Waiting for Shiva

Few places in the world carry the heavy burden of history as effortlessly as Kashi, or Varanasi, has. The holy city embodies the very soul of our civilization and personifies the resilience that we have displayed over centuries in the face of numerous adversities and fatal attacks.

 

Waiting for Shiva: Unearthing the Truth of Kashi’s Gyan Vapi recreates the history, antiquity and sanctity of Kashi as the abode of Bhagwan Shiva in the form of Vishweshwara, or Vishwanath. Shiva himself assured his devotees of salvation if they leave their mortal coils in the city. The book delves into the history of this self-manifested swayambhu jyotirlinga shrine of Vishweshwara, which for centuries has been both a refuge for the devout and a target of the bloodiest waves of iconoclasm. However, each time an attempt was made to obliterate the temple by demolishing it, it managed to rise and prosper. Every iconoclastic storm was followed by an episode of persistence, tenacity and stubborn resolve. Shrines fell and shrines rose, but the Hindus of Kashi never gave up—not even once.

 

Waiting for Shiva documents these cataclysmic events in the temple’s history. The final death blow was dealt in 1669 by the Mughal despot Aurangzeb, who demolished the temple and erected few domes on the partially destroyed western wall to call it a mosque. The temple complex was desecrated and left strewn with ruins as a grim reminder of the humiliation and insult that Hindus had to face as a consequence of their holiest shrine being torn down to smithereens. The area that is now called the Gyan Vapi mosque and the surrounding land that lies adjacent to the new temple of Vishwanath, which came up towards the end of the 18th Century, has always been one of intense contestation. Bloody riots overran Varanasi over this issue multiple times in the past. During the colonial era, the doors of the British courts were knocked at to settle the occupancy issue, and they adjudicated the matter several times. Post-Independence, too, the desire to ‘liberate’ the complex has been seething in the Hindu imagination. A new suit filed in 2021 before the Varanasi civil court reopened a long-festering historical wound. Despite several appeals right up to the Supreme Court to dismiss the plaint, a survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was ordered, which would lay bare the truth in its findings by the end of 2023.

 

Vikram Sampath’s latest offering retraces the long history of this bitterly disputed site and the dramatic twists and turns in the checkered past of this hoary shrine. Piecing together numerous documents and accounts—Vedic and Puranic texts, Sanskrit literary sources, Agama shastras, Jataka tales, Persian accounts, travelogues of foreigners, archival records and copious legal documents detailing the contestation from the British era to modern Indian courts—the book recreates, for the first time with facts and cogent arguments, this stormy history right up to the present times. The long-suppressed secrets that lay hidden in Gyan Vapi finally finds a voice through this book.

India and The Changing World Order

India and the Changing World Order breaks free from conventional boundaries, delving fearlessly into the realms of emerging civilisational, religious, and historical matters. Its purpose lies in sparking essential conversations about broader matters, such as civilisational, cultural, and social diversity issues that have been overlooked in the shaping of the post-World War II and post-Cold War global order. As the existing global order confronts unprecedented challenges, this book serves as a catalyst, fuelling a discourse that captures the essence of a rapidly evolving world.

 

Through a comparative study, the book offers fresh insights into the contrasting approaches of short-termist liberal democracies and long-termist autocratic China, shedding light on the distinctive qualities of a liberal and civilisational democracy as exemplified by India. Within its illuminating pages, the reader will uncover the critical challenges that Indian democracy faces while navigating the complexities of its relationship with both autocratic China and the liberal West. Additionally, the book examines the fundamental differences between market economics and market societies. It artfully unravels contemporary geopolitical, geo-economic, and geo-strategic issues, offering intricate analyses of India’s strategic connections with select nations and its ever-growing ties with the USA. Moreover, it dares to propose innovative solutions like astronomy-based education as a means to foster conflict resolution.

 

With an invitation that resonates deeply, India and the Changing World Order calls upon the reader to partake in a discourse that re-evaluates the past, contextualizes the present, and ultimately shapes the trajectory of our shared future.

Modian Consensus

Modian Consensus: The Rediscovery Of Bharat maps the Indian political trajectory of the last 150 years. It locates various periods of consensus that developed in Bharat from time to time and drove the policy, planning and politics of the day. Four of these consensus phases of the past have been identified as Civilisational Consensus, Gandhian Consensus, Nehruvian Consensus and Secular Consensus. The fifth and ongoing phase, the book argues, is Modian Consensus. The book examines how the politics of the day finds itself willy-nilly amidst a consensus around the politics of Narendra Modi. In the current phase, parties and politicians diametrically opposed to Modi’s ideas are compelled to follow the line of policies and programmes set by him. The impact of this consensus can be observed far beyond the domain of politics as it stands on the three postulates of cultural rootedness, assertive nationalism and welfare for all. The book explores various manifestations of Modian Consensus, including the challenges it faces and what it augurs for the future of Indian politics.

