October 24, 2013 | 5:30 p.m
Fletcher Challenge Theater
SFU Harbour Centre
515 West Hastings St.

This lecture is part of the 2013-2014 series, Heroes & Villains: Rethinking Good and Evil in History.

Mahatma Gandhi’s name is synonymous with peace and saintliness almost everywhere on the planet. Yet in parts of postcolonial South Asia, Gandhi's life, politics, ideologies, and legacy have been the subject of considerable controversy and even violent denigration. How, then, should we remember Gandhi? Misogynist tyrant or freethinking radical? Self-absorbed kingmaker or farsighted statesman? Economic genius or utopian fantasist?  By exploring  some of the most popular myths surrounding the man and his work, Dr. Bidisha Ray will offer a fresh perspective on what Gandhi and Gandhi-isms may stand for.

This is a free event and is open to the general public. Click here to reserve your spot.

BIDISHA RAY

Born and raised in Calcutta, Bidisha Ray holds degrees from the universities of Delhi, Jadvapur, York, and Machester. She has spent time teaching History and Politics as well as working with the British Cabinet Office in London. She is currently working on a book-length study entitled Contesting Respectability: Sexuality, Corporeality and Popular Culture in Colonial Bengal.