2026-10-11T20:22:53Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34045734 2026-10-01T17:47:15Z category_31649 category_31646 category_31766 portal_231 item_type_6 month_year_10_2026

Architectures of Dissent: Building Memorials to Gandhi through Everyday Praxis Sarosh Anklesaria (10729173) Architecture Built environment and design Urban and regional planning architectural pedagogy dissent everyday praxis Gandhi Ashram memorials As the residence of M. K. Gandhi from 1917-1930, the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad was central to India's freedom struggle and an active community of everyday resistance through practice. It embodied dignity in labor, swadeshi (localness), vegetarianism, and literacy, reflecting Gandhi's commitment to ethics and self-sufficiency beyond political independence. Today, the site is mired in controversy over a redevelopment plan by the Modi government, aiming to transform it into a “world-class memorial,” involving demolitions with little democratic process. This essay outlines various modes through which Gandhi has been memorialized in present day India to offer a detailed critique of the current redevelopment plan and unpack its hegemonic underpinnings. It then proposes alternative and radical ways to situate Gandhi through anarchistic, non-state lenses rooted in everyday practice using the work of an advanced architecture design studio. The essay advocates for programs that support grassroots democratic praxis through a close reading and analysis of existing or abandoned programs at the ashram. The projects, seen cumulatively, envision radical, liberatory futures that emphasize acts of everyday care and dissent against proposed “worldclass” makeovers.<p></p> 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z Text Journal contribution 10.1184/R1/34045734.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Architectures_of_Dissent_Building_Memorials_to_Gandhi_through_Everyday_Praxis/34045734 CC BY 4.0