Since the 19^th century, the world has witnessed the emergence of imperialism, militarism, and the simultaneous exploitation of large parts of the world. Partly as a reaction to these destructive forces, a number of 20^th century social movements in the East and the West adopted strategies against social and economic injustice, racial inequality and violent confrontation. Above all, it was Mahatma Gandhi, a major critic of industrial modernity, who either gave concrete shape or symbolically inspired these strategies. Paradigmatically, Gandhi is considered as one of the leading initiators of three important revolutions of the 20^th century, namely, the categorical condemnation of racism, the resistance to colonialism and the rejection of political violence. The New York Times has recently compared Mukesh Dhirubai Ambani, the richest Indian, to Mahatma Gandhi for being `a revolutionary thinker with bold ideas for what India ought to become'. This article triggered a debate among academic circles about what Gandhi is for today's Globalized world. Viewed from this perspective, the attempt to capture the various facets of Gandhian personality and his contribution that reflects in all walks of contemporary civilian society, through this thematic issue, bears special significance. Is he to be considered as a `Man of the Century' from the Indian Subcontinent? Though, it is difficult to find a justifiable answer to this question, the current issue makes an attempt to throw light on the crucial episodes in the saga of Gandhi's relentless fight for a humane society.

The paper, "Reclaiming 9/11 Through Satyagraha", by Gita Dharampal-Frick, appeals to scholarly and lay readership alike. By underscoring the significance of commemorating certain crucial dates, considered as `signposts' of historical-cultural developments, it foregrounds the importance of `revisiting' sites of historical memory (cf. the seminal work by Pierre Nora on les lieux de memoire, followed by studies by Hagen Schulze and Etienne Francois on the import of Erinnerungsorte for the formation of historical-cultural identity). More specifically, it endeavors to deconstruct the iconic stature of Mahatma Gandhi, and render his `message' more tangible, and hence viable from a theoretical as well as a practical perspective.

Also, the attempts to locate Gandhian philosophy from the post-modern approach have been a phenomenal development. The paper, "Gandhi on Nonviolence in the context of Enlightenment, Rationality and Globalization", by R P Singh, reexamines the theoretical backdrop of the Gandhian ideology of nonviolence. It also provides a glimpse into the Western roots of Gandhian philosophy and their application in various stages of freedom struggle in India.

The impact of Gandhi on the course of anti-imperialist movements of the 20^th century India is found to be much more profound across the country, argue a section of historians. But, historians of the late colonial Bengal (Gitasree Bandyopadhyay, Chandi Charan Biswas, Leonard A Gordon, Srilata Chatterjee), have often assumed that Gandhi's message did not have any significant impact in Bengal either on the local politics or on the initiatives of social service. These works analyze almost exclusively the inner dialectics of the nationalist movement, paying little or no attention to other spheres in which Gandhi's programs could find more scope for implementation. In fact, very few studies have so far been conducted on Bengal Gandhians. The paper, "Bengal's Response to Mahatma Gandhi's Constructive Movement", by Mario Prayer, adopts a comprehensive approach where rural social work, nationalism and urban intellectual perceptions are seen as complementary parts of the complex interaction between the regional and the national.

The paper, "Ahimsa and Its Role in Overcoming the `Ego': From Ancient Indic Traditions to the Thought and Practice of Mahatma Gandhi", by Hope K Fitz, is an attempt to probe the religious speculations on the much-talked about subject of nonviolence. The author has presented the Indian beliefs and practices on Ahimsa and its implications for overcoming the `Ego',

The paper, "Educating the Nation: A Discussion of Mahatma Gandhi's Ideas", by Sanjukta Dasgupta, deals with Gandhi's ideas on education within the context of colonial education and what it was doing to the Indian psyche. The author's efforts in tracing Gandhian thought process relating to educational development, holds a significance for India's contemporary education system.

The paper, "Mahatma Gandhi and Satinath Bhaduri: Probings into Gandhian Ideology Through the Vision of a Novelist", by Anindita Banerjee, tries to explore Gandhian thoughts and visions through the interpretations of a novelist. A novelist has full freedom to delve into the mental world of any person. Whereas history deals with facts, figures and data-based documentations of supportive evidences, a novelist can utilize all these things in his writings and at the same time ignite the spark of `life' in them. It is quite interesting to see how `Gandhi, the Mahatma' is transformed in Satinath's mind and how the interpretations get reflected in his fiction. In a way, such interpretations and expressions enable us to understand the Mahatma from a new angle—from an angle provided by the characters created by the novelist.

The enduring value of Gandhi's image and memories, as reflected his Samadhi, has been captured by Dietmar Rothermund in the paper, "Rajghat: In Memory of the Mahatma". The thesis and antithesis of divine sanctity ascribed to Gandhian Samadhi are examined while displaying the people's emotional attachment to Gandhi's personality.

Gandhi's life, ideas and legacy as perceived by several reputed authors has been documented in the book, Gandhi, Gandhism and the Gandhians, edited by Thomas Weber. The monumental essays collected here look at Gandhi the person, his philosophy and the way his followers have interpreted it and acted upon. Suparna Gooptu has portrayed the scholarly significance of this book.

- Radha Mohan Chebolu
Consulting Editor