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Book Review: Why I am a Hindu by Shashi Tharoor

Preprint · April 2018

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.13174.70724

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 BOOK REVIEW
WHY I AM A HINDU. By Shashi Tharoor. New Delhi: Aleph Book
Company, 2018. pp. 302. ISBN-10: 9386021102INR 400

Reviewed by
Bhanu Pratap Singh, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Economics and Planning
Mahatma Gandhi Central University
Motihari, East Champaran, Bihar, India
Pin 845401
Email: bhanuatindia@gmail.com
Mob: +91 9652983076

Total word count: 1112

 WHY I AM A HINDU. By Shashi Tharoor. New Delhi: Aleph Book
Company, 2018. pp. 302. ISBN-10: 9386021102INR 400

The release of a book, Why I am a Hindu is amidst controversial debate of Hindu and anti-

Hindu in India by Congress party leader and intellectual Shashi Tharoor. For long time the

writer is criticized from Hindu nationalist groups for being anti-Hindu. The book uncovers

one of the oldest religions of the world with writers own belief in Hinduism. The book is

divided into three parts in which 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 which he covers hisown 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 part of the book has only one chapter

on the theme of taking back Hinduism. The book is response to the 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 Hindu family and I had no choice to choose my

religion at birth. Some people subscribed to other but majority remained in the same. The

writer says I am born Hindu, I grew up Hindu and considered myself one of whole life. He

explains the necessity to define Hindu was required in the late 1980s after the rise of Hindu

fundamentalist forces. Then writer defines Hinduism as theological beliefs which is in

contrary to the idea that people beyond river Sindhu are Hindus. Then 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. Secondly, 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 andcivilization not a dogma. The liberal nature of the religion allows all
Hindus to practice religion with worshiping multiple gods and goddesses. The writer choses

Ganesha as his IstaDevataand put Ganseha 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 unique place

among 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 about Swami Vivekananda and AdiShankracharya and their philosophy of

religion. He also discusses about the practice of the 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.

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 thrownlight on the advent of Jana Sangha under

DeenDayalUpadhyaya 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 playdivisive politicsin order to get political power. He

also 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 of the very idea of Hinduism, which he mentioned in the early chapters. He also
thrown light on Hindu science and technology and dogma of Hindu science by some

researchers and politician on Vedic aviation technology and falsification of theory of

evolution. He also criticized the current 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 Hinduism,and it is possible only if people

would believe in pluralistic nature of the religion, which contributed to make this religion one

of the greatest religion historically. For this to happen there is a need to practice tolerance,

and have acceptance for other faiths.

The book is written in well-organized way and reaches its objective. In the first part of the

book the author discusses about my Hinduism in which he criticizes many customs and

beliefs of Hinduism but fails to address the rigid caste system in a comprehensive way. The

writer have paid little attention on that part. In the second part of the book he discusses about

Hindu politics, uses and abuses of Hindu politics in India by Hindu right wing political

parties but nowhere in the book he mentions about his own party which was responsible for

the rise of Bhindrawala and operation Blue star, fast trial of the Babri Masjid case in

Faizabad session court, opening of Masjid gates on the same day and Rajiv Gandhi starting

its political campaign saying “I am also a Hindu” from Ayodhya. The use of religion in

politics by his own party has been grossly neglected by the author. The third part of the book

is well written with a holistic approach.

The book is written by the author at a time when the Congress party has scored historically

lowest seat in the lower house of the parliament and also losing election in state legislative

assemblies. Not only the author of the book, but his own party was criticized for being anti-

Hindu and political analysts argue that this is one of the reasons behind the defeat of the party

in most of the regions. In the last Gujrat elections Congress president Rahul Gandhi asserted

his claim over the practice and ideas of Hinduism as he visited several temples during his
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political campaign. He even claimed himself a Janudhari Hindu. The book is political

propaganda for political gains rather than a rigorous academic study of religion.