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A book that details India’s struggle to succeed By Jayant Patel India Battles to Win, Tarun Vijay, Rupa & Co., Pp 386, Rs 495.00 The theme of this book, written by Tarun Vijay, former editor of Hindi weekly Panchjanya and who was brought up in Sangh ideology, can be summed up in Sri Aurobindo’s words, “India of the ages is not dead nor has she spoken the last creative word; she lives and has still something to do for herself and the Indian people. And that which must seek now to awake is not an Anglicised oriental people, docile pupils of the West and doomed to repeat the cycle of the occident’s success and failure, but sill the ancient immemorable shakti recovering her deepest self, lifting her head higher towards the supreme source of light and strength and turning to discover the complete meaning and a vaster form of her dharma.” Tarun Vijay feels that India never had such a weak ideological and political leadership as now. During the Mughal rule, or the rule of the Portuguese or the British, “we had the best of leaders who led the society through literature, culture, religious reform, helping organise resistance to the invaders and had no confusion regarding the friends and foes. Their biggest forte was credibility” while today the biggest casualty is the credibility gap and the growing influence of the “moneyed, alienated elite with a colonised mindset that compels us to convert our language and purpose into a secular framework before any inclusion in their invite list.” He says that India is facing its worst-ever ideological war since the days of Shivaji and Guru Gobind Singh. “The attackers are not coming here to colonise but they are here to attack what they still perceive as Hindu India that has to be broken to expand their school of thoughts and faith.” This is happening because of “what we are,” he clarifies. How to win the battle or how should India battle to win? The author suggests a “united tri-coloured face for India”, with every colour assisting our Indian-ness. He adds that we have always been attacked for being just what we are. Hence this fight cannot be replied without going into the real causes of the war and preparing an intellectual resistance that strengthens the people’s mind before that empowers their sinews. That has to be an inclusive bond defining a cultural and civilisational stream. We have to “stress on the elements that unite rather than those which divide,” says he. The war requires forging of a united Indian resistance based on love for the country and the elements that express her glory. For this, he emphasises the need for a strong patriotic fervour taking precedence over any conflict over different faiths and religious fervour. He is unsparing in his criticism of the media and secularists “of the red variety” who have turned “saffron” into a term of abuse and so decided its use as though belonging to saffron is “a sin.” He adds, “I have always maintained that the hate factor in Indian politics is a contribution of the Left and alien thought processes.” He clarifies that hate and animosity on the basis of beliefs is alien to Hindus and has been introduced by those “who are inherently intolerable to the different viewpoints.” Hence there is no reason for hate between various political parties so long as they are determined to work for the good of India. The polity must play on the foundation of a pan-Indian vision. “It’s the dharma of all Indian political organisations to see that India prospers and doesn’t fall prey to divisive and mutually hateful policies to nurse vote banks,” he concludes. (Rupa & Co., 7/16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi-110 002)

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