{
  "id": 12045536,
  "title": "Ramachandra Guha at Idea Exchange: ‘Maybe it’s a new generation that will find their own Gandhi, which will be different from mine and yours’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/ramachandra-guha-at-idea-exchange-maybe-its-a-new-generation-that",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-05T00:59:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/idea-exchange/ramachandra-guha-idea-exchange-new-generation-gandhi-abvp-10906695/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In his book \"Arguments With Gandhi,\" historian Ramachandra Guha delves into the complex relationship between Gandhi and various figures in Indian politics, such as the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Ambedkar, and even Ambedkar himself. The ABVP appropriates figures like Bhagat Singh and Subhas Chandra Bose, looking for anyone who opposed Gandhi, as they have no history of participating in the freedom struggle themselves. For the Hindu Right, Gandhi's belief in equal rights for Muslims and his practice of non-violence make him anathema, as they regard these as effeminate and not combative enough.\n\nGuha's book explores the ideological debates surrounding Gandhi, focusing on non-violence, justice, religion, and economic progress. He examines the arguments made against Gandhi by different groups and assesses the validity of their criticisms. The author highlights the genuine differences between figures like Nehru and Patel, who worked together for the betterment of the nation despite their disagreements. However, he criticizes the current tendency of pitting freedom fighters against each other, as was not the case during the independence movement.\n\nThe recent student protests at Jantar Mantar have seen a diverse range of figures, including Ambedkar, Nehru, Bhagat Singh, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, and Rabindranath Tagore, sparking a renewed interest in Gandhi's ideas. Despite his global stature, Gandhi has faced attacks from various ideological streams, including Hindutva, communism, Ambedkarism, and economic modernizers, who claim that Gandhi was a backward reactionary who opposed development. Guha argues that Gandhi's ideas continue to provoke debate and opposition, making him a fascinating figure for historians to study.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}