Description
Book SynopsisA powerful history of the long tradition of political dissent in India published at a moment when the very idea of dissent is under attack.
Trade Review"Dissent, expressed against the state as much as institutional forms of religion, creates traditions of thinking that are always available as a resource. Hence, when Gandhi thinking against colonial violence thinks through the idea of satyagraha, he draws upon a library of dissent with its vocabulary and forms. . . . Thapar does not make an argument for passive inheritance. At each historical juncture, the reimagining of an ethical conception of equality and compassion draws upon a rich vein of dissentient thought. Democracy survives because of dissent. Forms of political and social orthodoxy are contingent; and the battle against them is always ongoing."-- "India Today" "Where this book shines is in its discussion of how dissent often arises from within cultures, and not from outside, restructuring social relations and enabling mutation of knowledge through the questioning of institutions. . . . The book raises some significant questions, not only for the political establishment but also for dissenters. Does dissent seek resolution of conflict, sharing of power, annihilation of tradition, or merely a recognition of plurality in thought? . . . If dissent gives way to accommodation, is that a win-win situation or a selling out? Can ideological purity coexist with political pragmatism?"-- "Business Standard"
Table of ContentsPreface Prologue: Is Dissent Necessary? 1. The Dasyah-putrah Brahmana, or the Dasi-putra Brahmana, the Brahmana Who Is the Son of a Dasi 2. The Presence of the Shramanas 3. Otherness Imprinted 4. The Bhakti Sant and the Sufi Pir 5. A Recapitulation 6. A Modern Movement of Dissent in the Context of the Nationalism of the Present 7. Gandhi?’s Satyagraha 8. The Social Articulation of Protest 9. Did the Public Response to Satyagraha Come Out of an Embedded Tradition of Dissenting Forms? 10. Epilogue: Should We Remember Our Many Voices of Dissent from the Past and Hear Them Speak to Us Today? Readings
