भाजपा : काल आज आणि उद्या

by Shantanu Gupta, Malhar Pandey (Translator), Vinay Sahasrabuddhe (Foreword)

आज भारतीय जनता पक्षाची सत्ता भारताच्या बहुतांश राज्यांमध्ये आहे. जगातील सर्वात मोठा राजकीय पक्ष म्हणून देखील या पक्षाची ओळख आहे. परंतु, हा प्रवास नेमका कसा घडला. १९८० मध्ये भाजपा अधिकृत रित्या स्थापन झाला पण या राजकीय पक्षाच्या यशामागचे रहस्य तरी नेमके काय ? किती ज्ञात अज्ञात लोकांनी या पक्षाच्या वाढीसाठी जीव खर्ची केले. राष्ट्रवादी विचारांनी प्रेरित असलेला एकमेव पक्ष म्हणून भाजपाने काय प्रयत्न केले ? आर्य समाजपासून ते राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ, ते जनसंघ आणि जनसंघ ते भारतीय जनता पार्टी असा मोठा प्रवास जनसामान्यांना कळावा या उद्देशाने मल्हार पांडे यांनी शांतनू गुप्ता यांच्या इंग्रजी पुस्तकाचा अनुवाद केला आहे.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction

488 pages, Paperback

First published December 5, 2019

Reviews

[S.Ach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere in the middle, the author writes - "History is always written by the victors" and blames the left-historians to have distorted the history that we have been reading since independence, of being pro-Congress and anti-Hindu and white-washing the atrocities of the Muslim invaders.

I wondered, is history being re-written by the current victors?

Pongalswamy said, "Being corrected….You see.. One should read the right history."

True, I said.

Your history is fact, their history is misinformation.
Your heroes are messiahs, their heroes are evil demons.
Your principles are ideal, and their ideas, of course, propaganda.
Yours are value driven, they have their own agenda.
You are individual thinkers, they are an ecosystem.
After all, you are you, and they are, oh! disgusting, them.

Pongalswamy said, "In short….Right History is right and Left history should be left behind."

[Anirban · Rating 3 out of 5]

What worked for me :
1. No holds barred, unapologetic approach in writing the book.
2. A detailed discussion on the historical and the ideological background of the BJP.
3. An easy to follow writing style.

What didn't work for me :
1. Too much focus on Narendra Modi(sadly a state of affairs reflecting in the BJP too). Very little mention of other important players.
2. The book should also have had, IMO, more information and insight on the leaders who were equally instrumental alongside Vajpayee and Advani in building up the party.

[Arunayan Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The largest Political Party of the World of India named as BJP is seriously first time jotted down with references in this book. Even if you are not a political buff, you should read it to know changes of Indian politics through the year.

[Bhuvanesh Kandasamy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book gives good insights on the fundamental ideology of the BJP from its RSS days and how it had evolved over the decades. I felt the author could have used more neutral language at the last section on Modi's term as it involved downgrading the opposition while exaggerating it's accomplishments.

[Mahe · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are willing to disregard the author's clear political and ideological tilt and his deifying of Modi towards the end this book will be a great, quick read to get to know of the history of the BJP and its precursor/parent organisations.

[Kamlesh Gandhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written well researched and factual. Author has delved into the history with events which were instrumental in the growth of the largest political in the world. The narration too was brilliant in the audiobook.

[Prahalathan KK · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the middle of the book the Author acknowledges that he has spent half the book before even the BJP started. This part was the most enlightening.

Towards the end there is even a chapter on Modi Government's achievements and less about the party. The book ends with the 2019 general election win.