Arc of Governance

Governance is a 360-degree process; this book is an arc. “New India” dawned on 26 May 2014 when the Union government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi was sworn in by the president of the Republic of India. Its governance agenda was unveiled by the president in Parliament on 9 June 2014 with this stentorian statement: “My government is dedicated to the poor…. With a firm belief that the first claim on development belongs to the poor, my government pledges itself to the principle of sabke saath, sabka vikas…. My government will function on the mantra of ‘minimum government, maximum governance’, and we will work together to re-establish the credibility of the institutions of democracy.”

 

The government got a second mandate in 2019. This book, which is a compilation of the author’s articles and papers, will take the reader through different dimensions of governance, government, institutions, democracy and development critically, analysing the flavour of New India in them.

Invaders and Infidels

When Qutub-ud-din Aibak died in a polo game 1210, he had left behind a rickety, fledgling Muslim kingdom in Delhi. For the next eighty-odd years, its fortunes swayed wildly, witnessing a record twelve kings. It was a period of incessant palace coups and serial political murders. The death of Balban extinguishes the so-called Muslim Slave dynasty and with it ends the shortlived Turkic Muslim imperialism. It also heralds the ascent of the Afghanistan-based Khaljis, classed as “low-born.” A straight line connects the origin of the Khaljis with the military airport built by the US in Zabul in 2006. By this time, Hindu political power in northern India is in total disarray with no unifying leader who has the vision to combat and expel the alien oppressor lodged in Delhi. No Hindu ruler exploits the repeated openings and vulnerabilities provided by internecine Sultanate warfare. Book 2 of Invaders and Infidels traces the unlikely rise of Jalal-ud-din Khalji as an illsuited monarch and ends with the maiden Islamic raid of Devagiri, the gateway to southern India. The incident will have far-reaching consequences for the history of India for the next six hundred years. It is a heady tale of a period rife with bloody intrigues, aggressive campaigns of Islamic expansionism, heroic wars of Hindu resistance and squandered chances for civilizational reclamation. The narrative in this book is marked by a flair of vivid historical storytelling, juxtaposing the oscillating fortunes of both Islamic conquests and the ensuing Hindu responses. It unearths a slew of eye-opening and forgotten details about the socio-political and economic life of the era whose impact is visible even today. Written in a fast-paced and engaging style, Book 2 of Invaders and Infidels is a riveting read of a critical juncture in the history of early Muslim rule of India.

Completing Vyasa’s Mahabharata

Embedded within the primary narrative of the Mahabharata lie numerous sub-tales known as upakhyaanas or upakathas. These lesser known stories play a vital role in completing the grand tapestry of the Mahabharata, thus giving this book its apt title. Unlike verse translations found in unabridged versions, the 67 upakathas presented here serve a different purpose. While they may appear as diversions, these narratives serve as vital threads, connecting the text and offering answers to lingering questions that readers may have. For instance, why did Ambaa, the princess of Kaashi, become the catalyst for Bheeshma’s demise in a later life? The Ambaa upakhyaana holds the answers. Similarly, the stories of Sage Parashuraama reveal why a brahmana like him possessed warrior-like qualities. Two upakhyaanas shed light on this enigma. Additionally, the Yayaati upakhyaana elucidates the reasons behind the Kurus descending from Puru, Yayaati’s youngest son, rather than the eldest. Moreover, the intriguing dialogue between Duryodhana and Shalya, where Duryodhana persuades Shalya to become Karna’s charioteer, is also explored in these Upakathas.

