indian independence

So who really spearheaded India’s Freedom Struggle? Millions of ordinary people-farmers, labourers, homemakers, forest produce gatherers, artisans and others-stood up to the British. People who never went on to be ministers, governors, presidents, or hold other high public office.

They had this in common: their opposition to Empire was uncompromising.

In The Last Heroes, these footsoldiers of Indian freedom tell us their stories. The men, women and children featured in this book are Adivasis, Dalits, OBCs, Brahmins, Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus. They hail from different regions, speak different languages and include atheists and believers, Leftists, Gandhians and Ambedkarites.

The people featured pose the intriguing question: What is freedom? They saw that as going beyond Independence. And almost all of them continued their fight for freedoms long after 1947.

The post-1947 generations need their stories.

To learn what they understood. That freedom and independence are not the same thing. And to learn to make those come together. This episode of BIC Talks is adapted from a conversation between P Sainath and Indu Prasad at Bangalore Literature Festival 2022.

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Rebels Against the Raj tells the little-known story of seven people who chose to struggle for a country other than their own: foreigners to India who, from the late nineteenth century, arrived to join the freedom movement fighting for independence.
Of the seven, four were British, two American and one Irish: four men, three women. Before and after being jailed or deported, they did remarkable and pioneering work in a variety of fields, from journalism and social reform to education, organic agriculture and environmentalism.

In this episode of BIC Talks Ramachanchandra Guha and Alex Ellis discuss the stories of these remarkable people - each rebel motivated by idealism and genuine sacrifice; each connected to Gandhi, though some as acolytes while others were endlessly infuriated by his views; each understanding they would likely face prison sentences for their resistance, and likely live and die in India; each one leaving a profound impact on the region in which they worked, their legacies continuing through the institutions they founded and the generations and individuals they inspired.

Through these entwined lives, we receive deep insights into the relationship between India and the West, and India’s story as a country searching for its identity and liberty beyond British colonial rule.

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PANELISTS
Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed  #DrIshtiaqahmed @Ishtiaqahmed
Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Stockholm University and Author. He is the Editor-in-General of the "Liberal Arts & Social Sciences International Journal (LASSIJ)".

Dr. Sucheta Mahajan #Drsuchetamahajan
Professor & Former Chairperson, Center For Historical Studies, JNU. Her publications include Towards Freedom: Documents on India's Freedom Struggle, 1947, parts one and two (editor), 2013 and 2015; Independence and Partition: The Erosion of Colonial Power in India (2000) and India's Struggle for Independence (with Bipan Chandra et al),1988.

Dr. Masood Ashraf Raja #Masoodashrafraja @Postcolonialism
Associate professor of postcolonial literature and theory at the University of North Texas. He is the editor of Pakistaniaat: A Journal of Pakistan Studies, an open access journal that he founded in 2009.

Sudheendra Kulkarni  #sudheendrakulkarni
Indian politician, Socio-Political Activist, Author and columnist. Author of "MUSIC OF THE SPINNING WHEEL: Mahatma Gandhi's Manifesto for the Internet Age".

Abhijit Chavda #abhijitchavda #askabhijit @abhijitchavda
Founder & Host of, The Abhijit Chavda Podcast. He is also a writer and researcher of history and geopolitics. Abhijit writes articles for several publications including Swarajya, IndiaFacts, MyNation, the Deccan Chronicle and the Asian Age.

SYNOPSIS:
The #Partition of India was one of the most tragic events experienced by humanity in modern times. It is estimated that one million people were killed and 12 million made homeless. Painful loss of family members and loved ones to mindless violence have left the collective memories scarred on both sides of the border created by the Partition.
Even as we approach 75 years since this momentous event people have never ceased wondering and questioning ‘what if’. The reasons that led to the Partition and its very legitimacy continue to remain highly contested. While many accuse #independenceleaders such as #Gandhi and #Nehru, others lay the blame squarely on #British connivance and yet others trace the seeds of division in the birth of the #MuslimLeague. The defenders of each side claim their powerlessness in the face of the inevitable Partition. But was it really inevitable?


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We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and  opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests.

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DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests.