At a time when the world was largely divided into capitalist and communist powers, MK Gandhi rejected both, giving the nation his own brand of socialism, which many found impossible to adopt at that time. And yet, a newly independent India put into practice several of his principles, carving an identity that stood out from our neighbours and other nations. That was the 20th century, and today, as we grapple with the social, political, economic and environmental fallouts of what unbridled industrialisation and urbanisation have unleashed on us, it’s perhaps time to ask, Is Mahatma Gandhi possible?

That’s a question a two-day international symposium organised by the Department of History, KC College, and the Sewagram Collective will engage with as part of the sesquicentennial birth anniversary year of Gandhi and Kasturba. The chief guest and valedictory speaker will be Prof Samdhong Rinpoche, former Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile, while sociologist and political and clinical psychologist Dr Ashis Nandy is the keynote speaker.