Hindus in Hindu Rashtra

To those who claim we are now living in a totalitarian, fascist, Hindu Rashtra, one must ask: What kind of a Hindu Rashtra is this where a billion-strong Hindus have been, through our parliament, through our courts, our education system, and our constitution, reduced to not just second-class but, rather, eighth-class citizens? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Durga pooja processions, and even Garba celebrations, are attacked and stoned with impunity? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where a sitting Prime minister says minorities have the first right to resources? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where Hindus are forced to be refugees in their own land, where one can settle 40,000 Rohingya Muslims but not 700,000 Kashmiri Hindus, the land’s original inhabitants; where the judiciary says it is too late to prosecute those who raped, murdered, and ethnically cleansed lacs of Hindus? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where Hindu temples are exclusively controlled by the State, where Hindus must beg for Waqf land to celebrate their festival while the government usurps hundreds of thousands of acres of temple land and is responsible for more than 100,000 temples losing lakhs of crores in rental income? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where the Right to Education Act discriminates only against Hindus and their schools, forcing tens of thousands of them to shut down? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where monsters like Aurangzeb and Tipu who perpetrated large-scale Hindu genocides are eulogised through State sponsored publications, naming of roads and cities, and organising of festivals? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where a law was about to be enacted through with only the Hindus would have been held guilty in a communal riot even if they were in a minority for example in Kashmir? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where court judgments like the Sabarimala and legislative enactments like the Hindu Code Bill purport to reform only Hindu religious practices but dare not touch practices of other religions, and if they do, the decisions are promptly reversed like in the Shah Bano case? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where The Places of Worship Act continues to deny the Hindus their legitimate right to correct historical injustices and reclaim thousands of demolished temples? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where the Waqf Act gives overarching powers to Muslims to declare a 1500-year-old Hindu temple to be on Islamic land when Islam is only 1300 years old? If this is how a Hindu is rewarded in a Hindu Rashtra, he’d much rather be in a Muslim Rashtra because then at least there’d be no pretence of equality – a Kafir will get what he deserves. In this searing commentary penned with clinical precision, the author shreds to smithereens once and for all the guilt-tripping, self-loathing fake narrative that Hindus have been duped with since Independence. There is no pretence, no political correctness, only unvarnished truth – that the Hindus are living under State-sanctioned Apartheid.

Snakes in the Ganga: Breaking India 2.0

Snakes in the Ganga unveils uncomfortable truths concerning India’s vulnerabilities:

Intense warfare against India’s integrity is the work of a well-orchestrated global machinery driven by a new ideology. Marxism has been reincarnated as Critical Race Theory in US academia and serves as the framework to address America’s racism. This has been recklessly mapped on to India:Caste is equated with Race. Marginalized communities of India are considered as Blacks and Brahmins as the Whites of India. Groups claiming grievances (like Muslims and LGBTQ+) are artificially clubbed together. Popularly called the Woke movement, the mission is to dismantle Indian civilization and heritage by waging an uncompromising war against India’s government, educational institutions, culture, industry, and society. Harvard University is Ground Zero of these social theories developed in collaboration with Indian scholars, activists, journalists and artists. This represents a clear and present danger to India’s sovereignty and national security. Several Indian elites are hoisting Harvard as the vishwa guru with their money and family names. Some private universities within India are importing Wokeism that has serious repercussions for India’s stability. Indian corporates are bringing the latest Western rubric of Environmental, Social, and Governance ratings into their workplace. This is aligned with the global Social Justice movement. China has exploited this latest infrastructure as a passage to India. Wokeism has penetrated some of the Indian government’s policies. For instance, the National Education Policy 2020 is propagating Harvard’s liberal arts. An entire ecosystem of ideologies, institutions and young leaders is emerging for the recolonization of India. Is India for sale?

Hindutva

Hindutva: Origin, Evolution and Future studies Hindutva in both critical and holistic terms—an approach that is oft found missing in most studies on Hindutva, where a lot of critical knowledge has been left out either intentionally or out of ignorance. This omission has led to characterize Hindutva as a dangerous exclusivist majoritarian supremacist ideology. Hindutva is often studied like other extreme right-wing ideologies. However, the thesis presented in this book is built on the strong foundation that Hindutva is not an ideology but a historical-civilizational process. As such, it does not fit the expectations of any ideological framework.

The Battle for IITs: A Defense of Meritocracy

The IITs are under attack.

This has serious legal implications and severe consequences for the IITs across India, its students, and faculty. More broadly, it impacts India’s engineering education. Such concerted attacks will follow the IIT engineer and other tech professionals to their workplace anywhere in the world. Harvard University’s Woke machinery is behind this attack and we need to understand the sophistication that backs it.

This book’s evidence-based rebuttal gives IITians and other engineers the toolkit to tackle false accusations of being casteist bigots.

Varna, Jati, Caste: A Primer on Indian Social Structures

A Primer on Indian Social Structures Caste is being used as a major weapon to shame Hindus. This crisp and easy primer presents a powerful counter to Western Universalism’s harsh attacks on caste. It is a long over-due toolkit to help all open-minded people gain an understanding of the subtleties of Hinduism’s complex social order. This social structure has, after all, produced a civilization with unparalleled diversity. The Vedic world view along with the historical journey of Varna and Jati demolishes the prevailing myths about caste.

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