Gandhi and the Contemporary World

Sanjeev Kumar is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science, Zakir Husain Delhi College, University of Delhi, India. His main teaching and research interests are in the areas of political theory, political sociology of disaster, Gandhian philosophy and peace studies. He has several publications in journals and books to his credit. His most recent edited book is Rajniti Siddhant Ki Samajh (Understanding Political Theory, 2019). He has been Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) and Fellow at the Developing Countries Research Centre (DCRC), University of Delhi. Currently, he is also Senior Fellow at the Centre for Ethics, Politics and Global Affairs, New Delhi, India.

‘Mahatma Gandhi has made a lasting contribution to political philosophy and this requires that succeeding generations of scholars interpret that contribution in ways that meet the needs of the changing times and intellectual trends. Gandhi and the Contemporary World meets this requirement very admirably: it presents Gandhi in a critical, lively and timely fashion. Enjoy this excellent addition to Gandhi literature’. Anthony J. Parel, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Calgary, Canada‘This riveting collection of essays included in the volume throws valuable light on Mahatma Gandhi’s activist political philosophy and on some of its legacies today. Comprehensively discussed and examined are his ideas of truth and non-violence in their bearing on his conception of satyagraha and on his approach to the postcolonial Indian nation’. Thomas Pantham, former Professor at M S University of Baroda, Baroda, India

• Foreword by Bhikhu Parekh. Acknowledgements 1. Introduction: Understanding Gandhi — Why Gandhi Matters Today? Sanjeev Kumar PART I. Gandhian Philosophy: Theoretical Basis and Practical Dimensions 2. Philosophy and Practice: A Gandhi-informed Approach Douglas Allen 3. A Conceptual History of Gandhi’s Satyagraha Nishikant Kolge 4. The Scrutinised Life: Gandhi and his Interlocutors Sanghamitra Sadhu PART II. Gandhi and Swaraj 5. Swaraj in Gandhian Perspective: Some Reflections Ramchandra Pradhan 6. Gandhian Swaraj: A Theory of Self-Knowledge Kumar Rahul 7. The Different Connotations of Swaraj: Envisioning the Postcolonial Nation in Mahatma Gandhi, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray and Rabindranath Tagore Biswanath Banerjee PART III. Gandhi and Social Justice 8. Modernity, Colonial Injustice and Individual Responsibility: A Study of Gandhi and Ambedkar Vidhu Verma 9. The Ambedkar–Gandhi Debate (1931–1956): Alternative Approaches to Memory and Identity Bindu Puri 10. Beyond the "Doctor and the Saint" Controversy: Reassessing Gandhi as a Social Crusader Mustakim Ansary 11. Gandhi and the ‘Race’ Question Hari Nair, Swaha Das and Krishna Akhil Kumar Adavi PART IV. Post-Gandhian Legacy: Issues and Challenges 12. What Can India Learn from Gandhi Today? Antony Copley 13. Waiting for the Waves: India against Corruption Movement and the Aam Aadmi Party — Post-Gandhian Legacies Mahendra Prasad Singh 14. Gandhi’s Dialogical Truth Force: Applying Satyagraha Models of Practical Rational Inquiry to the Crises of Ecology, Global Governance, and Technology J. Gray Cox 15. Gandhi: An Apostolic Architect of Humanism Anandita Biswas