Negotiating Gandhi—The Life and Experiences of Acharya P.C. Ray

Abstract

This article takes a close look at Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray’s engagement with Gandhi’s political and economic thought. It calls for a nuanced reading of Ray’s autobiography as a text that reveals the ways in which he sought to negotiate the key ideas of the Hind Swaraj and situate its fundamental premises in his own intellectual and professional quests. Published in two volumes in the years 1931–32, the Life and Experiences of a Bengali Chemist offers a wealth of insights into Ray’s understanding of the contemporary crisis of Western capitalism and the immense possibilities of a Gandhian resolution.