Gandhi and Communal Harmony

Gandhi and Communal Harmony Indian society is going through difficult times. In the name of religion horrific violence is going on. In this violence, innocent people get killed and generally those guilty of violence are not punished. This violence is possible due to the hate which has been created in society, hate against religious minorities….

The Music of Humanity

The Music of Humanity One of the most famous anti-fascist films is Charles Chaplin’s The Great Dictator, which subjected Hitler’s fantasies of global domination to withering satire. Less well-known is his first post-war movie, Monsieur Verdoux (1947), about a genial family man who makes a living by marrying and murdering wealthy widows. Upon being caught,…

Gandhi’s Final Fast

Gandhi’s Final Fast Recently I was asked to write a couple of lectures for undergraduate students on the significance of Gandhi and communalism. When I began writing the lectures, which were supposed to be written very simply, I realised that I was not being true to the task of trying to bring across something important…

Gandhi, Marx and the Ideal of an ‘Unalienated Life’

Gandhi, Marx and the Ideal of an ‘Unalienated Life’ In your famous essay “Gandhi, the Philosopher”, you were making a fresh reading of Mahatma Gandhi as a philosopher. In your own words you were “struck by the integrity of his ideas”. What do you mean by “integrity” in Gandhi’s ideas?   That essay was written…

Anthropocene Age and Relevance of Tagore and Gandhi

Anthropocene Age and Relevance of Tagore and Gandhi The earth is today facing a critical ecological crisis. A few months back Dr. Sanmatha Nath Ghosh, the socialist leader of West Bengal, arranged a discussion on “21st Century Socialism”. Socialists and Marxists all over the world are today deeply engaged in discussions on the worsening environmental…

Why Gandhi and Marx Are More Relevant Now Than Ever Before

Why Gandhi and Marx Are More Relevant Now Than Ever Before The 150th birth anniversary year of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and the 200th birth anniversary of Karl Marx went by this year. Such anniversaries can become occasions of tokenism—for instance, the Indian government has set up a committee with more than 100 members to coordinate…

The Mahatma and the Earth: Gandhi’s Ecological Vision

The Mahatma and the Earth: Gandhi’s Ecological Vision The Earth has enough for everyone’s needs but not for a few people’s greed. Gandhi distilled his ecological wisdom in this famous saying. Gandhi recognised that ecological sustainability and socio-economic justice are two sides of the same coin because we live in an interconnected world. And he…

Mahatma Gandhi: The Great Communicator

Mahatma Gandhi: The Great Communicator India has established a committee to commemorate next year’s 150th anniversary of the birth of the “father of the nation”, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the members include politicians across party lines as well as some foreign representatives, among them the Nobel laureates Desmond Tutu and…