SUBJECT: 4.5/5
RELEVANCE: 5/5
WRITING: 4.5/5
RESEARCH: 4.5/5
“State control of Hindu temples and their property is by far the largest, financially most damaging scam of independent India.”
Anand Ranganathan, Hindus in Hindu Rashtra
Anand Ranganathan is no unknown figure. An author, and a scientist, he is known for being vocal about the various issues that plague Hindus of India. His arguments are always well researched and his communication is powerful and thorough. No wonder, his social media presence has been multiplying because of his unfiltered voice against the issues that plague Hindus.
‘Hindus in Hindu Rashtra’ is his first non-fiction book. It is a book that explains in no unclear terms how Hindus have been the victims of “state-sanctioned apartheid” and have constantly been treated as “eighth-class citizens”.
There are many whom you would find claiming that India is moving towards a Hindu Rashtra or that it has already become one. This book is like a tight slap to those who are living under such delusions. Through eight explosive and well-researched chapters, Ranganathan tells how the exact opposite is true.
How Hindus have been systematically – through state-controlled agencies, institutions, discriminatory laws, and unfairly biased long-term policies – have been victims of this apartheid.
‘Hindus in Hindu Rashtra’ is a brilliant book, no doubt. Well researched, well-documented, and well-articulated, but I wouldn’t get much into the review part. I won’t be waxing eloquent about how well it’s written. What I will do instead is talk to you about its relevance and importance and the alarming issues that it raises.
Why is it important to read the book?
In any democracy for a change to happen, political will is important. This political will is shaped by public will which in turn is a result of public opinion, all of which depends upon awareness and education. So, if we as Hindus aren’t even aware of how we are being victimized and penalized by the system itself – how will it ever translate into change, how will it ever translate into laws?
Who should read?
‘Hindus in Hindu Rashtra’ should be read by every Hindu for it concerns issues that impact every Hindu. A short read of just 130 pages, it uses easy language that appears conversational in many places, and academic in some, but the content for the most part is easily graspable. For the most part, Ranganathan writes exactly like he talks – with clarity and passion.
The content and the issues
The book talks about many issues such as the state control of Hindu temples, and this shows how the whole act of controlling our sacred temples and their lands is against the fabric of secularism. Our temple coffers and temple lands are being pillaged and appropriated by the government right under our noses, while most of us are caught unawares.
From the appointment of the pujaris to the size of the prasad laddu to what pujas should be done and how much should be allocated for various rituals, what right does the state have to interfere in our religious places in such an unabashed and blatant manner?
They are looting our money, just like the British drained our wealth and resources, filling their coffers, and sucking dry the entire temple ecosystem. Just to give you a small example, Today, 11,999 temples under the control of the Tamil Nadu government do not have the funds to perform even a single puja.
The Draconian Waqf Act is another issue that the book raises awareness about, another legal framework that works against us, defying all logic and sense of a secular state. While reading about this, one questions how come 77% of Delhi is on Waqf land. What moral right do the judges of the high court have when they opine that “Waqf land is Allah’s and Allah’s alone and the government cannot be the owner of this land”?
We need to ask ourselves how come Waqf is the 3rd largest land owner in independent India. How come under the current provisions of law, Waqf can arbitrarily lay claim to any land and own it with no legal recourse to the real owner? This carries on because Waqf has been given the power to declare any owner the encroacher of that land.
These are just two of the issues that the book talks about. Other issues include the plight of Kashmiri Hindus, the RTE Act (yes, the Right to Education Act), etc. Are you wondering why this act is anti-Hindu, go read the book, and you will know just how. You will know how Hindus really are the 8th-class citizens in their own country.
Further, ‘Hindus in Hindu Rashtra’ further talks about other legislations that appease non-Hindus and target Hindus, it speaks of a judiciary that almost always exclusively tries to reform Hindus and Hinduism alone. It speaks of the state-sanctioned celebration of those who converted and killed millions of Hindus, and finally delves into another biased act – The Places of Worship Act, 1991.
In the end
Reading this book should not be a choice but a compulsion, a duty. Therefore, if you are a Hindu, I urge you to read it, talk about it, talk about the issues it raises in your social circles, make your friends and family read it, or better gift it to them. And if you say that it doesn’t bother or concern you, either you aren’t a Hindu or you are living in delusion.
Trust me, this one book is enough to open your eyes to the sad reality of Hindus in Bharat. Read it, buy it, gift it, talk about it in your family and social circles, and encourage others to read it. The responsibility, as Hindus, is ours, and ours alone.
Can’t wait to read it? You can buy your copy of ‘Hindus in Hindu Rashtra’ using the link below.
