P.S. Krishnan is a retired IAS officer widely known for his long-standing involvement in social justice activism. His vast experience in social and political activism makes him a goldmine of information on a variety of subjects that make the news today in India. This book is an attempt to bring his unique experiences and his beliefs to the attention of interested readers, especially those with a passion for activism.

The former Vice Chancellor of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University V.Vasanthi Devi is to be thanked for planting in us the idea to come out with this book. We had asked her a few years ago to write a brief article on P.S. Krishnan, which was to serve as a foreword for another book we published in Tamil titled ‘Sathi Olippukkana Chennai Piragadanam’ (Chennai Declaration on Caste Eradication). She told us that a brief article wouldn’t do P.S. Krishnan justice. So instead we asked her to help us publish a book that would allow the ideas and experiences of P.S. Krishnan to be set out lucidly for interested readers. She agreed to take up this task and decided to pose 50 questions to P.S. Krishnan, thus enabling him to talk about his life’s mission and his experiences in his own words.

Social justice is the heart and soul of democracy. However, the very concept of social justice is under attack today in India, with multinational corporations becoming extremely powerful actors and with people belonging to disenfranchised communities struggling to claim the rights provided to them by the Constitution. We therefore live in a time when there is a need to mobilize and fight the forces that threaten India’s long-standing commitment to social justice. We hope that this book and the thoughts of P.S. Krishnan will serve as an inspiration for everyone who wishes to bring about a more just and inclusive India.