What do you think?
Rate this book
Sanghi Who Never Went To A Shakha
This is the journey of a person who hated the word ‘Sanghi’ but ended up happily adopting it as a label.
Rahul Roushan shot to fame around 2009–10 as the ‘Pagal Patrakar’, the pseudonym he used while writing for Faking News. Back then he was seen just as a founder-editor of the news satire website with no special interest in politics or ideology.
The first time Rahul Roushan was called a Sanghi, he felt deeply offended. After all, he held a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Patna University, a post-graduate diploma in journalism from IIMC in New Delhi, an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and was a self-made media entrepreneur.
Sanghi literally means someone who is a member of the right-wing RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) or its affiliates, but the ‘liberals’ use the term liberally to deride those who differ with their political and ideological stand, or those who wear Hinduism on their sleeves. This book analyses why Hindutva as an ideology is no longer anathema and what brought about this change. Why did a country that was ruled for decades by people espousing Nehruvian secularism suddenly began to align with the ‘communal politics’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)?
The book is the story of this transformation. This is not an autobiography, though it could read like one in parts. It is not even a collection of intellectual essays, though it could read like one in parts. It is the retelling of some historical events and how those events impacted the journey of Rahul Roushan and countless people like him. The book looks at factors like education, media, technology and obviously, electoral politics, which played a key role in this transformation. The book also touches upon some of the personal experiences of the author, both as a media entrepreneur and a journalist.
In author's words, ‘This book will be of special interest to readers who just want to badmouth me and the book, but I really hope the same people make an earnest effort to also understand what changed India and all those Sanghis who never went to any shakha.’
Rahul Roushan shot to fame around 2009–10 as the ‘Pagal Patrakar’, the pseudonym he used while writing for Faking News. Back then he was seen just as a founder-editor of the news satire website with no special interest in politics or ideology.
The first time Rahul Roushan was called a Sanghi, he felt deeply offended. After all, he held a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Patna University, a post-graduate diploma in journalism from IIMC in New Delhi, an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and was a self-made media entrepreneur.
Sanghi literally means someone who is a member of the right-wing RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) or its affiliates, but the ‘liberals’ use the term liberally to deride those who differ with their political and ideological stand, or those who wear Hinduism on their sleeves. This book analyses why Hindutva as an ideology is no longer anathema and what brought about this change. Why did a country that was ruled for decades by people espousing Nehruvian secularism suddenly began to align with the ‘communal politics’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)?
The book is the story of this transformation. This is not an autobiography, though it could read like one in parts. It is not even a collection of intellectual essays, though it could read like one in parts. It is the retelling of some historical events and how those events impacted the journey of Rahul Roushan and countless people like him. The book looks at factors like education, media, technology and obviously, electoral politics, which played a key role in this transformation. The book also touches upon some of the personal experiences of the author, both as a media entrepreneur and a journalist.
In author's words, ‘This book will be of special interest to readers who just want to badmouth me and the book, but I really hope the same people make an earnest effort to also understand what changed India and all those Sanghis who never went to any shakha.’
368 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2021
151 people are currently reading
593 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
March 14, 2021
I can't recall the last time I read 260 pages of a book in a single day. This was a riveting read. It is an autobiographical story about the author's ideological journey, which is apparently similar to that of many BJP voters. Rahul Roushan explains how his identity changed from a 'Congressi Hindu' to a 'Sanghi', a process that accelerated after 2014.
In the first two chapters, he recounts his childhood and explains how his family brought him up as a Congressi Hindu, i.e. Congress supporters who were not very assertive about their identity as Hindus. He explains why such a phenomenon was possible in the first place. The Congress party was able to send different messages to different communities without sounding incoherent. However, such a strategy included encouragement of anti-Hindu leftist intelligentsia in academic circles and media. Thus, Rahul says that Congressi Hindus lived a blissful life while their cultural heritage was being silently destroyed in important spaces like media and academia.
Later on, in the third and fourth chapters, the author explains his life in IIMC (Indian Institute of Mass Communication), where he hoped to build the foundation of his career in media. He tells us the fascinating story where he came face to face with a terrorist-batchmate , Shahbaz, but could not identify Shahbaz's true nature inspite of obvious clues in the worldview he espoused. Later on, Rahul explains his experience while working in the media. At this juncture, the author admits that he didn't even understand the term 'vicharadhaara' or ideology. He learns that 'responsible journalism' in India was hell bent on protecting reputation of Muslims even if they were perpetrators of a crime.
Rahul figures out that something is wrong, but he doesn't turn into a 'Sanghi' yet. The author focuses on getting into a B-school and further his career. After getting into IIM-Ahmedabad, Rahul learns about the other side of the 2002-Gujarat riots from people in the city. He cites some of the factors that ensured successive victories of Narendra Modi. Till the fifth chapter, the book documents Rahul's journey as a 'Congressi Hindu' who is not ideologically committed.
But things change after the Anna movement and corruption within the media establishment comes to his attention. He documents the popular narrative in the run-up to 2014 Lok Sabha elections. A major churn happens in the mind of the author. He questions the narrative of the leftist establishment and feels that Modi deserves a chance. However, he says that he didn't even have a voter ID when the elections happened. And he was not a 'Sanghi' even after the BJP swept 2014 elections.
Subsequent behaviour of the media and the partisan campaign that was launched by the Congress-Left establishment converts him into a 'Sanghi who never went to a Shakha'. Rahul realises that much of the narrative that goes in the name of secularism, human rights and equality in India is actually inspired by an anti-Hindu ideology. The double standards adopted when analysing events related to Hinduism and minorities disturbs the author.
He says : " The need was not to be neutral and balanced, but to balance this lopsided narrative by bringing in counter-arguments. The need was not to respect the boundaries of political correctness but to push the boundaries to show why political correctness was hiding the truth. [..] The need was to stand up for my identity, by not surrendering and seeking liberal validation."
In the last few chapters, Roushan tries to deconstruct the 'ecosystem' and the manner in which it has been functioning over the decades. The author explains how exclusivist terms like 'Bhakt', 'Sanghi' and other pejorative terms are invented and stuck on people by the leftist-establishment. He admits that similar pejoratives like 'anti-national' and 'urban naxal' have emerged in response.
Rahul expresses fears about a second partition and draws parallels between events that occurred during anti-CAA protests and events that happened in the run-up to partition. However, he asks 'Sanghis' not to turn into a replica of 'secular-liberal' gang and remain open to conversation with reasonable people.
This is a fascinating read for anyone who wants to understand the nature of political changes happening in the country since 2014. It demonstrates how a tolerant majority (which is still tolerant) which earlier voted Congress has made a decisive shift, possibly a permanent shift, towards BJP.
In the first two chapters, he recounts his childhood and explains how his family brought him up as a Congressi Hindu, i.e. Congress supporters who were not very assertive about their identity as Hindus. He explains why such a phenomenon was possible in the first place. The Congress party was able to send different messages to different communities without sounding incoherent. However, such a strategy included encouragement of anti-Hindu leftist intelligentsia in academic circles and media. Thus, Rahul says that Congressi Hindus lived a blissful life while their cultural heritage was being silently destroyed in important spaces like media and academia.
Later on, in the third and fourth chapters, the author explains his life in IIMC (Indian Institute of Mass Communication), where he hoped to build the foundation of his career in media. He tells us the fascinating story where he came face to face with a terrorist-batchmate , Shahbaz, but could not identify Shahbaz's true nature inspite of obvious clues in the worldview he espoused. Later on, Rahul explains his experience while working in the media. At this juncture, the author admits that he didn't even understand the term 'vicharadhaara' or ideology. He learns that 'responsible journalism' in India was hell bent on protecting reputation of Muslims even if they were perpetrators of a crime.
Rahul figures out that something is wrong, but he doesn't turn into a 'Sanghi' yet. The author focuses on getting into a B-school and further his career. After getting into IIM-Ahmedabad, Rahul learns about the other side of the 2002-Gujarat riots from people in the city. He cites some of the factors that ensured successive victories of Narendra Modi. Till the fifth chapter, the book documents Rahul's journey as a 'Congressi Hindu' who is not ideologically committed.
But things change after the Anna movement and corruption within the media establishment comes to his attention. He documents the popular narrative in the run-up to 2014 Lok Sabha elections. A major churn happens in the mind of the author. He questions the narrative of the leftist establishment and feels that Modi deserves a chance. However, he says that he didn't even have a voter ID when the elections happened. And he was not a 'Sanghi' even after the BJP swept 2014 elections.
Subsequent behaviour of the media and the partisan campaign that was launched by the Congress-Left establishment converts him into a 'Sanghi who never went to a Shakha'. Rahul realises that much of the narrative that goes in the name of secularism, human rights and equality in India is actually inspired by an anti-Hindu ideology. The double standards adopted when analysing events related to Hinduism and minorities disturbs the author.
He says : " The need was not to be neutral and balanced, but to balance this lopsided narrative by bringing in counter-arguments. The need was not to respect the boundaries of political correctness but to push the boundaries to show why political correctness was hiding the truth. [..] The need was to stand up for my identity, by not surrendering and seeking liberal validation."
In the last few chapters, Roushan tries to deconstruct the 'ecosystem' and the manner in which it has been functioning over the decades. The author explains how exclusivist terms like 'Bhakt', 'Sanghi' and other pejorative terms are invented and stuck on people by the leftist-establishment. He admits that similar pejoratives like 'anti-national' and 'urban naxal' have emerged in response.
Rahul expresses fears about a second partition and draws parallels between events that occurred during anti-CAA protests and events that happened in the run-up to partition. However, he asks 'Sanghis' not to turn into a replica of 'secular-liberal' gang and remain open to conversation with reasonable people.
This is a fascinating read for anyone who wants to understand the nature of political changes happening in the country since 2014. It demonstrates how a tolerant majority (which is still tolerant) which earlier voted Congress has made a decisive shift, possibly a permanent shift, towards BJP.
April 20, 2021
When I was first called a bhakt and Sanghi by some internet accounts I was taken aback. Hey! I was just appreciating the government, aren't I allowed to speak my mind here?! I was kinda taken aback and felt offended. And I didn't let it stop me speaking my mind. Eventually as Rahul Roushan says as he adopted the sanghi label I adopted with pride as the labels became a day to day routine for me over twitter and instagram. So yeah, I'm a Sanghi who never went to a shakha. And this is for all those people who are either labelled or have self identified themselves as sanghis who haven't gone to the shakha yet. Well, I understand it's too much to expect from the rigid and narrow minded left system however I must say it's a must read for them too.
Reading what Rahul Roushan wrote was an unique experience to me wherein I felt as if I'm hearing from a beloved uncle who is visiting from some far distance place. Rahul Roushan seems like this elder brother, an uncle or an old highschool friend who talks about himself as well as what brought him from being a 'Congressi Hindu' to a 'Sanghi'. Tbh, I expected this book to be quite cheesy flinging blame and justifying his opinions etc. But this book doesn't include any of that, which I found really appreciable as well why I think everyone must read this, both sanghis and those who have dedicated their entire life to hate sanghis. Roushan gives logical reasoning behind everything he claims. It's not exactly an autobiography but Rahul has things to say which most of us can relate to. He wrote his background, the secular upbringing, the influence over his liberal mindset and what got him changed. Mind you, he doesn't change overnight. Actually he admits he became a sanghi at the quarter of the book.
What he wrote in general applies to what the Sanghis who never went to shakha went through. It's more or less a similar transformation. This book proved itself to be that one book we all can relate to.
I know Rahul Roushan ji from twitter. It took me days to finally realise he's a nonleft figure with too much of quick wit and hilarious sarcasm.
Thus I expected the book to me a work full of hilarious trolling and what not but to my surprise except a few funny things Rahul Roushan dons a very serious cloak of eloquence and speaks the needed ones. Actually he makes a lot of senses. He tried to dig into the background of both the sanghis and sanghi haters. He actually explains the way this transformation takes place. This is a book by a commoner which resonates with the experience of other commoners and more to come. The book is very interesting. The author talks a great deal about many things, his personal life, his professional life and the society he grew up and lived in. He also casts light on what made him change and how cautious he was regarding with that shift he had over decades. If you are someone who daily gets labelled as a sanghi this book is for you. Rahul Roushan has proudly adopted the title, so am I who's inspired. I know it's not so easy but this book gave me a perfect reason why I should adopt the label. There's more to come! I recommend this to everyone. Just read. It's not a book of any justification but rather a book on transformation.
PS It's interesting how there are so many fake low ratings to the book. It's really disappointing I advice them to read the book cover to cover and understand what the author is trying to convey.
Reading what Rahul Roushan wrote was an unique experience to me wherein I felt as if I'm hearing from a beloved uncle who is visiting from some far distance place. Rahul Roushan seems like this elder brother, an uncle or an old highschool friend who talks about himself as well as what brought him from being a 'Congressi Hindu' to a 'Sanghi'. Tbh, I expected this book to be quite cheesy flinging blame and justifying his opinions etc. But this book doesn't include any of that, which I found really appreciable as well why I think everyone must read this, both sanghis and those who have dedicated their entire life to hate sanghis. Roushan gives logical reasoning behind everything he claims. It's not exactly an autobiography but Rahul has things to say which most of us can relate to. He wrote his background, the secular upbringing, the influence over his liberal mindset and what got him changed. Mind you, he doesn't change overnight. Actually he admits he became a sanghi at the quarter of the book.
What he wrote in general applies to what the Sanghis who never went to shakha went through. It's more or less a similar transformation. This book proved itself to be that one book we all can relate to.
I know Rahul Roushan ji from twitter. It took me days to finally realise he's a nonleft figure with too much of quick wit and hilarious sarcasm.
Thus I expected the book to me a work full of hilarious trolling and what not but to my surprise except a few funny things Rahul Roushan dons a very serious cloak of eloquence and speaks the needed ones. Actually he makes a lot of senses. He tried to dig into the background of both the sanghis and sanghi haters. He actually explains the way this transformation takes place. This is a book by a commoner which resonates with the experience of other commoners and more to come. The book is very interesting. The author talks a great deal about many things, his personal life, his professional life and the society he grew up and lived in. He also casts light on what made him change and how cautious he was regarding with that shift he had over decades. If you are someone who daily gets labelled as a sanghi this book is for you. Rahul Roushan has proudly adopted the title, so am I who's inspired. I know it's not so easy but this book gave me a perfect reason why I should adopt the label. There's more to come! I recommend this to everyone. Just read. It's not a book of any justification but rather a book on transformation.
PS It's interesting how there are so many fake low ratings to the book. It's really disappointing I advice them to read the book cover to cover and understand what the author is trying to convey.
March 17, 2021
I have been following my namesake Rahul from a decade now on Twitter and I was quite excited when he had announced his book because whatever little he used to write on his blog or for OpIndia, I felt had a lot of ideological clarity. While'Sanghi who never went to a Shakha' is supposed to be autobiographical but it is also a story of many of us. Rahul explains how and why there has been an ideological shift in the country. He beautifully explains how the 'liberal ecosystem' works in India and how it traces its origins back to the British days. He makes people like me ponder that is it worth being a 'neutral' in India when we are continuously shamed for holding a particular political belief or for practicing our customs and rituals? Barring a few things (like his paranoia for Hindus or how RSS got positive publicity from Anna movement), I agree with pretty much everything that he talked about in the book. I hope 'liberals' read this too not because they will change (they cannot because they are the most intolerant) but just for the burn! 🔥
August 15, 2023
In many countries around the world, polarization is real. The absence of people without egos who encourage dialogue, and social media (especially Twitter) transforming into a virtual battleground have only made matters worse. My context is probably misleading as this book is not about polarization but how the author’s political views evolved – being a staunch supporter of the Congress (which he presumed represented centrist views but discovered over time that he was mistaken) to the Indian Prime Minister Modi & BJP (referred to as right-wing). Opponents of PM Modi use words such as ‘bhakt’ (devotee) or ‘sanghi’ (Hindu nationalist supporter) to insult his supporters, and the first time it happened Rahul Roushan was offended. But he reconciled to the label, and also reasoned how his views had changed – which is what this book is all about. I have followed Rahul for some time on Twitter and have liked his sense of humour and ability to make a point crisply, based on data and facts.
After a summary about his current views, Rahul provides a very readable account of his upbringing in Bihar and his education – culminating in a post graduate diploma in management from the esteemed IIM Ahmedabad. Other than tracing his own views, he also provides details on how political parties have also changed, and society as a whole. For instance, reciting of Vande Mataram, Saraswathi Vandana, Pujas at major events was not controversial in the past but today sees a huge amount of noise and at times protests. Over time the centrist view (which was never really centrist to start with) has now fused with the radical left. He describes a well-entrenched ecosystem which is in place comprising journalists, academics, bureaucrats, jurists, activists, politicians and artists among others. An elaborate ‘you scratch my back, I will scratch yours’ mechanism ensures a closed ecosystem which controls many visible & important institutions. Those who do not subscribe to the hypocrisy and at times downright falsehoods are called ‘bigots’. Since the ecosystem gets many times more coverage and facetime in the international media – nonsense narratives of crimes, genocide & fascism get written about. I suspect many in the West believe this, as that is all they get to read. Lies such as the RSS being a dangerous organization have been repeated so many times that many may think it to be true. I had this impression as well till I met a few people recently and found them to be among the most selfless and purposeful people I have met. To most common people in India, the mounting contradictions have become evident – ‘secularism’ has come to mean respecting all religions except Hinduism, Hindu victims of crimes are not named, the CAA bill fast-tracking citizenship for victims of religious discrimination in neighbouring countries portrayed as discriminatory, in cases of crimes involving minorities violence is defended claiming provocation and the list goes on. In one instance, a former Chief Minister knowingly lied about a bomb in a minority locality which he claimed was good for peace. More recently, we had two incidents of violence in a train and in the town of Nuh where lives were tragically lost. The political divisions sadly meant the coverage in the media was again partisan (defending the violence in Nuh). Much of this represents dishonest virtue signaling, knowing that the other side is in a far weaker position publicly to refute this. There are details about his career with news organizations (including the dishonesty which pervades many of them) and his starting his own venture.
Many in India will identify with what Rahul has written in this book, though I am sure quite a few will disagree as well. I found the examples to be solid and irrefutable. I also felt nostalgic reading about his reminiscences of school, college life & movies of yesteryears. It is also true that there are a number of loose cannons among the government supporters who post & speak things which are embarrassing. These immediately get picked up by the left ecosystem and amplified. There are many such instances, which are not covered in the book. A lot of the problems are also leftovers – we have not honestly confronted, debated and resolved the poisonous concepts which sprung up and gained at the time of the partition. It would have been good if despite the differences violence was considered abhorrent and basic civility of discourse was maintained. However, in the current situation, even this seems to be too much to expect.
My rating: 4.5 / 5.
After a summary about his current views, Rahul provides a very readable account of his upbringing in Bihar and his education – culminating in a post graduate diploma in management from the esteemed IIM Ahmedabad. Other than tracing his own views, he also provides details on how political parties have also changed, and society as a whole. For instance, reciting of Vande Mataram, Saraswathi Vandana, Pujas at major events was not controversial in the past but today sees a huge amount of noise and at times protests. Over time the centrist view (which was never really centrist to start with) has now fused with the radical left. He describes a well-entrenched ecosystem which is in place comprising journalists, academics, bureaucrats, jurists, activists, politicians and artists among others. An elaborate ‘you scratch my back, I will scratch yours’ mechanism ensures a closed ecosystem which controls many visible & important institutions. Those who do not subscribe to the hypocrisy and at times downright falsehoods are called ‘bigots’. Since the ecosystem gets many times more coverage and facetime in the international media – nonsense narratives of crimes, genocide & fascism get written about. I suspect many in the West believe this, as that is all they get to read. Lies such as the RSS being a dangerous organization have been repeated so many times that many may think it to be true. I had this impression as well till I met a few people recently and found them to be among the most selfless and purposeful people I have met. To most common people in India, the mounting contradictions have become evident – ‘secularism’ has come to mean respecting all religions except Hinduism, Hindu victims of crimes are not named, the CAA bill fast-tracking citizenship for victims of religious discrimination in neighbouring countries portrayed as discriminatory, in cases of crimes involving minorities violence is defended claiming provocation and the list goes on. In one instance, a former Chief Minister knowingly lied about a bomb in a minority locality which he claimed was good for peace. More recently, we had two incidents of violence in a train and in the town of Nuh where lives were tragically lost. The political divisions sadly meant the coverage in the media was again partisan (defending the violence in Nuh). Much of this represents dishonest virtue signaling, knowing that the other side is in a far weaker position publicly to refute this. There are details about his career with news organizations (including the dishonesty which pervades many of them) and his starting his own venture.
Many in India will identify with what Rahul has written in this book, though I am sure quite a few will disagree as well. I found the examples to be solid and irrefutable. I also felt nostalgic reading about his reminiscences of school, college life & movies of yesteryears. It is also true that there are a number of loose cannons among the government supporters who post & speak things which are embarrassing. These immediately get picked up by the left ecosystem and amplified. There are many such instances, which are not covered in the book. A lot of the problems are also leftovers – we have not honestly confronted, debated and resolved the poisonous concepts which sprung up and gained at the time of the partition. It would have been good if despite the differences violence was considered abhorrent and basic civility of discourse was maintained. However, in the current situation, even this seems to be too much to expect.
My rating: 4.5 / 5.
April 6, 2021
The book is based on the ideological journey of the author Rahul Roushan which is spread across a timeline of nine chapters illustrating author’s voyage from becoming a "Congressi Hindu"(libertarian) to a "Sanghi"(Rightist particularly associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) who never went to Shakha. The author has tried to put his view of the societal contrast that he had observed before 2014 and after 2014. Having been associated with media for the most part of his professional life he has spent a great deal in writing about media and journalism and how it has transformed.
The book starts from the early life of the author with him getting a secular upbringing by his parents and how he romanticized the song "Yeh teri meri yaari yeh dosti hamaari, Allah ko pasand bhagwan ko hai pyaari" . He talks about how his school in Bihar which was owned by a "religious Hindu" never propagated anything religious to the students and compares it with other convent schools. He also talks about the political scenario and political thinking of an average not so religious Hindu during the early nineties which was the era of "Samajwadi" and "Mandal-Kamandal" politics when he says he had no political or ideological views and how they started changing after his entry into journalism school and knowing more about "responsible journalism" that led him to get disenchanted with mainstream media and their "unbiased journalism". He mentions a lot of instances that accentuated the "ideological and religious biases by mainstream media citing the contrasting coverage of Gujarat Riots of 2002 and Assam Riots of 2012. He talks about how media houses and journalist distort the facts to propagate a particular narrative and how he became the victim of one such narrative about "Gujarat and Gujarati people" when he had a the negative image of them being rioters but he found a totally different image of them during his stay in Ahmedabad for his MBA.
The author has tried to encapsulate a change Indian society witnessing after social media as people started to know the truths and hypocrisy of self-proclaimed liberals and the rise of "right-wing" in India post "Anna movement" which ultimately led to BJP winning the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He also talks about the change in society post-2014 elections which involved intolerance debate, award-wapsi, JNU sloganeering etc.
Overall it might be a story of the author's ideological journey however a lot of people can relate to some incidents mentioned like the bursting of crackers during the India-Pakistan match to support Pakistan in localities of Indian cities that had some insidious meaning attached to it but we didn't pay heed to it and let it go. It is also a critique of society that brands itself tolerant and liberal but has ended up being the most illiberal and intolerant. It can be a good read to understand the society that prevailed before social media when there was a limited information flow which was mostly one-sided and how it changed post social-media with information flow both ways as Tom Clancy once said that control of information is sometimes elite always does , particularly in a despotic form of government. Information ,knowledge is power. If you can control information you can control people.
The book starts from the early life of the author with him getting a secular upbringing by his parents and how he romanticized the song "Yeh teri meri yaari yeh dosti hamaari, Allah ko pasand bhagwan ko hai pyaari" . He talks about how his school in Bihar which was owned by a "religious Hindu" never propagated anything religious to the students and compares it with other convent schools. He also talks about the political scenario and political thinking of an average not so religious Hindu during the early nineties which was the era of "Samajwadi" and "Mandal-Kamandal" politics when he says he had no political or ideological views and how they started changing after his entry into journalism school and knowing more about "responsible journalism" that led him to get disenchanted with mainstream media and their "unbiased journalism". He mentions a lot of instances that accentuated the "ideological and religious biases by mainstream media citing the contrasting coverage of Gujarat Riots of 2002 and Assam Riots of 2012. He talks about how media houses and journalist distort the facts to propagate a particular narrative and how he became the victim of one such narrative about "Gujarat and Gujarati people" when he had a the negative image of them being rioters but he found a totally different image of them during his stay in Ahmedabad for his MBA.
The author has tried to encapsulate a change Indian society witnessing after social media as people started to know the truths and hypocrisy of self-proclaimed liberals and the rise of "right-wing" in India post "Anna movement" which ultimately led to BJP winning the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He also talks about the change in society post-2014 elections which involved intolerance debate, award-wapsi, JNU sloganeering etc.
Overall it might be a story of the author's ideological journey however a lot of people can relate to some incidents mentioned like the bursting of crackers during the India-Pakistan match to support Pakistan in localities of Indian cities that had some insidious meaning attached to it but we didn't pay heed to it and let it go. It is also a critique of society that brands itself tolerant and liberal but has ended up being the most illiberal and intolerant. It can be a good read to understand the society that prevailed before social media when there was a limited information flow which was mostly one-sided and how it changed post social-media with information flow both ways as Tom Clancy once said that control of information is sometimes elite always does , particularly in a despotic form of government. Information ,knowledge is power. If you can control information you can control people.
March 25, 2021
If Rahul Roushan is reading this review, let me tell you.. we have actually spoken. In 2009/10, I was browsing the Faking News Website (a big fan at the time) and in the chat functionality on the page, I saw Pagal Patrakar online. This was the pseudonym adopted by Rahul for reporting on the website. We exchanged a few messages. I asked him if he was from IIT (I was myself a student of IIT Delhi at the time) and expressed my appreciation to his work. Don't remember his reaction but it was a modest one. So when I saw a book from my old favorite, there was no option but to read it.
Now about the book. Rahul has wonderfully combined the story of his life with the political changes happening in India. He is a born congressi who in his later life became a BJP supporter. Given a party that was not even the main opposition till the 90s managed to form a majority government in 2014, tells you that there will be many like him. How else would you explain their 2014 and 2019 win.
Being from the media gives him an insight into all the negative press that the ruling government is received. I am not saying whether its justified or not but he tries to explain it through his views.
He has given some good examples to highlight double standards of the media, mistakes made by the opposition that led to the current success of the ruling party. The most important point he makes in the book is that media is making us believe that people are being fooled by the ruling establishment.. well to some extent it happens everywhere but people are not total idiots. They know what they are doing. Doubting people's intelligence is the biggest mistake someone seeking power can do.
Whether you agree with him or you disagree, its an interesting read of the counter argument given what you see in the media.
It is a well written book but knocking off one star as a number of incidents mentioned in the book are very current and I being a regular reader of the newspaper am aware of them. Secondly towards the end some sections go deeply philosophical and a touch hard to comprehend.
Now about the book. Rahul has wonderfully combined the story of his life with the political changes happening in India. He is a born congressi who in his later life became a BJP supporter. Given a party that was not even the main opposition till the 90s managed to form a majority government in 2014, tells you that there will be many like him. How else would you explain their 2014 and 2019 win.
Being from the media gives him an insight into all the negative press that the ruling government is received. I am not saying whether its justified or not but he tries to explain it through his views.
He has given some good examples to highlight double standards of the media, mistakes made by the opposition that led to the current success of the ruling party. The most important point he makes in the book is that media is making us believe that people are being fooled by the ruling establishment.. well to some extent it happens everywhere but people are not total idiots. They know what they are doing. Doubting people's intelligence is the biggest mistake someone seeking power can do.
Whether you agree with him or you disagree, its an interesting read of the counter argument given what you see in the media.
It is a well written book but knocking off one star as a number of incidents mentioned in the book are very current and I being a regular reader of the newspaper am aware of them. Secondly towards the end some sections go deeply philosophical and a touch hard to comprehend.
September 19, 2023
We live in strange time a gold medal winner in Olympics was cancelled by woke militia for a pro-Modi or Government tweet he did two years ago. Such is the hatred they have for Modi and pro hindu government for that you will be labelled as a sanghi. Is Sanghi a pejorative word I don't think so.
This book is quite promising and informative read. Book is authors journey from being a congressi Hindu to a sanghi who never went to a Shaka.
Author sheds light on many issues early 80's to 2020 from Bihar's caste politics to Ayodhya karsevak killings from Moplah genocide to Modi's second term as PM. From crooks of Paid media to Freeloaders of JNU & how their ecosystem works to blunders of congress. Author has tried to cover many issues in his book and has successfully done his job.
Finally how secularism in india has become biased with double standards and that you have to be ignorant to celebrate this charade.Read this book to know more about it ..
Here's a line I liked the most
"The left knows how to appear cool even compassionate, while planning to burn the whole world" seems true in the recent events of Anti-CAA and Farmers protest.
Maybe for this review they might term me as sanghi so be it..
Must read for everyone who wants to know how the left ecosystem works ....
This book is quite promising and informative read. Book is authors journey from being a congressi Hindu to a sanghi who never went to a Shaka.
Author sheds light on many issues early 80's to 2020 from Bihar's caste politics to Ayodhya karsevak killings from Moplah genocide to Modi's second term as PM. From crooks of Paid media to Freeloaders of JNU & how their ecosystem works to blunders of congress. Author has tried to cover many issues in his book and has successfully done his job.
Finally how secularism in india has become biased with double standards and that you have to be ignorant to celebrate this charade.Read this book to know more about it ..
Here's a line I liked the most
"The left knows how to appear cool even compassionate, while planning to burn the whole world" seems true in the recent events of Anti-CAA and Farmers protest.
Maybe for this review they might term me as sanghi so be it..
Must read for everyone who wants to know how the left ecosystem works ....
April 3, 2021
Disclaimer: I have received the Media copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Neither the publisher, the author nor any third party pay any fee or otherwise offer compensation in exchange for this coverage, and no company was given a preview of the content or given copy approval rights concerning the same.
This book , according to the author is the memoir of his ideological journey and not an autobiography. It is his journey from a being a "Congressi Hindu"(His words , not mine) to proudly accepting the term "Sanghi" even though he never attended a Shakha . Even though the author claims , this book is not his autobiography , I will call it a partial autobiography (To be fair , almost all autobiographies are partial , unless published after the authors death ) , as he takes us on a journey from school days in Bihar , his post-graduation days in Delhi and Ahmedabad to the present day and how this shift in ideology took place. I think many Indians will relate to his ideological journey , as i personally know several people , who had a similar ideological journey as the author . They went from being "Congressi Hindus" to proud BJP voters. And for reasons similar to what the author has penned in this book. Be it the Shah Bano case or the Ayodhya movement or any other matter.
The author explains in a simple manner how the left has formed and continues to form an "ecosystem" and the so called "woke" culture among many other topics.
Mr. Roushan's wit , just like his twitter feed , is evident here. It is aone of the many strong points of this book. If i had to nitpick , i will say that the citations could have been done better. In many places they were needed but not provided and in some places they were not needed but provided.
Overall , a nice read. Recommended.
This book , according to the author is the memoir of his ideological journey and not an autobiography. It is his journey from a being a "Congressi Hindu"(His words , not mine) to proudly accepting the term "Sanghi" even though he never attended a Shakha . Even though the author claims , this book is not his autobiography , I will call it a partial autobiography (To be fair , almost all autobiographies are partial , unless published after the authors death ) , as he takes us on a journey from school days in Bihar , his post-graduation days in Delhi and Ahmedabad to the present day and how this shift in ideology took place. I think many Indians will relate to his ideological journey , as i personally know several people , who had a similar ideological journey as the author . They went from being "Congressi Hindus" to proud BJP voters. And for reasons similar to what the author has penned in this book. Be it the Shah Bano case or the Ayodhya movement or any other matter.
The author explains in a simple manner how the left has formed and continues to form an "ecosystem" and the so called "woke" culture among many other topics.
Mr. Roushan's wit , just like his twitter feed , is evident here. It is aone of the many strong points of this book. If i had to nitpick , i will say that the citations could have been done better. In many places they were needed but not provided and in some places they were not needed but provided.
Overall , a nice read. Recommended.
April 2, 2021
No doubt, a lot of people are hating the book. The author has done a expectational job at explaining the norms of an average Indian. We all were once a hindu liberal, right ? The journey from that to now a conscious hindu is explained in simple terms. Not a congressi hindu anymore. The book is in layman language. Every Indian should read to know how society is shaping them for now and for generations to.come.
March 31, 2021
The book is a commentary on political, journalistic landscape of India while the author grew up from 80-90s to 2021. This is a journey which is very relatable to lot of people who grew in this topsy turvy decades. The people born in 70-80s who went from no tech to hitech, license permit rationing days to abundance (at least for some) would relate how the polity in cahoots with journalism was feeding us and trying to change us. However, their efforts are now countered due to emergence of internet, social media. How majority is tarnished and burdened with weight of secularism while left with their anti-majority, anti-establishment stand without solutions is harming socio-political landscape.
December 22, 2024
I had been searching for a book like this for long. In short, if you want to know the change in the population of the country that brought about Shri Narendra Modi as the prime minister with such a resounding victory, from the people themselves, this is the right book.
It is the generation that is elder to me, about 5-7 years older than me, that was active in 2014. As far as I remember, I was busy with jee preparation, far from internet in those times. What I hadn't realized though, is how radically different the years have changed in a short span. For instance, I realize now that my elder brother would have a different worldview and experience than me despite living in the same household. The media changed, digital consumption changed, something else became 'cool' and 'woke', people started using more internet devices and smartphones.
The author's analysis comes about as sane, rational and libertarian, and nowhere does one encounter the 'hate' that people accuse him of spreading all the time, (including in the review section on this very site) throughout the book.
The author describes his previous self as a congressi hindu, the typical 'dharam to nahi sikhata aapas mein bair karna' types, who are willing to accommodate even Islamic rituals and symbology to maintain 'harmony', always saying 'all religions are the same', 'all religions preach love and selflessness' and so on.
However, it is in his brief stint working for the media that he realizes how one sided the whole thing is. The Hindu is willing to go to any extent to accommodate Muslims, but the Muslim wouldn't want to even sing Vande Mataram because it is 'un-Islamic'. He does describe how the rise of social media and the presentation of the other view has been monumental in stopping the whole farce of secularism and communal harmony.
If the external links of the breaking india forces outside India have been well exposed by someone like Rajiv Malhotra, this book is a good starter to how the internal ecosystem functions.
Yet, I can't help differ with the author, who thinks that the whole problem is rooted in 'responsible journalism'. No, it's more than that, and the author would have been more qualified on this aspect, had he worked as a senior journalist, who is often in direct contact with the management, and sometimes interacts with the holders of finance, who may be interested in peddling a specific ideology, based on business interests with foreign players, or maybe the foreign players themselves are themselves on the board (the case of NDTV is famous, it forms a separate book by itself). That is where the jihadists, evangelists and naxals come in. They are not so easily visible to the common man and that is what makes them so effective.
Some statements of the author strike as closest to truth. For example, he says that it is the education system and the media ecosystem (television, films, news channels, etc) that raises the kids of the Hindu families, and not the parents. How true. If it was the parents who raised the children, one couldn't see marked differences in the same families, people have an age gap of even 6-7 years tend to have radically different worldviews.
For example, I do not belong to a congressi family, yet even my worldview was like the author's until 5-6 years back. I too used to take pride in befriending Muslims, and preach 'all religions are the same' despite not knowing a thing about either Hinduism or Islam /Christianity. The change in my attitude came about not because of 'Hindu fanatics' or 'Hindu nationalist Modi government', but by observing the behavior of my closest friend, a Muslim, who started talking about Zakir Naik, infidels, about how Vande Mataram was un-Islamic, how idol worshipping is a sin, how it is essential for Muslims to be ruled by an Islamic government 'Khilafat'. In all probability, he was secretly an admirer of the ISIS too. I was taken aback, this was not the Islam I had saw on TV and the movies. Islam in my mind was all about harmless Nawabgiri, eating rich food, doing Salam Vaalekum, celebrating Eid and so on. On reading more and watching YouTube, which thankfully free now, with no strict censorship, I realized how wrong I was, and about the ideological nuances.
Coming back to the book, the author correctly identifies this awakening of not only himself, but also the Hindus as a whole. The sensible amongst the Hindu population started seeing that the Muslims had started becoming more and more radicalized and assertive, especially after 1980s. This led to fear and genuine concern in the Hindus, who saw that there was something fishy about the media avoiding this subject. In short, social media was only a platform, where the already awakened Hindus could come and exercise their free speech, which was denied to them until now, in the process awakening more Hindus. It was not some RSS conspiracy or the much maligned 'IT Cell' of BJP that was responsible for this change. The people on the left who spread these lies are either deluded or are actively spreading lies or both.
