India Dissents

Over the centuries, various voices in the Indian civilization have dared to fiercely question, censure and debate authority—be it the state or empire, invading forces, religious or political bodies, patriarchy or even the idea of god. These dissenting individuals have persisted despite the various attempts made to silence them. They have inspired revolutions and uprisings, helped preserve individual dignity and freedom, and promoted tolerance and a plurality in thoughts and ideas. India Dissents: 3,000 Years of Difference, Doubt and Argument is a collection of essays, articles, poems and speeches—from texts ranging from the Rig Veda to B.R. Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste; and thinkers as varied as the Buddha, Akka Mahadevi, Ghalib, Mahatma Gandhi, Namdeo Dhasal and Amartya Sen—that embodies this undying and essential spirit of dissent in one of the world’s most diverse, dynamic and oldest civilizations