Articles by Nirmalangshu Mukherji

An integrated reading of Gandhi’s ideas, images, personal life, and political activities, at times inflicts considerable damage to the understanding of his thoughts. George Orwell’s (1949–2000) view of Gandhi as a moral saint and his ideas as “anti-humanistic” is a striking example. Adopting Orwell’s image, the philosopher Susan Wolf (1982), in an influential paper, questioned the very idea of moral saints. His saintly image is an important reason why there is little mention of Gandhi in academic moral philosophy. By showing that the image does not apply to his thoughts, we rescue Gandhi’s moral concepts from the perceived image of a saint.

A close and analytical look at the events of 9 February 2016 at the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus, and the next day at the Press Club of India, alongside the motivations of those in power, throws light on machinations to manage the news and emotional reactions to it.

It has hitherto been impossible to assess the approach and activities of the Maoists in the Dandakaranya region in central India. We now have four documents - two authored by senior leaders of the Maoists and two sympathetic accounts - which allow us to evaluate in a limited fashion the work of the Maoists over the past quarter century of operations. The story that comes across is a dismal one. The State earlier did nothing for the adivasis but, considering the time the Maoists have spent in the region, they themselves have achieved little by way of adivasi welfare, be it in wages, education, health or agriculture. This is because the Maoists' politics of waging guerrilla warfare on the road to seizure of state power has meant that they must focus on using the adivasis for their war.

The attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001 was a major event in contemporary India. As the judicial procedure into this case nears its end, with Mohammed Afzal to be hanged on October 20, our effort to get at the truth as to what really happened is about to be scuttled. Who attacked Parliament and what was the conspiracy? On what basis did the NDA government take the country close to a nuclear war? What was the role of the State Task Force (J and K) on surrendered militants? What was the role of the Special Cell of Delhi Police in conducting the case?

Recent years have witnessed a considerable loss of space available for democratic dissent; the loss has accelerated with government crackdowns on â??terrorismâ??. For a residual democratic order to survive, resistance must accompany analysis at every step. This urgent issue reopens the old question of the intelligentsiaâ??s responsibility, especially teachers within the university system, in interpreting and changing the world.