One of the observations I gathered after reading this book, is that it is the media which enjoys real power, and not the elected representatives, in a democracy. Imagine how powerful must be the organization which kept the entire nation of India fooled till 2014. The author also notes how the media coordinated to bring about the fall of the Vajapayee government and tried the same tricks with the Modi government, yet failed miserably.
Yes, this might not be the India that you grew up in. Because this is a new India which is breaking free from the shackles of left-liberal privilege and secularism, this is an India that can think for itself and does not need lectures from 'eminent intellectuals' about how Hindu dharma is responsible for every bad thing in the world.
I would have given the book a 4 star rating. This is because the book does get a bit long and I feel that the same could be expressed in fewer words with lesser digressions. Yet, I give the book a 5 star on this site, because as the author says, being neutral in a scenario like this just means that one wants to maintain the status quo. Given, that a concerted group has attacked this book on this site too, to stop this book from reaching more people, I consider it my Dharma to do my bit.
It is the generation that is elder to me, about 5-7 years older than me, that was active in 2014. As far as I remember, I was busy with jee preparation, far from internet in those times. What I hadn't realized though, is how radically different the years have changed in a short span. For instance, I realize now that my elder brother would have a different worldview and experience than me despite living in the same household. The media changed, digital consumption changed, something else became 'cool' and 'woke', people started using more internet devices and smartphones.
The author's analysis comes about as sane, rational and libertarian, and nowhere does one encounter the 'hate' that people accuse him of spreading all the time, (including in the review section on this very site) throughout the book.
The author describes his previous self as a congressi hindu, the typical 'dharam to nahi sikhata aapas mein bair karna' types, who are willing to accommodate even Islamic rituals and symbology to maintain 'harmony', always saying 'all religions are the same', 'all religions preach love and selflessness' and so on.
However, it is in his brief stint working for the media that he realizes how one sided the whole thing is. The Hindu is willing to go to any extent to accommodate Muslims, but the Muslim wouldn't want to even sing Vande Mataram because it is 'un-Islamic'. He does describe how the rise of social media and the presentation of the other view has been monumental in stopping the whole farce of secularism and communal harmony.
If the external links of the breaking india forces outside India have been well exposed by someone like Rajiv Malhotra, this book is a good starter to how the internal ecosystem functions.
Yet, I can't help differ with the author, who thinks that the whole problem is rooted in 'responsible journalism'. No, it's more than that, and the author would have been more qualified on this aspect, had he worked as a senior journalist, who is often in direct contact with the management, and sometimes interacts with the holders of finance, who may be interested in peddling a specific ideology, based on business interests with foreign players, or maybe the foreign players themselves are themselves on the board (the case of NDTV is famous, it forms a separate book by itself). That is where the jihadists, evangelists and naxals come in. They are not so easily visible to the common man and that is what makes them so effective.
Some statements of the author strike as closest to truth. For example, he says that it is the education system and the media ecosystem (television, films, news channels, etc) that raises the kids of the Hindu families, and not the parents. How true. If it was the parents who raised the children, one couldn't see marked differences in the same families, people have an age gap of even 6-7 years tend to have radically different worldviews.
For example, I do not belong to a congressi family, yet even my worldview was like the author's until 5-6 years back. I too used to take pride in befriending Muslims, and preach 'all religions are the same' despite not knowing a thing about either Hinduism or Islam /Christianity. The change in my attitude came about not because of 'Hindu fanatics' or 'Hindu nationalist Modi government', but by observing the behavior of my closest friend, a Muslim, who started talking about Zakir Naik, infidels, about how Vande Mataram was un-Islamic, how idol worshipping is a sin, how it is essential for Muslims to be ruled by an Islamic government 'Khilafat'. In all probability, he was secretly an admirer of the ISIS too. I was taken aback, this was not the Islam I had saw on TV and the movies. Islam in my mind was all about harmless Nawabgiri, eating rich food, doing Salam Vaalekum, celebrating Eid and so on. On reading more and watching YouTube, which thankfully free now, with no strict censorship, I realized how wrong I was, and about the ideological nuances.
Coming back to the book, the author correctly identifies this awakening of not only himself, but also the Hindus as a whole. The sensible amongst the Hindu population started seeing that the Muslims had started becoming more and more radicalized and assertive, especially after 1980s. This led to fear and genuine concern in the Hindus, who saw that there was something fishy about the media avoiding this subject. In short, social media was only a platform, where the already awakened Hindus could come and exercise their free speech, which was denied to them until now, in the process awakening more Hindus. It was not some RSS conspiracy or the much maligned 'IT Cell' of BJP that was responsible for this change. The people on the left who spread these lies are either deluded or are actively spreading lies or both.
One of the observations I gathered after reading this book, is that it is the media which enjoys real power, and not the elected representatives, in a democracy. Imagine how powerful must be the organization which kept the entire nation of India fooled till 2014. The author also notes how the media coordinated to bring about the fall of the Vajapayee government and tried the same tricks with the Modi government, yet failed miserably.
Yes, this might not be the India that you grew up in. Because this is a new India which is breaking free from the shackles of left-liberal privilege and secularism, this is an India that can think for itself and does not need lectures from 'eminent intellectuals' about how Hindu dharma is responsible for every bad thing in the world.
I would have given the book a 4 star rating. This is because the book does get a bit long and I feel that the same could be expressed in fewer words with lesser digressions. Yet, I give the book a 5 star on this site, because as the author says, being neutral in a scenario like this just means that one wants to maintain the status quo. Given, that a concerted group has attacked this book on this site too, to stop this book from reaching more people, I consider it my Dharma to do my bit.
March 27, 2021
At a first glance, the book is not very impressive, especially since such long titles force one to think it is an extension of some blog. We bloggers need to write such sentences as the title of a blog for SEO reasons. So, when it comes to a book from the founder of Faking News and then OpIndia, it was expected that he would choose an appealing and creative title - something like - "The Libertarian Sanghi" or "The Congressi Sanghi".
The book is written in an autobiography style and the first thing that came to my mind was why should one read the biography of an ordinary Indian who is not a celebrity? There are political analyses done based on the perspective of a 'Congressi Hindu' or shall I say a Liberal Hindu?
It is indeed true that many readers will be able to relate their personal experience with this experience of a liberal 'Congressi' Hindu, because there was a time when the majority of Indians were Congressi Hindus, including me. So, this book or rather the experiences shared here are very much relatable. However, since this is written in autobiography style and very often the stories of his personal life came into picture, it became boring at certain times. An average reader is not interested to know about the life of a journalist.
However, when it comes to open our eyes to the narrative of so-called 'Sanghi' people who were termed as 'Sanghi' or a 'Bhakt' without really being one, this political analysis is sure to be the necessary input in one's life.
Having led India's gender politics from the front for almost a decade now, I could relate to many experiences and analyses he shared. But being a journalist he could do something that I could not do completely yet. He could expose media and 'responsible journalism' from the root, that I could not completely do yet.
The reason this book is important not only to the students of political science, journalism and media, it is also an important read for all Indians to understand how the society around them is being shaped. Written in a simple language this book is an easy read for an average Indian.
The book is written in an autobiography style and the first thing that came to my mind was why should one read the biography of an ordinary Indian who is not a celebrity? There are political analyses done based on the perspective of a 'Congressi Hindu' or shall I say a Liberal Hindu?
It is indeed true that many readers will be able to relate their personal experience with this experience of a liberal 'Congressi' Hindu, because there was a time when the majority of Indians were Congressi Hindus, including me. So, this book or rather the experiences shared here are very much relatable. However, since this is written in autobiography style and very often the stories of his personal life came into picture, it became boring at certain times. An average reader is not interested to know about the life of a journalist.
However, when it comes to open our eyes to the narrative of so-called 'Sanghi' people who were termed as 'Sanghi' or a 'Bhakt' without really being one, this political analysis is sure to be the necessary input in one's life.
Having led India's gender politics from the front for almost a decade now, I could relate to many experiences and analyses he shared. But being a journalist he could do something that I could not do completely yet. He could expose media and 'responsible journalism' from the root, that I could not completely do yet.
The reason this book is important not only to the students of political science, journalism and media, it is also an important read for all Indians to understand how the society around them is being shaped. Written in a simple language this book is an easy read for an average Indian.
March 25, 2021
The book is relatable to a lot of people who started there young days as Congress/Left supporter. I was able to relate to most of the things pertaining to the left ecosystem in institutions .
The contradictions and hyprocisy made by these Anti -Right cable is sueprbly exposed .
I wish the author should have critiqued the self proclaimed historian guha from his own writings...like in his books he writes essyas about the apologetic britisher Dharma kumar but a paragraph about the brilliant historian RC MUKHERJEE.......and more forced propaganda could be collected through Guha works .
One thing that i disagree or could not relate to was the untouchability aspect...you can't negate it ..it is present in India at an alarming rate specially in rural areas though in urban areas situation is much better.
RSS chapter is shallow and should have been written after spending at least a month with the sakha pramukhs or pracharaks.
The contradictions and hyprocisy made by these Anti -Right cable is sueprbly exposed .
I wish the author should have critiqued the self proclaimed historian guha from his own writings...like in his books he writes essyas about the apologetic britisher Dharma kumar but a paragraph about the brilliant historian RC MUKHERJEE.......and more forced propaganda could be collected through Guha works .
One thing that i disagree or could not relate to was the untouchability aspect...you can't negate it ..it is present in India at an alarming rate specially in rural areas though in urban areas situation is much better.
