A Dialogue of Seven Indian Thinkers

Freedom was conceptualized in Indian nationalist discourses differently. For the Moderates who became prominent nationalism was institutionalized with the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885; the attainment of freedom was possible under the tutelage of colonial authority. The idea was reversed with the split of the Congress in the 1907 Surat Congress Session. Gandhi conceived of freedom in a fashion which did not correspond with that of his predecessors. Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) widened the scope of freedom by insisting on the liberation from the well-entrenched socio-cultural prejudices which deprived many in the country of their identity as human beings. The book is an in-depth study of how the idea of freedom developed in India’s nationalist discourse. Instead of focusing on the specific contribution of thinkers who shaped nationalism in India, Professor Dalton approaches their ideas as complementary to the changing conceptualization of freedom as an ideational construct. One of the pioneers in the study of India’s nationalist thought, the author not only mentored many scholars across the world, but he also helped build newer conceptual frameworks to comprehend the complexities of the processes leading to the articulation of freedom in different perspectives. An expansion of his 1982 publication, the book under review captures a wide range of issues during India’s struggle for freedom.