Three Arguments with Gandhi

This lecture will analyze three major arguments that Gandhi had in his lifetime-on non-violence vs violence, on the abolition of Untouchability, and on inter-faith harmony. I will analyse what Gandhi had to say on these subjects, and how he responded to his critics. These arguments have profound moral and political implications, not just for the India of Gandhi's day, but for the world in the 21st century.

Ramachandra Guha is a historian and biographer based in Bengaluru. He has taught at the universities of Yale and Stanford, held the Arné Naess Chair at the University of Oslo, and served as the Philippe Roman Professor of History and International Affairs at the London School of Economics.

Ramachandra Guha's most recent book is a two volume biography of Mahatma Gandhi. His books and essays have been translated into more than twenty languages. The New York Times has referred to him as 'perhaps the best among India's non fiction writers'; Time Magazine has called him 'Indian democracy's pre-eminent chronicler'. He has received numerous awards over the years. In 2009, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the Republic of India's third highest civilian honour.

The event is sponsored by the von der Heyden Fellows Fund, established by Karl ('62) and Mary Ellen von der Heyden.