RSS chapter is shallow and should have been written after spending at least a month with the sakha pramukhs or pracharaks.
April 2, 2021
The name says it all, no doubt people are against the book. A good read, author has done a magnificent job.
April 4, 2021
I could correlate with the book as this is a journey similar to mine . Easy to understand with well called out example show how the narrative was built out over the years.
June 14, 2021
A must read book to understand the other side of the coin.
April 5, 2021
I have recently started studying the whole political scenario of India. There were 2 voice, one that ways that Hindu are being affected by the India's secularism and other one was Islamic - left (I really didn't understand what to called this) so I'll put it as left is no more left. Came across OPIndia and Rahul Roushan, This book is very good, Must Read book
April 7, 2021
A MUST READ for anyone interested in contemporary Indian politics and churn its going through.
April 10, 2021
Just the title of this book might be off-putting or a reason to mock for quite a few people in India, who consider themselves to be "liberal." The term "Sanghi" has been tarnished and manipulated by an ecosystem to be a term of derision and hate. If you're associated with a particular political outfit, organization or are simply assertive of your religious identity, you're labeled "Sanghi."
And this is where the author, Rahul Roushan, begins his semi-autobiographical tale, expounding on his personal transformation from being a libertarian to a "Sanghi" over the years, with the political backdrop of India. In this process, he touches upon many spheres and ideas - the Hindu identity, the hypocrisy of the left-liberals in India, and their dominant control of narratives, making a fallacious distinction between Hinduism and Hindutva, etc. He provides an insightful comparison between different historical and political incidents and even labels (Brahmins vs. Sufis, Kashmiri Pandits vs. Babri Masjid, etc.) to elucidate this duplicity.
There are two key themes the author explores during the book. One is the mindset of a "Congressi Hindu." This is someone who has a sense of belonging to being Hindu but doesn't really understand the theological or political basis of this identity. Thus they are ever willing to accommodate and adjust the expanse of this identity. The second is on "responsible journalism." With his experience working with media outlets and then being an editor himself, Rahul exposes the patterns of Indian journalism to the reader. Most media houses believe that they're doing the responsible act of maintaining communal harmony by under-reporting or changing narratives based on whether a Muslim is a perpetrator or a victim.
Finally, he speaks about the growing insecurities within the Congress, the various scams, and Narendra Modi's rise as a man who gave hope to millions of regular Indians. He speaks of Modi's pro-development and pro-India outlook compared to the Congress and the visceral attacks on him post-2014 by attributing every incident to divisiveness and breach in communal harmony. He also explains the crucial role of the rise of the internet and social media platforms like Twitter, which allowed for countering the agenda and questioning the media's ideological bias. The BJP's consecutive victory with a bigger majority in 2019 is a vindication of the mistrust of the Indian voter on the"ecosystem" and how they need to introspect on their attitudes and behavior.
This book definitely hit home in many ways. I can see how many people, especially in my age group, can relate to Rahul's story of becoming a "Sanghi" without ever visiting a "Shakha." An excellent read to understand the media and narrative building over the years in India.
And this is where the author, Rahul Roushan, begins his semi-autobiographical tale, expounding on his personal transformation from being a libertarian to a "Sanghi" over the years, with the political backdrop of India. In this process, he touches upon many spheres and ideas - the Hindu identity, the hypocrisy of the left-liberals in India, and their dominant control of narratives, making a fallacious distinction between Hinduism and Hindutva, etc. He provides an insightful comparison between different historical and political incidents and even labels (Brahmins vs. Sufis, Kashmiri Pandits vs. Babri Masjid, etc.) to elucidate this duplicity.
There are two key themes the author explores during the book. One is the mindset of a "Congressi Hindu." This is someone who has a sense of belonging to being Hindu but doesn't really understand the theological or political basis of this identity. Thus they are ever willing to accommodate and adjust the expanse of this identity. The second is on "responsible journalism." With his experience working with media outlets and then being an editor himself, Rahul exposes the patterns of Indian journalism to the reader. Most media houses believe that they're doing the responsible act of maintaining communal harmony by under-reporting or changing narratives based on whether a Muslim is a perpetrator or a victim.
Finally, he speaks about the growing insecurities within the Congress, the various scams, and Narendra Modi's rise as a man who gave hope to millions of regular Indians. He speaks of Modi's pro-development and pro-India outlook compared to the Congress and the visceral attacks on him post-2014 by attributing every incident to divisiveness and breach in communal harmony. He also explains the crucial role of the rise of the internet and social media platforms like Twitter, which allowed for countering the agenda and questioning the media's ideological bias. The BJP's consecutive victory with a bigger majority in 2019 is a vindication of the mistrust of the Indian voter on the"ecosystem" and how they need to introspect on their attitudes and behavior.
This book definitely hit home in many ways. I can see how many people, especially in my age group, can relate to Rahul's story of becoming a "Sanghi" without ever visiting a "Shakha." An excellent read to understand the media and narrative building over the years in India.
July 22, 2021
The title of this book may well be the autobiography of many Indians belonging to the millennial generation who grew up in households which had traditionally supported the Indian National Congress, popularly known as just the Congress but then shifted their support to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) due to the increasing minority appeasement policies followed by the Congress. Well, this is not exactly an autobiography of Rahul Roushan, he narrates how he transformed from being brought up in a Congressi Hindu family to being a Sanghi who never went to a shakha.
Throughout the book, the reader is kept intrigued by an easy going and thought provoking tone adopted by the author. I have been following Rahul Roushan for quite sometime on Twitter. I admire him for his wit and humour which has been his trademark right from his Faking News days. But through this book, he has shown that he's not proficient in just satire but is equally good in putting across his points in an appealing manner.
I loved the way he has ended the book. I hope just like him that India doesn't embrace the lunatic far left in the future and we don't see a book titled "Libtard Who Never Went to JNU" as the author has brilliantly quipped at the end. I think this book is a must read for anyone who subscribes to a right of centre or libertarian point of view as far as political spectrum is concerned.
Throughout the book, the reader is kept intrigued by an easy going and thought provoking tone adopted by the author. I have been following Rahul Roushan for quite sometime on Twitter. I admire him for his wit and humour which has been his trademark right from his Faking News days. But through this book, he has shown that he's not proficient in just satire but is equally good in putting across his points in an appealing manner.
I loved the way he has ended the book. I hope just like him that India doesn't embrace the lunatic far left in the future and we don't see a book titled "Libtard Who Never Went to JNU" as the author has brilliantly quipped at the end. I think this book is a must read for anyone who subscribes to a right of centre or libertarian point of view as far as political spectrum is concerned.
April 10, 2021
I received this book from Indic Academy and this is an extremely powerful story of a nation tuning back to its indic roots through various ideological shifts. The Bihar connection was very touching as I could relate a lot of things Rahul has written about his early life. Here's an honest review
The author explains in a simple manner how the left has formed and continues to form an "ecosystem" and the so called "woke" culture among many other topics. He beautifully describes how the 'liberal ecosystem' works in India and how it traces its origins back to the British days. He makes people like me ponder that is it worth being a 'neutral' in India when we are continuously shamed for holding a particular political belief or for practicing our customs and rituals.
One thing that i disagree or could not relate to was the untouchability aspect...you can't negate it ..it is present in India at an alarming rate specially in rural areas though in urban areas situation is much better.
Overall, I would recommend this book and also, people should discover the aspects of a vast majority supporting a good side.
The author explains in a simple manner how the left has formed and continues to form an "ecosystem" and the so called "woke" culture among many other topics. He beautifully describes how the 'liberal ecosystem' works in India and how it traces its origins back to the British days. He makes people like me ponder that is it worth being a 'neutral' in India when we are continuously shamed for holding a particular political belief or for practicing our customs and rituals.
One thing that i disagree or could not relate to was the untouchability aspect...you can't negate it ..it is present in India at an alarming rate specially in rural areas though in urban areas situation is much better.
Overall, I would recommend this book and also, people should discover the aspects of a vast majority supporting a good side.
April 10, 2021
Unputdownable
While Rahul Roushan's online persona very much clearly defines his ideology, the book takes through the journey how he reached there. This resonates with so many who have turned from Congressi Hindus to Sanghis.
While Rahul Roushan's online persona very much clearly defines his ideology, the book takes through the journey how he reached there. This resonates with so many who have turned from Congressi Hindus to Sanghis.
April 18, 2021
For those who are active on social media, especially Twitter, Rahul Roushan is not an unknown name. His tweets come across as witty oozing with satire and sarcasm, with pithy observations on the happenings in our world, especially in the political world. So I had to get my hands on the first book written by him.
Rahul has not written anything new in his book. And yet, it is a very important book; one that needs to be read by as many people as possible, in India and around the world – especially by people like me – urban, educated, middle-class/upper middle-class, to know what has seemingly changed in India over the last 7 years; why do we see the masses getting so vocal about their beliefs and opinions, and the how and why of the rise of Modi.
Like Rahul, I too was not ‘involved’ in politics until 2013. Though I was aware of the political leaders and the various parties, I did not follow them religiously (if I may use that word!); I was not clued into their every action and I was definitely not vocal about my political, and religious, choices.
In a way, Modi changed that. This book seeks to explain it, amongst several other things.
