Why I am a Hindu. Shashi Tharoor. New Delhi: Aleph Book Company, 2018. Pp. 302. ISBN‐10:9386021102 INR 400

• Published date: 01 November 2020
• Author: Bhanu Pratap Singh
• Date: 01 November 2020
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2343

BOOK REVIEW

Why I am a Hindu

Shashi Tharoor

New Delhi: Aleph Book Company, 2018. Pp. 302. ISBN-10:9386021102 INR 400

The release of a book, Why I am a Hinduis amidst controversial debate

of Hindu and anti-Hindu in India by Congress party leader and

intellectual Shashi Tharoor. For a long time, the writer is criticized by

Hindu nationalist groups for being anti-Hindu.The book uncovers one

of the oldest religions of the world with writers owns belief in

Hinduism. The book isdivided into three parts in which the author

explains his own belief of Hinduism,political Hinduism and taking back

Hinduism. In the first part of the book, there are four chapters on the

theme about my belief on Hinduism in whichhe covers his own belief

of Hinduism, Hindu ways, questioning Hindu customs, and discusses

great soul of Hinduism. The second part of the book under the theme

political Hinduism has two chapters on politics of Hindutva and uses

and abuses of Hindu culture and history. The last partof the book has

only one chapter on the theme of taking back Hinduism. The book is a

response tothe allegation on him for being anti-Hindu.

The book starts with the question “Why I am a Hindu?”The

writer explains the obvious answer to this question is that I am born

in a Hindu family and I had no choice to choose my religion at birth.

Some people subscribed to others but the majority remained in the

same. The writer says I am born Hindu, I grew up Hindu and consid-

ered myself one of whole life. He explains the necessity to define

Hindu was required in the late 1980s after the rise of Hindu funda-

mentalist forces. Then writer defines Hinduism as theological beliefs

which are in contrary to the idea that people beyond river Sindhu are

Hindus. Then the writer explains about his truth or belief on

Hinduism. The reason he cites is the culture which expresses the

ancient genesis of the Hindu people. Second, he mentions Hinduism

contains liberal ethics and has been liberal in all aspects of life which

gives liberty to practice it being astika or nastika. He stresses it is a

faith and civilization, not a dogma. The liberal nature of the religion

allows all Hindus to practice religion with worshipping multiple gods

and goddesses. The writer chooses Ganesha as his Ista Devata and

put Ganesha idol in his house. In the chapter Hindu ways, he explains

in the British raj for two centuries they struggled to understand the

people and coined the term Hinduism. It is openness and diversity of

the religion which is responsible for its growth like a banyan tree. He

explains Hinduism is polycentric faith where there is no single

authority or liturgical power. Unlike other faiths which believe in

monotheism and are centered on one holy book, Hinduism has several

complementary and contradictory religious scriptures and

commentaries. Hence, this religion believes in pluralism and has a

unique place in the world of religions.

In the third chapter, he questions Hindu customs, in particular, its

caste system, beliefs in astrology and Hindu fatalism. The later chapter

deals with great souls of Hinduism in which he discusses Swami

Vivekananda and Adi Shankracharya and their philosophy of religion.

He also discusses the practice of religion in the early days. He argues

that Hindu religion was reinvented in Bhakti movement which was

later revived by Britishers, Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi.

The second part of the book deals with political Hinduism in

which he says the rise of RSS and Savarkar of Hindu Mahasabha is

behind the political ideology of current ruling party BJP. He also

uncovers the book written by right-wing scholars, namely, Sawarkar

and Golwarkar to define Hinduism. He also has thrown light on the

advent of Jana Sangha under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and his “integral

humanism.”After the death of Upadhya, Jana Sangha was merged

with Janta Party and Hindutva remained the basis for the politics of

the new party as well. The party continues to play divisive politics to

get political power. He also has thrown light on the use and abuse of

holy cows to get political mileage in the sixth chapter of section two

of the book. He criticizes the current Hindu nationalism which is

against the very idea of Hinduism, which he mentioned in the early

chapters. He also has thrown light on Hindu science and technology

and dogma of Hindu science by some researchers and politician on

Vedic aviation technology and falsification of the theory of evolution.

He also criticized thecurrent government and Hindu right-wing forces

for doing politics on Hinduism manifested in beef politics in the cow

belt and outside. In the last section of the book, he explains the need

for taking back Hinduismand it is possible only if people would believe

in pluralistic nature of the religion, which contributed to making this

religion oneof the greatest religion historically. For this to happenthere

is a need to practicetolerance, and have acceptance for other faiths.

The book is written in a well-organized way and reaches its

objective. In the first part of the book, the author discusses my

Hinduism in which he criticizes many customs and beliefs of Hinduism

but fails to address the rigid caste system comprehensively. The writer

has paid little attention to that part. In the second part of the book he

discusses Hindu politics, uses and abuses of Hindu politics in India by

Hindu right-wing political parties but nowhere in the book he men-

tions about his party which was responsible for the rise of

Received: 29 July 2020Accepted: 30 July 2020

DOI: 10.1002/pa.2343

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https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2343