The article, “Misplaced Parallels: Rethinking Gandhi and Dewey, Centring Ambedkar”, critically revisits dominant postcolonial narratives in the history of education in India. It challenges the widely held view that Mahatma Gandhi’s Nai Talim represents a radical, indigenous alternative to colonial education, arguing instead that its pedagogical framework may reproduce caste-based hierarchies rather than dismantling them.

A central contribution of the article is its comparative analysis of educational thought in India and the United States. It interrogates the frequently drawn parallels between Gandhi and John Dewey, and instead highlights how Dewey’s ideas on education as a practice of democracy and social transformation are more closely reflected in the educational philosophy and initiatives of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.

Drawing on archival sources, speeches, writings, and historical documents, the article re-centres Ambedkar’s educational vision as a radical and emancipatory framework, grounded in constitutional morality and Buddhist ethics. It further argues that Ambedkar’s contributions to education have been systematically marginalised in both academic discourse and teacher education curricula.

By foregrounding Ambedkar’s work, the article calls for a broader rethinking of what it means to “decolonise” education, especially in contexts shaped by caste inequality. It positions Ambedkar’s pedagogy as a critical resource for inclusive, democratic, and socially just educational reform.

Read the full article here.