It also seeks to talk about the change in society, and politics, from Independence – the Nehruvian era, the rise, and assassination of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi’s unprecedented parliamentary majority and the birth of the Mandal & Mandir politics, the rise of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav, political instability at the Centre and the economic liberalization during the 1990s, the 2002 anti-Godhra riots in Gujarat, the various terrorist blasts all across India almost every other year, including the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the gang rape in Delhi in 2012, the rise of the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, AAP forming the Govt. in Delhi, the rise of Modi to the Centre, etc.
The book also captures the double standards of the Left, the secular parties, the intellectuals, most of the mainstream media (MSM) and the online news portals [Rahul was/is a part of both] through various real-life examples and incidents. As I was not active into politics earlier, most of these were new, and shocking, to me. Now I am better able to relate to it, seeing it almost every day on MSM/SM. Rahul highlights how these people actually indulge in pretentious intellectual snobbery, with a condescending and patronizing attitude. Smokescreens of bigotry, jingoism and communalism are created, followed by muddling of facts, denials, shifting of goalposts and an orchestrated propaganda.
The book also talks about how social media has truly democratized the discourse in India [something I am truly grateful for – people have fallen off their pedestals and how!] – where people decide the tone and contours of a debate, without the direct involvement or censorship by the MSM. This has given rise to a whole generation of people who are now actively involved in politics [compared to people like me] and who are vocal about their choices & the reasons for the same.
Last, but definitely not the least, the book talks about Rahul’s journey from being offended at being called a Sanghi to actually getting comfortable with, and being proud of, being called one.
It spends a fair bit of space to discuss in detail about Modi – how he was relentlessly projected as a ‘controversial’ leader who won the 2002 elections riding on the wave of ‘hate’ (the narrative still seems familiar, right?), how he won three state elections with an absolute majority, how Modi started projecting himself as pro-development, how he understood how social media worked, etc. It also gives Modi a fair bit of credit in making people warm up to Hindutva/Hindu nationalism. Modi had started to impress many, especially the urban online-savvy educated class, many of whom had no special ideological affinity for the RSS or Hindutva.
I was able to identify with, and nod my head at, some of the incidents and examples in the book – the prejudices and biases against anything and everything connected to the word ‘Hindu’, the ‘liberal’ habit of linking every vice in the Indian society to some aspect of the Hindu culture and religion, the whitewashing of the atrocities committed by Muslim invaders, the deeply narrow definitions assigned to words like secularism, anti-Brahmin rhetoric, etc.
Rahul’s writing style is easy-to-read and the book is pretty much a page-turner in that sense. His satire and sarcasm comes across very well in the book. Also, he does not mince words while narrating or describing certain incidents. Though the book is a kind of an autobiography, I am sure many people will identify with some or the other incidents in it. The only thing I disagree with Rahul is his paranoia about the survival of Hindus. Hindus have, and will survive, forever. In fact, most Hindus, including me, have now started becoming very vocal about a lot of things.
Some of the sentences that stuck with me:
1. At the core of it, the secular state of India discriminates against Hindus by assuming that they can never be disadvantaged.
2. Every political party is not the same when it comes to the environment they end up creating by the mere virtue of being in power. They trigger some changes directly, and some indirectly, some as a driving force, some as a catalyst, some intended, some unintended.
3. You don’t need to publicize a treatise against Brahminism to push a person into cutting his janeu; you just need a good personal story. That is the power of storytelling.
4. When the ideological debates would start getting heated, it would invariably be the pro-Modi guy who had to step back and assuage the feelings of his liberal friend, who just couldn’t stop ranting about how fascism must be stopped.
5. The establishment is an entrenched bunch of people and institutions that systematically control the thoughts and beliefs of the masses. It is often achieved via control on the media and academics. Political power is transient, but the power that a real establishment enjoys is potent and lasting. [This one is my favourite!]
I would heartily recommend this book to anyone wanting to know what has changed in India, especially why do Hindus suddenly seem so vocal about their identity. I would also recommend this book to anyone wanting to get a sense of the history of India – how certain unconnected things are actually connected, which is not apparent to the common man. The book is a great read and I will definitely be rereading it often.
Rahul has not written anything new in his book. And yet, it is a very important book; one that needs to be read by as many people as possible, in India and around the world – especially by people like me – urban, educated, middle-class/upper middle-class, to know what has seemingly changed in India over the last 7 years; why do we see the masses getting so vocal about their beliefs and opinions, and the how and why of the rise of Modi.
Like Rahul, I too was not ‘involved’ in politics until 2013. Though I was aware of the political leaders and the various parties, I did not follow them religiously (if I may use that word!); I was not clued into their every action and I was definitely not vocal about my political, and religious, choices.
In a way, Modi changed that. This book seeks to explain it, amongst several other things.
It also seeks to talk about the change in society, and politics, from Independence – the Nehruvian era, the rise, and assassination of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi’s unprecedented parliamentary majority and the birth of the Mandal & Mandir politics, the rise of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav, political instability at the Centre and the economic liberalization during the 1990s, the 2002 anti-Godhra riots in Gujarat, the various terrorist blasts all across India almost every other year, including the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the gang rape in Delhi in 2012, the rise of the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, AAP forming the Govt. in Delhi, the rise of Modi to the Centre, etc.
The book also captures the double standards of the Left, the secular parties, the intellectuals, most of the mainstream media (MSM) and the online news portals [Rahul was/is a part of both] through various real-life examples and incidents. As I was not active into politics earlier, most of these were new, and shocking, to me. Now I am better able to relate to it, seeing it almost every day on MSM/SM. Rahul highlights how these people actually indulge in pretentious intellectual snobbery, with a condescending and patronizing attitude. Smokescreens of bigotry, jingoism and communalism are created, followed by muddling of facts, denials, shifting of goalposts and an orchestrated propaganda.
The book also talks about how social media has truly democratized the discourse in India [something I am truly grateful for – people have fallen off their pedestals and how!] – where people decide the tone and contours of a debate, without the direct involvement or censorship by the MSM. This has given rise to a whole generation of people who are now actively involved in politics [compared to people like me] and who are vocal about their choices & the reasons for the same.
Last, but definitely not the least, the book talks about Rahul’s journey from being offended at being called a Sanghi to actually getting comfortable with, and being proud of, being called one.
It spends a fair bit of space to discuss in detail about Modi – how he was relentlessly projected as a ‘controversial’ leader who won the 2002 elections riding on the wave of ‘hate’ (the narrative still seems familiar, right?), how he won three state elections with an absolute majority, how Modi started projecting himself as pro-development, how he understood how social media worked, etc. It also gives Modi a fair bit of credit in making people warm up to Hindutva/Hindu nationalism. Modi had started to impress many, especially the urban online-savvy educated class, many of whom had no special ideological affinity for the RSS or Hindutva.
I was able to identify with, and nod my head at, some of the incidents and examples in the book – the prejudices and biases against anything and everything connected to the word ‘Hindu’, the ‘liberal’ habit of linking every vice in the Indian society to some aspect of the Hindu culture and religion, the whitewashing of the atrocities committed by Muslim invaders, the deeply narrow definitions assigned to words like secularism, anti-Brahmin rhetoric, etc.
Rahul’s writing style is easy-to-read and the book is pretty much a page-turner in that sense. His satire and sarcasm comes across very well in the book. Also, he does not mince words while narrating or describing certain incidents. Though the book is a kind of an autobiography, I am sure many people will identify with some or the other incidents in it. The only thing I disagree with Rahul is his paranoia about the survival of Hindus. Hindus have, and will survive, forever. In fact, most Hindus, including me, have now started becoming very vocal about a lot of things.
Some of the sentences that stuck with me:
1. At the core of it, the secular state of India discriminates against Hindus by assuming that they can never be disadvantaged.
2. Every political party is not the same when it comes to the environment they end up creating by the mere virtue of being in power. They trigger some changes directly, and some indirectly, some as a driving force, some as a catalyst, some intended, some unintended.
3. You don’t need to publicize a treatise against Brahminism to push a person into cutting his janeu; you just need a good personal story. That is the power of storytelling.
4. When the ideological debates would start getting heated, it would invariably be the pro-Modi guy who had to step back and assuage the feelings of his liberal friend, who just couldn’t stop ranting about how fascism must be stopped.
5. The establishment is an entrenched bunch of people and institutions that systematically control the thoughts and beliefs of the masses. It is often achieved via control on the media and academics. Political power is transient, but the power that a real establishment enjoys is potent and lasting. [This one is my favourite!]
I would heartily recommend this book to anyone wanting to know what has changed in India, especially why do Hindus suddenly seem so vocal about their identity. I would also recommend this book to anyone wanting to get a sense of the history of India – how certain unconnected things are actually connected, which is not apparent to the common man. The book is a great read and I will definitely be rereading it often.
April 6, 2021
Good book. Written lucidly & from the heart -easy to read. A Zeitgeist, if I can use that word. Everyone globally should read this to understand & appreciate what is going on in India Socio-culturally & politically'.
April 6, 2021
I was sceptical at first because the author is associated with OpIndia but the book was an amazing read. Fast and cuts to the point. Shows the true colour of what passes for 'liberalism' these days.
April 11, 2021
With a title as provocative as this ( in today's times), I was a bit wary of the book at first. It sounded like one of those books wherein a clickbaity title is used to pull you in, and then heap unabashed propaganda at you all the while under the expectation that you will jump the bandwagon and join the author's ideological camp. This book was nothing like it. It is a ideological biography of the author. So yes, no salacious details of his love life or but a very good course of his growth from a typical "Congressi Hindu" to a "Sanghi who never went to a shakha".
