A COMPREHENSIVE PROFILING OF ALL THE MAJOR LEADERS OF THE INDIAN RIGHT-WING, NOW THE SINGLE BIGGEST FACTOR IN INDIAN POLITICS. A fog of mystery surrounds the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh—or RSS—the largest cadre-based organisation in the world. Veteran journalist and author of the bestseller Narendra Modi: The Man, the Times, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay lays bare its fascinating, unique and perhaps startling world. He also chronicles the personal and political journeys of the most important men (and a woman) of the Hindu right wing, digging up little-known but revealing facts about them. From Hegdewar, the founder of the RSS and its first sarsanghchalak, Savarkar, Golwalkar, Balasaheb Deoras, Syama Prasad Mukherjee and Deendayal Upadhyaya to Vijaya Raje Scindia, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani, Ashok Singhal and Bal Thackeray, all the major leaders of the political right wing are reckoned with in this book. Through individual stories of the organisation’s tallest leaders, a bigger picture emerges: in spite of a three-time ban on the RSS in a multicultural and secular India—and despite the RSS’s insistence that it has no truck with electoral politics—the group is, and will continue to be, the hand that rocks the BJP’s cradle.

About the Book THE FIRST AUTHORITATIVE BIOGRAPHY OF INDIA’S CURRENT PRIME MINISTER On 26 December 2012, Narendra Modi was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for the fourth time, to extend his record tenure in office. Even then, his name prompted extremes of hate-filled anger or outright adulation. Since then, despite polarising Gujarat and India in more ways than one, he continues to do what it takes to survive in a democracy: win elections. Written by veteran journalist and writer, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, after several in-depth interviews, meticulous research and extensive travel through Gujarat, this book reveals hitherto unknown aspects of Narendra Modi's psyche: as a six year-old boy selling tea to help out his father and distributing badges and raising slogans at the behest of a local political leader, abandoning his family and wife in search of his definition of truth, being initiated into the RSS as a fledgling who ran errands for his seniors and finally, his meteoric rise after 2002. Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times is the definitive biography of a man who may have challenged the basic principles of a sovereign, secular nation, but emerged as an undisputed and larger-than-life leader.

India has taken so sharp a turn in recent years that the very centre has shifted considerably. What led to this swing? Is it possible to trace the path to this point? Is there a way back to the just, secular, inclusive vision of our Constitution-makers? This country has long been an outlier in its South Asian neighbourhood, with its inclusive Constitution and functioning democracy. The growth of Hindutva, in some sense, brings India in line with the other polities here. In Our Hindu Rashtra, writer and activist Aakar Patel peels back layer after layer of cause and effect through independent India's history to understand how Hindutva came to gain such a hold on the country. He examines what it means for India that its laws and judiciary have been permeated by prejudice and bigotry, what the breach of fundamental rights portends in these circumstances, and what the all-round institutional collapse signifies for the future of Indians. Most importantly, Patel asks and answers that most important of questions: What possibilities exist for a return? Thought-provoking and pulling no punches, this book is an essential read for anyone who wishes to understand the nature of politics in India and, indeed, South Asia.

The RSS is the most influential cultural organization in India today, with affiliates in fields as varied as politics, education and trade. This book fundamentally addresses three key questions: Why has the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliates expanded so rapidly over the past twenty-five years? How have they evolved in response to India's new socio-economic milieu? How does their rapid growth impact the country's politics and policy? With unprecedented access, Walter K. Andersen and Shridhar D. Damle lift the curtains to help us understand the inner workings of the Sangh. Backed by deep research and case studies, this book explores the evolution of the Sangh into its present form, its relationship with the ruling party, the BJP, their overseas affiliates and so much more.

The decade from the 2008 global financial crisis to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic has seen a real transformation of the world order. The very nature of international relations and its rules are changing before our eyes. For India, this means optimal relationships with all the major powers to best advance its goals. It also requires a bolder and non-reciprocal approach to its neighbourhood. A global footprint is now in the making that leverages India's greater capability and relevance, as well as its unique diaspora. This era of global upheaval entails greater expectations from India, putting it on the path to becoming a leading power. In The India Way, S. Jaishankar, India's Minister of External Affairs, analyses these challenges and spells out possible policy responses. He places this thinking in the context of history and tradition, appropriate for a civilizational power that seeks to reclaim its place on the world stage.

Books is on Hindu Nationalism and its icons.