Book Review:: ‘Hindutva for the Changing Times’ by J Nandakumar.

‘Hindutva: For the Changing Times’: What does J Nandakumar’s best seller book say about Sanatan?

This book has been published in Hindi with the name ‘Badalte Daur Mein Hindutva’ and its publisher is Indus Scrolls Press, New Delhi. This book covers a total of 219 pages. 

Dr Pawan Sharma

There has never been a tradition of thinking beyond the self in India. The journey from self to self has always animated the society here. Since 1757, Indian thinkers have created many types of literature in the context of selfhood, nation and its thinking. This contemplation done in the context of India’s Sanatan tradition declares the self. Many texts were written to understand the identity of India, among which Savarkar’s Hindutva, Dr. Annie Besant’s Hindu Dharma – Introductory book of Sanatan Dharma, C. Rajagopalachari’s Hinduism – Doctrine and Way of Life, Dr. Radhakrishnan’s Hindu Way of Life, Hinduism of K.M. Vidyanivas Mishra’s Hindu Dharma Sanatan Ki Khoj etc. are some such books which are about Hindu religion. (This list must include Chandranath Bose’s ‘Hindutva: Hindur Prakrita Itihas’ written in 1892. Ed. Hindu Existence).

They try to shed light, but in the contemporary perspective, answers to some questions cannot be found after reading them. National thinker J Nand Kumar’s book ‘Hindutva: For the Changing Times’ can be placed in this category.

This book has been published in Hindi with the name ‘Hindutva: For the Changing Times‘ and its publisher is Indus Scrolls Press, New Delhi. This book covers a total of 219 pages. The biggest feature of this book is that it is presented in a different form from the previously mentioned books. For example, Sanatan Dharma, which we express as ever new and ancient, has been presented in a simple and easy way through this book. In the present context, whatever challenges are facing the Hindu society have also been highlighted in this book. Apart from this – generosity of Hindu religion, contemplative tradition of Hindu religion, love of Hindu society towards nature, journey from aham (self) to vayam (collective), eternal tradition of Hindu nation, concept of Dharmarajya, vision of Hindu economy, decolonization of Indian mind, in the form of data. The mirage of neo-colonialism, the reality of the pseudo-narrative of Kerala, Savarkar Gandhiji and leftist propaganda, the proud history of Travancore displaying national identity, the realistic description of Bengal, etc. have been included in its first, second and third volumes. Through these the eternity of India can be easily understood.

In the fourth, fifth and sixth sections, India’s logical ability has been presented through the tradition of question-counter-questioning and emphasis has been laid on making it as per the country and time-conditions. In the book, the national concerns of the visionary Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar have been highlighted by realistically presenting his practical thinking; At the same time, topics of cultural and national importance like Ayodhya, Sabarimala have been presented by linking them with India’s identity and pride of self hood. In the seventh section, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the leftist attack on the Sangh, the importance of knowledge in the Indian knowledge tradition and the perspective of freedom of expression have been presented in great detail. Many reviewers have already introduced the readers to such features of this book.

To present its review here, this book has sold 2.5 lakh copies in the last five years. Since 2019, 1 lakh copies of this book have been sold in English and 1.5 lakh copies in Hindi. The publisher of this book has claimed this through his account on social media platform X. The scope of the book from local to global level and the replacement of Hindu values presented in it makes it all-embracing and popular. The sale of any book in the number of 2.5 lakhs is a huge record. In the book world, a book is placed in the best seller category only after selling ten to twenty thousand copies, whereas the sale of this book in the number of 2.5 lakh is an automatic proof of the acceptability of the subjects mentioned in it and its popularity. When the identity of a society is presented in a book, it is definitely accepted at the national level. J Nand Kumar’s book ‘Hindutva: For the Changing Times’ is not only acclaimed at the national level but it also gives rise to diverse contemporary discussions. This book has tried to present in the contemporary perspective all those burning and eternal issues which are the contemporary need of the rational society of India.

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(The author is Professor of Political Science at Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, these are his personal views)

This book review in Hindi was first published in Hindustan on May 13, 2024.