Born in the 80s, RR's journey strikes a bell with me and I am sure this will resonate with a huge majority of middle-aged citizens of my age group. RR and I had the same ideological experiences that started with the typical Left Liberals (LeLi) groups being held in high esteem, even revered to lying in a pool of their lies, deceit, and hypocrisy. Obviously, with RR being present on both sides of the table (media employee to baron), his exposure has been more direct and in your face. The book traces his journey from an impressionable young boy living in the secular fields of mofussil India to a fully aware man coursing through the treacherous waters of the Indian LeLi gang. In this book covering his journey through the various ideologies, he explains various phenomenon which used to baffle me. Questions like - Why Hindus would be the one most vocal as activitists degrading their own religion? Why the ills of other religion would be sugar-coated while reporting but minor crimes from majority religion be always painted in religious hues ? Admittedly, these questions used to always bug my mind but since I had no knowledge of the inner working of these opinion imposers ( read traditional media) , all I could was speculate. This book puts all those queries to rest. The lampooning of the mainstream media is very biting but that is typical RR wit which made his faking news such a big hit so another plus in this gem of a book.
There are a few places where the book misses the mark . But they are too few and far in between to make me reduce the stars. For e.g the common man's apathy to Parliament attack was not due to lack of any high moral emotions like lack of love for country or its institutions but rather due to the office bearers of such place who with their shameful conduct had made the people indifferent resentful of them and by virtue of association , the institution. But since the book is a journey of his ideology transformation, one can't hold him to task for this as this will remain unsubstantiated speculation.
In short, I will strongly recommend this book to all the people of India so that they wake up and smell the coffee. For far too long, spurious syrup of secularism has been fed to Indian middle class which as RR calls out is a one way street. If we really want the secular, peaceful society these tough questions need to be addressed sooner rather later. The process may be painful but the end result will be worth it.
Born in the 80s, RR's journey strikes a bell with me and I am sure this will resonate with a huge majority of middle-aged citizens of my age group. RR and I had the same ideological experiences that started with the typical Left Liberals (LeLi) groups being held in high esteem, even revered to lying in a pool of their lies, deceit, and hypocrisy. Obviously, with RR being present on both sides of the table (media employee to baron), his exposure has been more direct and in your face. The book traces his journey from an impressionable young boy living in the secular fields of mofussil India to a fully aware man coursing through the treacherous waters of the Indian LeLi gang. In this book covering his journey through the various ideologies, he explains various phenomenon which used to baffle me. Questions like - Why Hindus would be the one most vocal as activitists degrading their own religion? Why the ills of other religion would be sugar-coated while reporting but minor crimes from majority religion be always painted in religious hues ? Admittedly, these questions used to always bug my mind but since I had no knowledge of the inner working of these opinion imposers ( read traditional media) , all I could was speculate. This book puts all those queries to rest. The lampooning of the mainstream media is very biting but that is typical RR wit which made his faking news such a big hit so another plus in this gem of a book.
There are a few places where the book misses the mark . But they are too few and far in between to make me reduce the stars. For e.g the common man's apathy to Parliament attack was not due to lack of any high moral emotions like lack of love for country or its institutions but rather due to the office bearers of such place who with their shameful conduct had made the people
In short, I will strongly recommend this book to all the people of India so that they wake up and smell the coffee. For far too long, spurious syrup of secularism has been fed to Indian middle class which as RR calls out is a one way street. If we really want the secular, peaceful society these tough questions need to be addressed sooner rather later. The process may be painful but the end result will be worth it.
March 24, 2021
What an eye-opening book on Indian politics. The author does not shy away from facts and the result is an amazing book written on the situation in India, its history, and the politics driving it. He has presented a simple, direct, and clear narrative on what "secularism" means in Indian politics and how it is actually not true secularism at all. In fact, it is discriminatory against the majority religion of India itself. The writing itself is so lucid and rational that I think it's worth reading it twice and it's a joy to read such honest, straightforward narratives.
For anyone who wants to understand Indian State and Indian politics, this is an absolute must-read book. I would highly recommend it.
For anyone who wants to understand Indian State and Indian politics, this is an absolute must-read book. I would highly recommend it.
March 19, 2021
This book is very well narrated with inclusion and illustration of all the events that led to unify all the RWs in India during and after authors adolescence. Every story and line has been well versed. It also talks about superiority complex mentality of liberals. How and how much they dislike others. It's like they own the world. It is altogether a journey of all Indians which has resulted in ascension of Hindutva ideology.
Every bit of this book is well documented.
Every bit of this book is well documented.
January 28, 2022
This is something I would recommend to anyone who wishes to gauge the pulse of India, esp in the recent socio political scenario.
I could emphathise with the autobiographical context of a middle class Indian family in the 80's. Felt happy and nostalgic with quite a number of things that the author recounted from his childhood. DD1, Mahabharata, Ramayana, emotions after assassination of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, turmoils during the Vajpayee government, memories about tuitions and coaching, reminiscing about career and life.
Though all of the above runs parallely in the background, the book is much more than that. Its a well argumented thought process and feelings of an individual who has been converted from a devout Congressi Hindu, to a 'bhakt' or Sanghi. All the ideologies discussed, and the facts presented were very convincing and logical.
As you can guess from the title, the book is leaning towards the right. I would love to get recommendations to read similar stuff from the leftist point of view, provided the arguments are as valid and as logical if not better.
Very nicely written!
I could emphathise with the autobiographical context of a middle class Indian family in the 80's. Felt happy and nostalgic with quite a number of things that the author recounted from his childhood. DD1, Mahabharata, Ramayana, emotions after assassination of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, turmoils during the Vajpayee government, memories about tuitions and coaching, reminiscing about career and life.
Though all of the above runs parallely in the background, the book is much more than that. Its a well argumented thought process and feelings of an individual who has been converted from a devout Congressi Hindu, to a 'bhakt' or Sanghi. All the ideologies discussed, and the facts presented were very convincing and logical.
As you can guess from the title, the book is leaning towards the right. I would love to get recommendations to read similar stuff from the leftist point of view, provided the arguments are as valid and as logical if not better.
Very nicely written!
May 2, 2021
"But the basic premise remains unchanged - what you think is responsible, what you think is the greater cause, what you think is good for the society or what you think is evil, all of these are dependent on your ideological beliefs."
A fantastic take on how the Hindutva movement came into prominence after loads of leftist liberals were demonstrating loads and loads of hypocrisy for years in India. I could relate to the author owing to his typical middle class childhood, raised up in a small town, working a bit post graduation and then finishing MBA from an IIM. Most importantly, I and my family were Congressi Hindus growing up.
The author tell us a lot of anecdotes and real stories where "intellectuals" have shown selective secularism. Even I had observed, how every time a communal angle is being brought up by some Dirtbag Left media when there is a law and order issue. Additionally, there is an issue of "lying for harmony" syndrome observed in those media.
In fact, this is what sums it up -
P.S. Adarsh in Hindi means ideal
It has been pretty evident since last few years when mainstream media lost their credibility due to spreading misinformation and running propaganda, the Western Left is more liberal than the Indian Left. In other words, Indian Right is more liberal than Indian Left. The India Left has started becoming less inclusive, self-righteous and more intolerant. They are propagating the "Us v Them" mentality resulting in the centralists moving towards Indian RIght. However, the India Left became so desperate for being heard, they joined hands with extreme Islamists and Kashmiri & Khalistani separatists.
Moreover, the book also highlights the hypocrisy of woke liberals especially how the Hindu festivals are targeted unfairly. For example, some woke liberal third grade actor comes up on twitter and asks people not to burst crackers on one day of Diwali when that privileged pretender enjoys their fuel guzzling diesel SUV.
A must read for anyone who wants to understand the shift in Indian politics post 2014.
A fantastic take on how the Hindutva movement came into prominence after loads of leftist liberals were demonstrating loads and loads of hypocrisy for years in India. I could relate to the author owing to his typical middle class childhood, raised up in a small town, working a bit post graduation and then finishing MBA from an IIM. Most importantly, I and my family were Congressi Hindus growing up.
"The liberals, who thought hyper-nationalism was a problem, perhaps didn't realize that their hyper-activism and hyper-liberalism was actually the problem."
The author tell us a lot of anecdotes and real stories where "intellectuals" have shown selective secularism. Even I had observed, how every time a communal angle is being brought up by some Dirtbag Left media when there is a law and order issue. Additionally, there is an issue of "lying for harmony" syndrome observed in those media.
In fact, this is what sums it up -
P.S. Adarsh in Hindi means ideal
It has been pretty evident since last few years when mainstream media lost their credibility due to spreading misinformation and running propaganda, the Western Left is more liberal than the Indian Left. In other words, Indian Right is more liberal than Indian Left. The India Left has started becoming less inclusive, self-righteous and more intolerant. They are propagating the "Us v Them" mentality resulting in the centralists moving towards Indian RIght. However, the India Left became so desperate for being heard, they joined hands with extreme Islamists and Kashmiri & Khalistani separatists.
"Anyone who does not toe the leftist line has to face unbearable hostility. It is almost like being punished for blasphemy, and well, the Left indeed mirrors the Abrahamic faith system in many ways."
Moreover, the book also highlights the hypocrisy of woke liberals especially how the Hindu festivals are targeted unfairly. For example, some woke liberal third grade actor comes up on twitter and asks people not to burst crackers on one day of Diwali when that privileged pretender enjoys their fuel guzzling diesel SUV.
A must read for anyone who wants to understand the shift in Indian politics post 2014.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews