Unpacking the Ideological Divergence: Gandhi and Savarkar's Paths to India's Freedom

New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), through its Kala Nidhi Division, organised the Mulk Raj Anand Memorial Lecture at the Samvet Auditorium, IGNCA, New Delhi. The lecture was delivered by Prof. Makarand Paranjape, Director of Education, Access Health Care Physicians, Florida, and Honorary Sri Aurobindo Chair, Vedere University. A distinguished scholar, writer, and commentator, Prof. Paranjape has had long academic associations with Jawaharlal Nehru University and the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. The session was chaired by Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, President, IGNCA Trust. Prof. (Dr.) Ramesh C. Gaur, Director and Head, Kala Nidhi Division, and Dean, IGNCA, delivered the introductory remarks and the welcome address. The memorial lecture paid tribute to the life and intellectual legacy of Mulk Raj Anand, whose personal collection was received by Kala Nidhi in 2023, and reflected on his enduring contributions to literature, thought, and cultural discourse. Prof. Makarand Paranjpe in his lecture observed that the ideological divergence between Mahatma Gandhi and V.D. Savarkar can be traced back to 1909, when both thinkers published seminal works outlining contrasting paths to India’s freedom. Savarkar’s The Indian War of Independence, 1857 and Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj, written in the same year, were both banned by the British government, reflecting their radical challenge to colonial authority. He noted that Savarkar’s work was significant in re-narrating 1857 as a War of Independence rather than a “Sepoy Mutiny”, foregrounding Indian freedom fighters from both Hindu and Muslim communities who were largely absent from British accounts. At the same time, Hind Swaraj, written by Gandhi aboard the ship S.S. Kildonan Castle, articulated a fundamentally different vision, rejecting violence and proposing moral strength and Satyagraha as the means to Swaraj. Prof. Paranjpe pointed out that while Savarkar advocated the overthrow of colonial rule through armed resistance, Gandhi insisted that freedom achieved through violence would merely replicate the oppressor’s methods. “Both were fearless,” he remarked, underlining that despite their ideological opposition, Gandhi and Savarkar shared a deep commitment to India’s independence and a belief in Swaraj, though they defined it differently. Reflecting on later developments, he observed that Savarkar’s thinking evolved after 1923, shaped by his experiences in the Andaman’s and the political climate following the Khilafat movement, while Gandhi continued to emphasise unity and moral resistance until the end of his life. He also recalled that Gandhi’s commitment to non-violence did not preclude the necessity of defence, citing Gandhi’s support for deploying the Indian Army to protect civilians in Kashmir after Independence. Concluding, Prof. Paranjpe emphasised that India must engage with both Gandhi and Savarkar in their historical contexts. “They represent two ends of the Swaraj spectrum,” he said, adding that understanding their ideas through dialogue rather than ideological reduction is essential. He noted that it seeks not only to revisit their differences and convergences but also to caution against the distortion of history. “If India is to move forward,” he remarked, “it must create space for dialogue, not merely deepen divisions.” On this occasion, Shri Ram Bahadur Rai said that, in his concluding remarks, Prof. Makarand Paranjpe emphasised the need to welcome all streams of thought. The essence of his address, he noted, lay in understanding parallel streams—those of Savarkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Sri Aurobindo—recognising that no great figure stands in opposition to another, as each evolved from his own convictions and context. Through the address and the interaction that followed, the audience gained a deeper understanding of both the historical period and its relevance to the present. Shri Rai observed that the dialogue presented by Prof. Paranjpe was intellectually rich and meaningful. While the discussion unfolded across multiple layers, it revealed, from a philosophical perspective, four distinct levels of thought, particularly in relation to how the freedom movement between 1857 and 1947 was viewed by different towering personalities. Within this framework, ideas surrounding Hind Swaraj and Savarkar were examined. He further noted that prevalent misconceptions about Hind Swaraj—especially regarding why and for whom Gandhi ji wrote it—were thoughtfully addressed. Referring to the scholarship of S. R. Mehrotra, it was reiterated that Hind Swaraj was written in 1909 for Dr. Pranjivan Bhehta and reflected Gandhi ji’s thinking of that period, while his later silence on revising it after 1947 remains significant. Shri Ram Bahadur Rai concluded by stating that the ideas of Savarkar, Gandhi, Ambedkar, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, and Sri Aurobindo were rooted in their own times, and that the post-1947 context calls for a renewed engagement with them. What remains relevant should be embraced, and what does not may be set aside, while values such as dialogue, mutual respect, empathy, and love must continue to guide contemporary life. Earlier, the introductory and welcome address was delivered by Prof. Ramesh C. Gaur, who set the context for the discussion by underlining the importance of engaging with diverse intellectual traditions and revisiting seminal ideas in their historical and contemporary frameworks. He noted that such dialogues are essential for fostering informed academic discourse and a deeper understanding of India’s intellectual history. The programme was attended by scholars, researchers, students, and members of the academic community, who actively engaged with the deliberations and discussions.