India, Feb. 2 -- It is a small room where anywhere between 70-100 people are packed in. Some are sitting on chairs, others on the floor and still others are standing on the edge. Everyone is straining his ears and trying hard to listen to a frail man, dressed simply in a blazer. His voice is soft but carries the strength of steel. There is nothing really remarkable about him, or maybe there is. If he had been an actor, it would not have taken a minute for the casting director to make him a part of a film around the freedom struggle. He is bald, fragile and has a posture that reminds one of the Mahatma. It of course helps that among the many descriptions that are attached to Harsh Mander's name, Gandhian is one.

Mander along with some of ...