The Department of History from the Easwari School of Liberal Arts, hosted a national symposium on “Rethinking Gandhi: Relevance and Revaluation in our Times,” focusing on the facets of Gandhian legacy of meditation and tolerance. The symposium, held on February 25, 2025,  witnessed an assembly of noted stalwarts of Gandhian Studies and modern South Asian history whose expertise in unpacking Gandhi and his politics is noteworthy. Prof. Mridula Mukherjee, Retired professor, JNU, Prof. Amar Farooqui, Retired professor, University of Delhi-North Campus, Prof. V Krishna Ananth, Professor of History, Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Sikkim University, Gangtok, delivered insightful sessions at the symposium moderated by Dr V Rajesh, Associate Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Science, IISER, Mohali.

Prof. Vishnupad, Dean of Easwari School of Liberal Arts, gave a comprehensive account of the relevance of revisiting the Gandhian legacy and ideology of inclusivity, compromise and tolerance in the contemporary world. He also opined the importance of liberal arts education in redefining oneself and shaping young minds into leaders and change-makers of tomorrow.

The symposium highlighted three perceptive lectures by leading academicians in Gandhian Studies. Prof. Mridula Mukherjee elucidated Gandhi as a leader of civil liberties. She commented, “Gandi’s doctrine placed democracy, civil liberties, and the notion of dissent in the forefront. His political ideology played with the terrains of legality and legitimacy.” Prof. Amar Farooqui discussed Gandhi’s relevance, particularly in relation to the idea of secularism. He commented, “Gandhi is uncompromisingly secular” and emphasised that Gandhi’s understanding of secularism remains relevant today.

Prof. V Krishna Ananth highlighted that tolerance was central to Gandhi’s journey. He remarked that Gaandhi’s activism exposed the exploitative nexus between colonialism and financial power, a reality that remains relevant today. Dr V Rajesh moderated a Q&A session following the lectures.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Manoj K Arora expressed his appreciation to the Department of History and the Easwari School of Liberal Arts for this formidable initiative. He stated, “The National symposium is hugely beneficial for liberal arts students to enlighten the idea of swaraj. It is important for young minds to imbibe Gandhi’s teachings to strive towards a right and judicious world”.

The symposium aimed at revisiting Gandhi’s legacy, ideology, and vision and their relevance in the contemporary world. The event featured the participation of the Associate Dean of Easwari School of Liberal Arts, Prof. Vandana Swami, Head-Department of History Dr Aqsa Agha, Convenor of the symposium, Dr Maanvender Singh, faculty from the Liberal Arts school, research scholars, and students.

“Every Child Out of School is in Child Labour. Education, Education and Education alone is the Way Forward for a Progressing India.” – Prof. Shanti Sinha

The twentieth edition of the University Distinguished Lecture (UDL) on February 21, 2025, witnessed an invigorating session by the eminent anti-child labour activist Padma Shri Prof. Shanta Sinha, Ramon Magsaysay Awardee, Former Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), and Professor (Retd.) Dept. of Political Science, Hyderabad Central University. The session on the topic “Making Education a Reality and Ending Child Labour: Experience of M.V. Foundation” gave an overview of the work of M.V. Foundation in the field of child rights in India.

In a society ravaged by poverty, where children were forced to join the bonded labour workforce, Prof. Sinha remarked that it was not poverty that led to child labour but child labour that led to poverty. Prof. Sinha elucidated on the non-negotiable principle adopted by the M.V. Foundation, that ‘no child must work, and every child must attend full-time formal day school,’ which broke the societal norms of Indian society.

She briefly spoke about the impact that the M.V. Foundation had and the ripple it created in the field of child rights. “M.V. Foundation has withdrawn over 15 lakh children in the age group of 5-14 years from child labour; stopped over 20,000 child marriages and pioneered a program for mainstreaming children to schools through residential bridge courses. The MVF’s mission to abolish child labour also led to the Closure of Night Schools and the creation of necessary amendments in the Child Labour Act of 1986,” stated Prof. Sinha.

The session also discussed Prof. Sinha’s Journey at the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), and the various challenges faced in addressing key issues such as violation of children’s rights in relation to child labour and child trafficking, rights of children in areas of civil unrest, juvenile justice system, corporal punishment, child abuse and violence on children, and child malnutrition.

The UDL 20 was a mind opener and a lens into the reality of child labour still prevalent in India. Prof. Manoj K Arora, Vice Chancellor of SRM University-AP, expressed his gratitude to have the presence of a torchbearer of social reform at the UDL. He stated, “Prof. Sinha is a stalwart whose work has created a magnitudinal shift in the societal norm, significantly contributing to the abolition of child labour in India. We are grateful to imbibe from her knowledge and experience as a social leader.” Dean of Easwari School of Liberal Arts, Prof. Vishnupad, also expressed his heartfelt appreciation for Prof. Sinha’s presence and her work. He stated that the thought-provoking and inspiring session will ignite students to think in a ‘non-conventional’ way and offer courage to make a change.

The 20th UDL was organised under the aegis of the Office of Dean-Research, the UDL committee, and the Easwari School of Liberal Arts. It witnessed the presence of Registrar Dr R Premkumar, Dean of the School of Engineering and Sciences, Prof C V Tomy, Dean of Research, Prof. Ranjit Thapa, and Faculty and students of the varsity. The signature lecture series is the university’s flagship initiative to impart global exposure and quality education to its students.