This year, India celebrated 75 years of its independence. But what is the significance of these celebrations in the given political climate in the country? What are the landmark moments that have shaped India in its journey since Independence? What does the rampant use of draconian laws and heightened surveillance against ordinary citizens mean for constitutional democracy in present day India?
In a three-part conversation with researcher and women’s rights activist Sahba Husain, feminist historian Uma Chakravarti talks about all this and more. In part I, Uma, who has extensively researched on early Indian history, Buddhism, caste and gender in India, recounts her memories as a six year old girl when the partition happened and India gained independence.
Recalling her experience as a historian and her involvement in women’s movement, human rights issues and the movement for democratic rights, Uma gives a panoramic perspective of what these 75 years of independence have meant and how the idea of fundamental rights being the basic framework of our constitution is slipping by year after year.
