Sudarshan Iyengar
As Gandhiji’s grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi has rightly remarked, (India's home minister) Amit Shah’s remark that Gandhi was a "clever bania" was tasteless and has mischief hidden in it. The use of the word "chatur", implying wiliness in Gandhiji’s actions, is indeed in bad taste and reflects Amit Shah’s deep personal dislike for Gandhiji. Yet, he had to add the honorific 'Mahatma' before he named Gandhi. This is the BJP’s present political predicament. The Mahatma does not go away and the BJP doesn’t know how to handle this force and power that continues to hold sway almost 70 years after Gandhiji was snatched away from us.
Dr. Sudarshan Iyengar is recognised as a leading scholar on Gandhian studies in India. Iyengar, a Ph.D. in Economics, is the Former Vice Chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad, a University founded in 1920 by Mahatma Gandhi. Across academia, development institutions and Gandhian institutions and workers, Iyengar is noted as a Gandhian economist with his main areas of research on Gandhian thought and practice, sustainable living, non violence and people centred growth models.
Iyengar is the former Director, Centre for Social Studies, and Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad. He was Chair Professor, Gandhian Philosophy, at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai. He is presently lives and works at Action Research in Community Health and Development (ARCH) at Dharampur, Valsad, Gujarat.
Iyengar has worked with various institutions recognised by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), leading socioeconomic research projects and papers in Ahmedabad and Surat in Gujarat State.
Iyengar works closely with the Foundation of The Billion Press on innovative ideas and on "long form conversations" as books.