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Voices of Dissent: An Essay
People have disagreed since time immemorial. They have argued or agreed to disagree, or eventually arrived at agreement. All that is part of life, of living. But we live in times when any form of dissent in India is marked as anti-Indian, suggesting that the very concept of dissent has been imported into India from the West. It is an argument made by those who visualize the Indian past as free of blemishes and therefore not requiring dissenting opinions. But as Romila Thapar explores in this timely historical essay, dissent has a long history in the subcontinent, even if its forms have evolved or changed through the centuries.
Thapar looks at the articulation of dissent, focusing on nonviolent forms, that which is so essential to all societies, and relates it to various moments of time and in varying contexts as part of the Indian historical experience. Beginning with Vedic times, she takes us from the second to the first millennium BC, to the emergence of groups that were jointly called the Shramanas—the Jainas, Buddhists, and Ajivikas. Going forward in time she explores the views of some Bhakti sants and others of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries AD, and brings us to a major moment of dissent that helped to establish a free and democratic Mahatma Gandhi’s satyagraha.
In her argument she emphasizes the use of the idiom of religion as reflecting social change, ending with the eventual politicization of religion in the present. She also highlights the public response to particular forms of dissent. She places in context the recent peaceful protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Population in places like Shaheen Bagh, Delhi. Implicit in this is the question of whether or not the idiom of religion is necessary? Thapar maintains that dissent in our time must be audible, distinct, opposed to injustice and supportive of democratic rights. The articulation of dissent and debate through dialogue is what makes of it a movement that changes society for the better.
Written by one of India’s best-known public intellectuals, Voices of Dissent has immense relevance. It is essential listening for anyone who contemplates not only the Indian past but also the direction in which society and the nation is headed.
Thapar looks at the articulation of dissent, focusing on nonviolent forms, that which is so essential to all societies, and relates it to various moments of time and in varying contexts as part of the Indian historical experience. Beginning with Vedic times, she takes us from the second to the first millennium BC, to the emergence of groups that were jointly called the Shramanas—the Jainas, Buddhists, and Ajivikas. Going forward in time she explores the views of some Bhakti sants and others of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries AD, and brings us to a major moment of dissent that helped to establish a free and democratic Mahatma Gandhi’s satyagraha.
In her argument she emphasizes the use of the idiom of religion as reflecting social change, ending with the eventual politicization of religion in the present. She also highlights the public response to particular forms of dissent. She places in context the recent peaceful protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Population in places like Shaheen Bagh, Delhi. Implicit in this is the question of whether or not the idiom of religion is necessary? Thapar maintains that dissent in our time must be audible, distinct, opposed to injustice and supportive of democratic rights. The articulation of dissent and debate through dialogue is what makes of it a movement that changes society for the better.
Written by one of India’s best-known public intellectuals, Voices of Dissent has immense relevance. It is essential listening for anyone who contemplates not only the Indian past but also the direction in which society and the nation is headed.
Audible Audio
Published March 12, 2024
About the author
Romila Thapar
99 books370 followersRomila Thapar is an Indian historian and Professor Emeritus at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
A graduate from Panjab University, Dr. Thapar completed her PhD in the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
Her historical work portrays the origins of Hinduism as an evolving interplay between social forces. Her recent work on Somnath examines the evolution of the historiographies about the legendary Gujarat temple.
Thapar has been a visiting professor at Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the College de France in Paris. She was elected General President of the Indian History Congress in 1983 and a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy in 1999.
A graduate from Panjab University, Dr. Thapar completed her PhD in the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
Her historical work portrays the origins of Hinduism as an evolving interplay between social forces. Her recent work on Somnath examines the evolution of the historiographies about the legendary Gujarat temple.
Thapar has been a visiting professor at Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the College de France in Paris. She was elected General President of the Indian History Congress in 1983 and a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy in 1999.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 3, 2020
Political, economic and social systems change over a period of time. The systems are never ideal in any part of the world and there is a constant shift in an effrot to make them better though some might end worse. In her recent book, Romila Thapar talks about one fundamental phenomenon which presents the foundation for these systems to function better - Dissent
Thapar traces the timeline of dissent over the historiography of the Indian subcontinent. Each phase in one way or the other has seen one or more forms of dissent. The author argues that creating an impression of a monolith unified religion does not hold water as demonstrated by several instances of dissent in Indian history. The first chapter details the meaning of the Self and the Other. Not just India every society needs to have an Other without which the Self loses meaning. And this dualism is only an outcome of the existence of dissent.
The Rig Veda has references to the existence of dasa and dasayu who do not follow the Vedic tradition. The self-other duality is extended to the Mauryan and the Gupta times where we have the Shramana and Brahmana split. The term Shramana was an umbrella term for non-believers bringing in Buddhists, Jains, Ajivikas and sometimes including the Charvakas. The Shramana as you would all know provide methods which are a breakaway from the Vedic ritualistic tradition and they were quite strong during the Mauryas until the wane during the Gupta age.
