Truth and Nonviolence in Post-Truth Times:
International Conference on the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mohandas K. Gandhi
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
30 January – 2 February 2020
All events are free and open to the public.
No registration or RSVP required.
PLEASE CONSULT THE SCHEDULE A DAY BEFOREHAND IN CASE OF CHANGES.
International Conference on the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mohandas K. Gandhi
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
30 January – 2 February 2020
All events are free and open to the public.
No registration or RSVP required.
PLEASE CONSULT THE SCHEDULE A DAY BEFOREHAND IN CASE OF CHANGES.
Day 1: Thursday, January 30 Venue: Ackerman Union, Bruin Viewpoint Room
4:30 pm – 5:00 pm: Coffee
5:00 pm – 5:15 pm: Welcoming Remarks
Vinay Lal (UCLA) and Darnell Hunt (Dean, Social Sciences, UCLA)
5:15 pm – 5:45 pm: Preliminaries
Vinay Lal (UCLA)
"A Player of Infinite Games: Thoughts on Gandhi" and Introduction to the Conference
5:45 pm – 7:00 pm: Session I
Address by Reverend James M. Lawson, Jr. and Q & A
Pastor Emeritus, Holman United Methodist Church, Los Angeles
"Gandhi and the Long, Bitter, Beautiful Struggle for Justice and Truth"
7:05 pm - 7:30 pm: Violin Performance
Priyanka Venkatesh (UCLA)
Vák for solo violin and taanpoora….S. Korde (b. 1945) I. Aalaap II. Jor III. Jhaala
Day 2: Friday, January 31 Venue: YRL Main Conference Room
9:30 am – 10:45 am: Session II
Leilah Danielson (Northern Arizona University)
"American Gandhi: A. J. Muste and the Historical Erasure of Radical Nonviolence"
10:45 am – 11:15 am: Coffee Break
11:15 am – 12:30 pm: Session III
Sarah Azaransky (Union Theological Seminary)
"International and Interreligious Roots of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement"
LUNCH 12:30 pm – 2:00 PM
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm: Session IV
Ajay Skaria (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis)
"Political Friendship: Gandhi and the Remaking of the Neighbor"
3:15 pm – 4:30 pm: Session V
Tridip Suhrud (CEPT University, Ahmedabad)
"Et tu, Gujarat?: On Being Impervious to the Discreet Charm of M. K. Gandhi"
EVENING PROGRAM: Sambhi Endowed Lecture
NB: VENUE ROLFE 1200
6:15 pm – 7:45 pm: Session VI
Gopalkrishna Gandhi (Ashoka University, Sonepat, and Independent Scholar)
"Gandhi in the Grip of Violence"
Day 3: Saturday, February 1 Venue: YRL Main Conference Room
9:30 am – 10:45 am: Session VII
Uday Singh Mehta (CUNY)
"A Very Different Vision: Gandhi’s Critique of Political Rationality"
10:45 am – 11:15 am: Coffee Break
11:15 am – 12:30 pm: Session VIII
Sumathi Ramaswamy (Duke University)
"‘Everything He Touched’: The Art of Melancholizing"
LUNCH 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm: Session IX
Neelima Shukla-Bhatt (Wellesley College)
"A Rasatmak Journey: Aesthetics and Moral Fervor in Gandhi’s Quest"
3:15 pm – 3:35 pm: Coffee Break
3:35 pm – 4:50 pm: Session X
Vinay Lal (UCLA)
"Gandhi, the 'Colored Races,' and the Future of Satyagraha: The View from the African American Press"
Day 4: Sunday, February 2
Venue: Pre-lunch Sessions: Royce 314
Post-lunch Sessions: YRL Main Conference Room
9:30 am – 10:45 am: Session XI
Karuna Mantena (Columbia University)
"Gandhi’s Critique of Violence"
10:45 am – 11:15 am: Coffee Break
11:15 am – 12:30 pm: Session XII
Charles R. DiSalvo (West Virginia University)
"Advocate Gandhi: Race, Role, and Redemption?"
