Masani valued butter in the classic guns versus butter debate as it corresponded to India’s nuclear policy under the PM Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Masani clearly saw the Emergency’s threat to liberal democracy and opposed different manifestations of the threat.

Sastri asserted, “We want political power; let there be no mistake about it. We want the right to rule ourselves.”

The identification and acknowledgment of the layers of oppression Dalit women face becomes crucial to achieve individual fundamental rights.

He was a cosmopolitan, pioneered global greats of the era, who was beyond the boundaries of religion, caste, language, and nation.

The genius of Ranade lies in the fact that he used data to substantiate his economic arguments. He used ballpark estimates when data wasn’t easily available.

Mithan rallied against sexism within the legal profession by asking “how can a woman be declared unfit without even being given a trial?”

Mehta’s advocacy of local self-governance and moderation in politics though had to face challenges from the political extremism of Tilak which demanded “poorna swaraj”.

In his resort to rational argumentation, use of pamphlets to persuade public opinion and submission of a petition to the government, Vidyasagar emerges as a quintessential classical liberal.

"An extraordinarily intelligent man, I think the cleverest Indian in debate I have yet seen."