Organizer: Dr Kumar P (History)
Date: 22nd December 2021
Time: 5:00 PM
Platform: Online
Participants: 50
Level of Programme: Inter University (State Level)
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence, the FIC of the History course at the TNNLU organised a webinar titled “Dreams of Indian Freedom Fighters: Gandhian Nationalists”. Prof. Sucheta Mahajan, Professor of History at the JNU, New Delhi was the Guest speaker to deliver the talk on the above-mentioned topic. The participants of the programme were welcomed by Dr. P. Kumar, Assistant Professor of History at the TNNLU. Mr. Muhammad Adnan Samy, II B. Com LLB, introduced the speaker.
The speaker, Prof. Mahajan outlined the important landmarks of Indian National Movements and its nature. She emphasised the role of Gandhi and his followers in the movement. While discussing the dreams of them, she also emphasised the present challenges forced towards the basics of what is India today. Prof. V.S. Elizabeth, the Vice Chancellor, registered her concluding remarks. While responding to a question from Mr. Anand K. Singh, (he asked why the Indian National Congress took so long to achieve India’s Independence from the British?) she pointed out that before 1947 there was no such thing called India. Even though some of the rulers like Ashoka and so on ruled a larger part of the Indian subcontinent many other parts such as the Tamil region and north-east regions were not part of it. By making this point she meant that the consciousness of Indian unity was absent. The Congress not simply carried out the struggle against the British Imperialism but also the project of nation making along with it. She also pointed out that the middle class was the product of colonial rule in India and they were the British loyalists. The peasantry class bravely fought against the British since the colonial policies directly affect them. Prof. Elizabeth also pointed out while responding to Ms. Shanthi Samandha that the Indian National Congress did not pay adequate attention to gender and caste questions.The webinar came to an end with the Vote of Thanks by Ms. Meera Bharathi, III BA LLB. The total participation of the webinar was 50 among them nearly half of the participation came out of the TNNLU.