LUNCH 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm: Session XIII
Sudipta Kaviraj (Columbia University)
"The Ethical and the Aesthetic: Some Observations on the Exchanges between Gandhi and Tagore"
3:15 pm – 3:45 pm: Coffee Break
3:45 pm – 5:00 pm: Session XIV
Faisal Devji (Oxford University)
"Gandhi, Hinduism and Humanity"
5:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Closing Remarks by the Rev. James M. Lawson (Los Angeles) & Vinay Lal (UCLA)
4:30 pm – 5:00 pm: Coffee
5:00 pm – 5:15 pm: Welcoming Remarks
Vinay Lal (UCLA) and Darnell Hunt (Dean, Social Sciences, UCLA)
5:15 pm – 5:45 pm: Preliminaries
Vinay Lal (UCLA)
"A Player of Infinite Games: Thoughts on Gandhi" and Introduction to the Conference
5:45 pm – 7:00 pm: Session I
Address by Reverend James M. Lawson, Jr. and Q & A
Pastor Emeritus, Holman United Methodist Church, Los Angeles
"Gandhi and the Long, Bitter, Beautiful Struggle for Justice and Truth"
7:05 pm - 7:30 pm: Violin Performance
Priyanka Venkatesh (UCLA)
Vák for solo violin and taanpoora….S. Korde (b. 1945) I. Aalaap II. Jor III. Jhaala
Day 2: Friday, January 31 Venue: YRL Main Conference Room
9:30 am – 10:45 am: Session II
Leilah Danielson (Northern Arizona University)
"American Gandhi: A. J. Muste and the Historical Erasure of Radical Nonviolence"
10:45 am – 11:15 am: Coffee Break
11:15 am – 12:30 pm: Session III
Sarah Azaransky (Union Theological Seminary)
"International and Interreligious Roots of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement"
LUNCH 12:30 pm – 2:00 PM
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm: Session IV
Ajay Skaria (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis)
"Political Friendship: Gandhi and the Remaking of the Neighbor"
3:15 pm – 4:30 pm: Session V
Tridip Suhrud (CEPT University, Ahmedabad)
"Et tu, Gujarat?: On Being Impervious to the Discreet Charm of M. K. Gandhi"
EVENING PROGRAM: Sambhi Endowed Lecture
NB: VENUE ROLFE 1200
6:15 pm – 7:45 pm: Session VI
Gopalkrishna Gandhi (Ashoka University, Sonepat, and Independent Scholar)
"Gandhi in the Grip of Violence"
Day 3: Saturday, February 1 Venue: YRL Main Conference Room
9:30 am – 10:45 am: Session VII
Uday Singh Mehta (CUNY)
"A Very Different Vision: Gandhi’s Critique of Political Rationality"
10:45 am – 11:15 am: Coffee Break
11:15 am – 12:30 pm: Session VIII
Sumathi Ramaswamy (Duke University)
"‘Everything He Touched’: The Art of Melancholizing"
LUNCH 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm: Session IX
Neelima Shukla-Bhatt (Wellesley College)
"A Rasatmak Journey: Aesthetics and Moral Fervor in Gandhi’s Quest"
3:15 pm – 3:35 pm: Coffee Break
3:35 pm – 4:50 pm: Session X
Vinay Lal (UCLA)
"Gandhi, the 'Colored Races,' and the Future of Satyagraha: The View from the African American Press"
Day 4: Sunday, February 2
Venue: Pre-lunch Sessions: Royce 314
Post-lunch Sessions: YRL Main Conference Room
9:30 am – 10:45 am: Session XI
Karuna Mantena (Columbia University)
"Gandhi’s Critique of Violence"
10:45 am – 11:15 am: Coffee Break
11:15 am – 12:30 pm: Session XII
Charles R. DiSalvo (West Virginia University)
"Advocate Gandhi: Race, Role, and Redemption?"
LUNCH 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm: Session XIII
Sudipta Kaviraj (Columbia University)
"The Ethical and the Aesthetic: Some Observations on the Exchanges between Gandhi and Tagore"
3:15 pm – 3:45 pm: Coffee Break
3:45 pm – 5:00 pm: Session XIV
Faisal Devji (Oxford University)
"Gandhi, Hinduism and Humanity"
5:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Closing Remarks by the Rev. James M. Lawson (Los Angeles) & Vinay Lal (UCLA)