The idea of dissent continues several centuries through the Bhakti movement and Sufi movement where Sants and Pirs demonstrate that closeness to God is achieved through sheer devotion overcoming the Brahmanical methods. Romila Thapar states the concept of monolithic observation be it Hindu or Muslim is too much of simplification and is misleading originates with the writings of the colonial time period which is exploited by religious extremist forces from either religions.
There is an inquiry made into Gandhi's Satyagraha principle which was one of the foundations of the Indian freedom struggle - both Non Cooperation movement and the Civil disobedience movement. The author finishes the discussion with the highlight on the recent Shaheen Bagh protests in New Delhi against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
The book is brilliant in its construction of the argument that dissent is fundamental for the effective functioning of a democracy. The arguments in the essay are structured and through this exploration we also get perspectives on how religion and caste has changed in India over several centuries.
The only concern I had with the essay was it’s conciseness in terms of geography. If dissent is fundamental in a democratic country, not all countries operate the way in all parts of the world. Rather than accepting that an individual has the right to dissent, issues expand to tyrannical proportions and the opinion or the discussion disappears. What started as an isolated incident in a classroom in France has become a full scale diplomatic war. I would have very much liked the essay to provide a global view of dissent to understand how the phenomenon operates under different democracies.
Thapar traces the timeline of dissent over the historiography of the Indian subcontinent. Each phase in one way or the other has seen one or more forms of dissent. The author argues that creating an impression of a monolith unified religion does not hold water as demonstrated by several instances of dissent in Indian history. The first chapter details the meaning of the Self and the Other. Not just India every society needs to have an Other without which the Self loses meaning. And this dualism is only an outcome of the existence of dissent.
The Rig Veda has references to the existence of dasa and dasayu who do not follow the Vedic tradition. The self-other duality is extended to the Mauryan and the Gupta times where we have the Shramana and Brahmana split. The term Shramana was an umbrella term for non-believers bringing in Buddhists, Jains, Ajivikas and sometimes including the Charvakas. The Shramana as you would all know provide methods which are a breakaway from the Vedic ritualistic tradition and they were quite strong during the Mauryas until the wane during the Gupta age.
The idea of dissent continues several centuries through the Bhakti movement and Sufi movement where Sants and Pirs demonstrate that closeness to God is achieved through sheer devotion overcoming the Brahmanical methods. Romila Thapar states the concept of monolithic observation be it Hindu or Muslim is too much of simplification and is misleading originates with the writings of the colonial time period which is exploited by religious extremist forces from either religions.
There is an inquiry made into Gandhi's Satyagraha principle which was one of the foundations of the Indian freedom struggle - both Non Cooperation movement and the Civil disobedience movement. The author finishes the discussion with the highlight on the recent Shaheen Bagh protests in New Delhi against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
The book is brilliant in its construction of the argument that dissent is fundamental for the effective functioning of a democracy. The arguments in the essay are structured and through this exploration we also get perspectives on how religion and caste has changed in India over several centuries.
The only concern I had with the essay was it’s conciseness in terms of geography. If dissent is fundamental in a democratic country, not all countries operate the way in all parts of the world. Rather than accepting that an individual has the right to dissent, issues expand to tyrannical proportions and the opinion or the discussion disappears. What started as an isolated incident in a classroom in France has become a full scale diplomatic war. I would have very much liked the essay to provide a global view of dissent to understand how the phenomenon operates under different democracies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2022
Even as the essay is premised on deep diving into the plurality of religions in the sub-continent as a tool to recognising the presence of dissent in history, it fails to emphasise enough on this plurality especially with respect to the class and caste discrepancies that are central to the region. It seemed like too many strands were clubbed to map out a historical trajectory of dissent with little nuance from the author. From the multiple religious practices of Dalits/Adivasis to Gandhi's problematic and prominent dismissal of them to 'unify the nation', nothing is explored as such except in a sentence here or there. It really did feel like primer 101 for anyone who doesn't know the D of dissent.
June 16, 2021
A brilliant essay which deals with various form of dissent starting for the first millennium. She emphasizes that dissent was not imported from the west as claimed by various ultra-nationalist forces rather it was present from the beginning.
June 13, 2024
A phrase I love to use for political theorists is that their favourite sport is 'linguistic gymnastics' – decent read, just stretched out way more than it needed to be. 2.5/5
April 11, 2021
A good read.
The book is about the how the dissents are rise in the past history to the current time.
The book is about the how the dissents are rise in the past history to the current time.
June 3, 2021
A brilliant, succinct longue duree history of dissent across caste, class, sect and communal lines by the doyen of South Asian history!
June 21, 2022
Short dense read. Was expecting something else from it perhaps.
November 18, 2025
Diving into this book as an audiotext didn't help. Things started to clear up after the first half.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews