Our Hindu Rashtra

Our Hindu Rashtra: What It Is. How We Got Here is a book authored by journalist Aakar Patel, published by Westland Publications Limited (Westland Books) in the year 2020.[1][2][3][4][8]

Our Hindu Rashtra: What It Is. How We Got Here
Front cover
AuthorAakar Patel
PublisherWestland Books
Publication date
2020
Pages360

The book has 14 chapters and 360 pages. It surveys historical documents, government committee reports, court judgments, media archives, and records personal anecdotes on a range of issues that eroded the secular credentials of India.[1][9] According to the author, the book is a "comparative study of how South Asia turned majoritarian".[10]

Content

The book explains that India is a de facto Hindu Rashtra.[11] The author builds his case from the foundation, that the Hindu majoritarianism lacked any positive aspect, and it was negative and aimed at India's minority religions. Hindutva is not an ideology but a programme to target the Muslims and Christians in India.[2]

India began its descent towards majoritarianism immediately after its independence. Every government since independence has contributed in this process which became rapid after 2014.[2]

Author

Aakar Patel is a journalist and columnist.[12] He has been the chair of Amnesty International India.[13] He is the author of Price of the Modi Years.[14]

Reception

Ziya Us Salam of Frontline wrote that many people were shocked and others differed with the author's claim that India was de facto a Hindu Rashtra.[11]

Ranjona Banerji of The Asian Age in her review of the book writes, "Our Hindu Rashtra is more a presentation of our recent history from the perspective of democracy. It is also a warning and a reminder of where we are headed".[3]

Samrat wrote in Firstpost that the book was "lucidly written and packs in a lot of research in one readable and not overly fat book. Our Hindu Rashtra is recommended reading not only for Indians but also for Pakistanis interested in understanding how their countries got to where they are." The book gave the readers a message of hope.[4]

References
    1. "Underscoring the Perils of Majoritarianism". Economic and Political Weekly. 56 (37): 7–8. 5 June 2015.
    2. "The Hindu Rashtra wasn't built in a day". Mintlounge. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
    3. Banerji, Ranjona (28 February 2021). "How atavism became ideology and Hindutva ambushed India". The Asian Age. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
    4. "Our Hindu Rashtra review: In new book, Aakar Patel charts India's descent into a majoritarian nation-India News , Firstpost". Firstpost. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
    5. "Backflap". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
    6. "The Lead: Aakar Patel on his book 'Our Hindu Rashtra: What It Is. How We Got Here'". Deccan Herald. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
    7. "And Where Do We Go From Here?". The Book Review, Monthly Review of Important Books. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
    8. Book reviews[5][6][7]
    9. "'Hindutva, Hindu Rashtra Only About Persecution of Muslims; Modi Encourages This'". The Wire. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
    10. "Tweet by Aakar Patel". Twitter. Retrieved 13 December 2021.[self-published]
    11. Salam, Ziya Us (31 December 2021). "Aakar Patel: 'Modi shrank India's workforce by a fifth'". Frontline. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
    12. "Journalist and writer Aakar Patel joins as new head of Amnesty International India". The Economic Times. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
    13. "Columnist Aakar Patel to head Amnesty International India". The News Minute. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
    14. Chakravarty, Praveen (4 December 2021). "Price of the Modi Years: A useful guide to Modi govt's track record". Business Standard India. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.