प्रस्तुत किया
गया है। इससे भी बड़ी बात यह है की इन रचनाओं में हम गांधी के बहाने से भारत
के स्वाधीनता संग्राम के पचास-साठ वर्षों के लम्बे इतिहास के भीतर हसे होकर गुज़र
जाने का अनुभव प्राप्त करते हैं।

19 वीं -20 वीं शताब्दी में जितने भी विचारक, सुधारक और सिद्वान्तकार हुए है, उनके
संदर्भ में भी गांधी का एक तुलनात्मक अध्ययन प्रस्तुत करने की कोशिश की गयी है।
संक्षेप में, कु ल मिलाकर इस बात को रेखांकित किया गया है कि गांधी की हमारे लिए,
हमारे समय के लिए और हमारी अपनी पहचान के लिए बार-बार पुर्नव्याख्यायित किये
जाने की जरूरत है। क्या यह एक अन्तर्विरोधी स्थिति नही है कि जिन गांधी वादी
मूल्यों और सिद्धान्तों-विशेष रूप से अहिंसा, सत्याग्रह का गांधी के बाद काफी दिनों
तक उपहास बनाया जाता रहा, आज उन पर भारत ही नहीं बल्कि पूरे विश्व में
पुनर्विचार हो रहा है।

Gandhigiri in Early Hindi Cinema (1930-1950)

 Ravikant, CSDS

The presentation will transplant ‘Gandhigiri’, a recent term, to the early years of film history
to analyse how popular cinema portrayed the biggest hero of those times. The stature of
Gandhiji, Mahatmaji, Bapu, Rashtrapita, ‘Sabarmati ke Sant’ -- some of the epithets deployed
in the film songs dedicated to him -- keeps growing in popular cinematography as his photo
gets installed in practically every filmy office - courts, police stations, jails, hospitals, and
schools private and public. Showing Gandhi, Gandhism, and of course, Gandhian Satyagraha
as street action in favourable light was a risky proposition for an industry that thrived on
returns from box office sales. A lot of pro-Gandhi films, even those that bore remote
resemblance, were outrightly banned, and several of them were censored by the Colonial
officials. Very much like the printed material – books, magazines, pamphlets, patriotic folk
songs, plays, and a large chunk of Gandhi’s own writings – that was proscribed and their
editors jailed. In such an oppressive context, the presentation will try to answer the questions:
What was the creative narratorial and representational strategy deployed by the filmmakers to
evade British censorship? Considering that most of the filmmakers were pro-Swadeshi, what
was the extent they could go to in articulating their sympathies with the Gandhian
Movement? What are the political themes, contexts, episodes and personalities picked up by
them? Historians of cinema have catalogued and annotated a substantial number of lost films
that promoted Gandhian philosophy, politics and practices, including those known as
reformist constructive programmes and campaigns around temple-entry, dignity and
upliftment of the ‘Harijan’ communities, public life for women, prohibition, khadi,
cleanliness and disciplined life in an ashram. Gandhian non-violence looms large on the
melodramatic convention of film making, so much so that action was just a small aberration
in the stock genre of social films. Change of heart in the villain was indeed the norm and the
villains, having apologised to everyone they had harassed, usually survived to live happily
ever after along side the hero and the heroine. Till the 1970s, that is, when Salim-Javed
crafted the angry young man in Amitabh Bachchan, who had to annihilate his unrepentant
and blood thristy counterpart.
The presentation will focus on the early years of silent films and talkies to locate Gandhigiri
in an intermedia context of print, audio and audio-visual world and will be accompanied by a
lot of images and film clips.

SATYAGRAHA AND ELECTORAL DEMOCRACY: CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITY

Sajjan Kumar
Abstract
Gandhi’s notion of Satyagraha is fluid, dynamic and context specific where the ideal and the
pragmatic intersect. This in turn, loosens up the institutional and normative framework of
representative democracy and opens the possibility of a bottom-up normativity which is non-
deterministic, paradoxical, slightly chaotic, and yet resonate with the masses. Here, the Satyagraha’s
interplay with the democratic discourse comes embedded with societal humility rather than
institutional arrogance and high pitch of ‘categorical imperative’ which ends up alienating the masses.
Seen from the vantage of electoral democracy, there are threads of normative arguments which speaks
in the name of the people but betrays a contempt for the masses and the societal normativity. Around
us the presence of a wider reception of Plato’s negative framing of democracy where masses represent
a domain of irrationality signifies an elitist contempt against the people– a sentiment, also reflected in
the frequent invocation of ‘categorical imperative’ and ‘Satyagraha’. This negative gaze over the
interface of ‘Satyagraha and electoral democracy’ recurs in the framings like ‘Democracy against
Republic’, ‘How Democratic are Elections’, ‘Populism against Others’ among the others. The shared
thread in all these framings is a deep contempt with anything that is popular, societal, and endearing
to the masses.
Here, the challenge is to retrieve the very concept of Satyagraha from the clutches of ideologues who
employ it instrumentally to get back at their ideological and political rivals. Neither Gandhism in
general, nor the concept of Satyagraha could be allowed to turn into a set of ideological and
bureaucratic doctrines. Electoral democracy despite multiple flaws ensures the interaction of the
collective aspirations and their best reflection in the statist institutions. This arrangement is not only
desirable but also normative as they provide agency to the bottom of the pyramid. This reflects a thick
notion of goodness. Thus, castigating this frame as populist, irrational and undesirable, as is the case
with a section of elites, is anthesis of good. Here, the elitist contempt of the masses becomes an act of
evil and an arena of exclusion. Electoral democracy is about political competition where various
interest groups and strata of society participate collectively. It is an arena of where people speak in
multivocal narratives but shares a unilinear story of inclusivity which is in sync with the spirit of
Satyagraha.

Hence, the fusion of Satyagraha and electoral democracy is also a matter of framing and vantage
point. What we need is the episteme of humility, the agency of non-contempt, and willingness to
dismount from the Archimedean position. Masses on the ground makes their moves guided by their
everyday experience and common-sense. Thus, everydayness is the repository of democratic agency
and normativity. The attempt to demean it from an ideological vantage point by the votaries of ‘How
Democracies Die’ is neither in the spirit of electoral democracy, nor ‘Satyagraha’.