THE DREAMS FULFILLED

The conventional narrative of the Indian national movement often accords centrality to the non-violent agitation spearheaded by the Indian National Congress. Many moderate leaders from late 19th century have not been given adequate importance given that they believed in 'petition politics' which didn't successfully elicit much popular support. Marxist historians have also shown little interest in studying the lives of these thinkers, who have been shunned as members of a 'bourgeois elite' allegedly collaborating with the British. Such notions have especially gained credence in the light of the perceived success of the non-violent movement. However, such an approach assumes a teleological unfolding of historical events, and ignores the fluid interplay of ideas that contributed to the distinctness of the Indian national movement. The gravitas of this movement can only truly be understood if all these ideological sources are duly acknowledged and thoroughly scrutinised...