New Delhi: The 26th Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer Memorial Lecture, held at Jawahar Bhawan, brought together scholars, activists, and citizens to reflect on the evolving meaning of justice and equality in India. Organized by the Centre for Study and Secularism, the event featured noted feminist historian and filmmaker Professor Uma Chakravarti, who delivered a lecture titled “Constitutional Promises: An Ordinary Citizen’s View.”
Professor Chakravarti shared personal memories from the years following independence, recalling the trauma of Partition and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. These events, she said, shaped her understanding of India’s democratic ideals and their challenges. She examined the history of land reforms that were once seen as progressive but failed to empower Dalits and landless workers. She also connected the ongoing struggles of Adivasi and peasant communities to the broader fight for equality and justice.
Reflecting on her work in the women’s movement, she discussed how the 1970s and 1980s exposed patterns of gender-based violence and state repression. She referenced cases like Archana Guha and Rajan in Kerala, pointing to the normalization of torture and lack of accountability during the Emergency.
Dr. Navsharan Singh, author and activist, chaired the event and recalled his first meeting with Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer in 1982. He highlighted Dr. Engineer’s unwavering commitment to communal harmony and justice, linking past peasant struggles to the recent farmers’ protests and current land rights movements.
The evening concluded with a shared appeal to defend democratic values and uphold the spirit of India’s Constitution in everyday civic life.
