Recently, Shashi Tharoor released a new book, ‘The Battle of Belonging’ last month. In the book, he talks about how the triumph of the Hindutva movement will mark the end of the Indian era. The pursuit for identity comes back to haunt us at some point of time or the other. Occupational mobility, industrialization, urbanization, along with globalization, created multitudes that revelled in the anonymity of a life where only work credentials was all that mattered.
In the book, Shashi Tharoor, diplomat, scholar and now a politician, gives an exposition of his views. Shashi Tharoor says, The BJP government, seeks to promote ethnic nationalism and entrench its conception of majoritarian nationalism. Tharoor’s observations have been made in the time of CAA and NRC, but it is not just about the religious denomination. It is also a sign of a society in retreat where homogeneity is sought, its inherent contradictions notwithstanding.
As per Tharoor, the battle today is between two opposing ideas of India, viz ethno-religious nationalism versus civic nationalism. The Constitution is under siege, institutions are being undermined and the concepts of pluralism, secularism and inclusive nationhood are under threat, he says, while attempting to establish what it means to be a nationalistic Indian in the 21st century.
In the book, there are many instances of the conflicts that assail our thoughts. Born in Britain, the author was eligible for a British passport but preferred to retain his Indian passport, paying huge visa fee instead to enter that country. The dichotomy of getting integrated in a society that is not naturally one’s own is illustrated with interesting examples like the liberal Pakistani diplomat Ansar Bhai, who identified himself more with the pre-Partition India but shot his wife and died himself while living in Switzerland, unable to come to terms with the conflicts of his nationality and origin.
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