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Thousands of temples destroyed, co-religionists converted to another religion by the blade of a sword and asked to pay a tax to practice their own religion in their own land. The story of a persecuted minority? No. The tragic history of the self-effacing majority of India- the Hindus. Read about the rise of Hindu Nationalism (NOT FUNDAMENTALISM) in this new book, Lies, lies and More Lies. The Campaign to defame Hindu/Indian Nationalism. Title: Lies, Lies and More Lies ISBN: 978-0-595-43549-4 ISBN (10): 0595435491 LCCN: 2007904121 Publisher: iUniverse Publication date: June 26, 2007. Author: Vivek Reviews Vivek's iUniverse-published non-fiction book, Lies, Lies, and More Lies, is a defence of Hindu nationalism. Whatever else may be said about the book, it is pretty clear that it is well written. ----Michael Allen, Grumpy Old Bookman (listed by Guardian in 2005 as one of top ten literary blogs) In Lies, Lies and More Lies - The Campaign to Defame Hindu/Indian Nationalism, the author, Vivek, has made a case for challenging all the major controversies that seem to surround the concept of Hindutva. ---Ganadeva Bandyopadhyay, desicritics.org I have read your book during the summer. I have also received other comments on my review of Martha Nussbaum's book, sometimes heinous, always much less balanced than your insightful essay on Hindutva and its critics. After giving it serious consideration, I have decided to delete my review on The Clash Within from the Amazon website. I will leave it to other readers to post their comments and provide their own perspective on the issues addressed in Nussbaum's book. As for me, I claim no expertise on the topic. I am just a plain reader who has a great admiration for India as a nation and who deeply respects its tradition of pluralism. Most of my readings on India have been works of fiction, which I don't review. As for political materials, thanks to your essay I know understand better the contested nature of the topic as well as the vigour of some readers' reaction to Martha Nussbaum's book. Thanks to this exchange, I have learned something about India, but more importantly I have seized the depth of my ignorance. I thank you again for having kindly sent me the e-version of your collection of essays, which indeed provided me with a different and valuable perspective. With grateful regards, Etienne Etienne Rolland Piegue, Amazon Reviewer Synopsis The last decade has seen the publication of a plethora of books like Christophe Jaffrelot’s, The Hindu Nationalist Movement in India, Thomas Hansen’s The Saffron Wave and more recently Martha Nussbaum’s The Clash Within that have been highly critical of the Hindu Nationalist Movement in India. This genre of books has been a one-sided, prejudged narration that has failed look at the movement from the Hindu perspective or even accord Hindu Nationalism a fair and scholarly treatment. At times these books have highlighted dubious incidents to put forth their point of view or held up radical fringe elements as representative of Hindu Nationalism. Lies, Lies and More Lies presents the other side of the story in a balanced manner with tangible proof backed by sound references that puts to paid many of the false innuendoes against Hindu Nationalism that have been bandied around for years; in fact it is inadvertently a point by point counter to many charges found in Nussbaum’s The Clash Within. Over a span of 22 readable, concise chapters divided into three sections (Genesis, Kashmir and Contemporary India) and spread out over 163 pages with detailed references (at the end of the book), Lies, Lies and More Lies makes a convincing argument in favor of Hindu Nationalism, characterizes the true nature of the movement and debunks the charge that it is a hate rant or a negative ideology. According to the author: It (Hindu Nationalism) is the agonizing cry for justice and dignity of a people long suppressed and tortured; a cry that embodies the agony of the past and a new-found confidence of the present which together hopes to ensure a secure future. The Genesis section contains an introduction that succinctly traces the origin of Hindutva: not a long winded treatise but a logical explanation put in plain words. For example, the author’s definition of Hindutva is simple: a feeling ‘which seeks dignity and justice through civilized assertiveness”. Other chapters include a critique of Naipaul’s idea of the Hindu land as a “Wounded Civilisation”, the concept of India as a nation and a review of the theories of temple destruction that occurred during the Muslim invasion. Extremely revealing is the chapter on the changing demography of South Asia: with statistics and impressive graphs this chapter spells out the dire strait of the Hindu community in Pakistan and Bangladesh and projects the changing demography of India in an all telling graph. The author makes a chilling prediction: I predict that (unless there are drastic changes) the present democratic secular republic of India in its present format has a maximum lifespan of another 50 to 100 years. The boundaries of India will shrink further with the appearance of a greater Bangladesh in the east and the secession of Kashmir in the north. While Pakistan and Bangladesh represent the consequences of an age gone by, Kashmir is a standing preview of the events to follow in the remaining rump of the Indian sub-continent. Titled Kashmir, this section has 4 well written chapters focusing predominantly on the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits. There is an interesting article on how the CM of J&K is chosen: tongue in cheek, the title of one chapter asks: A Hindu CM for J&K: Any takers and goes on to show how the dice is loaded against the Hindu. The last section, Contemporary India addresses the Godhra issue, the state of temples in secular India, discourses on the lack of intellectual leadership in the country and finally proposes ‘three new pillars’ of a New Secularism: Religious Détente, Demographic Status Quo and Equality. The author ends with a note of caution: Without proper guidance, there is a real danger of Hindutva degenerating into a rampage of revenge. Hindutva is not to be equated with communal riots that kill innocent humans. Hindutva cannot be an ideology that relegates another individual to second-class status. It should be a force that makes all Indians conform to the pluralistic, secular tradition of our land that respects one and all. In other words, Hindutva should always evoke the image of Sri Ram: strong and powerful, yet humane and compassionate. This is a “must read” for all Indians and non-Indians as well especially (businessman, academics and others alike) who wish to understand the Hindu/Indian psyche better. The book is not a dreary treatise on Hindu nationalism but a collection of short essays that most readers will find interesting and readable. The main purpose is to convey a message succinctly. Links http://www.amazon.com/Lies-More-Campaign-Defame-Nationalism/dp/0595435491/ http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780595435494&itm=4 (Book Available on amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com) Distributed by: Ingrams, Baker and Taylor and Alibris submitted by - Vivek