An exploration of Hinduism and its honest interpretation

It's been a while since I had been meaning to get my hands on a book by Shashi Tharoor, and when my sister asked me what she could get me from Kolkata, I immediately said I'd love to read a book by the renowned Indian author, politician, columnist, and critic. And she couldn't have made a better choice than Why I Am A Hindu as my first-ever Tharoor read. 

The honest, unbiased, crisp, logical, research-backed, and well-written non-fiction is a must-read for anyone interested in learning about Hinduism, Hindutva, the differences between Indian nationalism and Hindu nationalism, and the great scholars and sages who shaped and interpreted the religion in the best light but how groups with vested interests turned these around to use as weapons of social rift and rivalry. I could relate this to Islam easily since we have been seeing a rise in extremism, giving a bad name to the religion of peace, and creating a monster called Islamophobia. And beneath it all lies the games that politicians play in their ever-ballooning greed for power and money.

Neatly divided into three sections with self-explanatory chapter titles, Why I Am A Hindu flows smoothly—from the author's glimpse into his own family practising the faith to the various interpretations of the religion by renowned scholars and sages, to calling out the caste system and other practices, to the politicised version of Hinduism, and how to propagate and practise it the way that it's supposed to be. It is a book that people from any religion (or none at all) would enjoy reading as it is universally relatable. It teaches us that all religions are about love and tolerance, and that we extend our hands or bow down in supplication to an unseen and greater power. More importantly, it shows us how politics wears religious garb and uses religious sentiments to pit one section of society against another. When we look at what's happening in India today and in many parts of the world, this book helps put things in perspective by analysing the basis of Hinduism as propagated by Adi Shankara, Vivekananda, and Gandhi, versus the Hindutva practices that claim to bring India back to the path of true Hinduism which, however, are divisive and not doing much to project a positive image of the country.

The author's frustration with the current political climate and discrimination against minorities, especially Muslims, is an undertone throughout the book.

Packed with historical facts and events that throw light on why Hindu widows practised sati, why child marriage was prevalent in the past, why the Hindu temples restricted entry of non-Hindus, and how Buddhism and Jainism have been derived from the mother religion, the book is a compact but comprehensive read that explains, praises, questions, and calls out customs and rituals of the religion. Replete with examples of how festivals are celebrated differently in different parts of India and how Muslims actively take part in them, Tharoor drives home that the diversity of Hinduism is what makes it a capacious and tolerant religion, and India a multicultural and multidimensional country.

Understandably, the author's frustration with the current political climate and discrimination against minorities, especially Muslims, is an undertone throughout the book. Tharoor gives a detailed account of the premises on which the Bharatiya Jana Sangh was founded, the precursor to the BJP, and how Nazi practices influenced at least one of the founders. He has given his all to reinforce that Hinduism has more to do with the Indian civilisation and culture rather than belonging to a particular region in India or practising a certain religion. He portrays the faith with all its lights and shadows and lauds the openness, logic, absence of dogma, and inclusivity of Hinduism.

The final part of Why I Am A Hindu is powerful and compelling, showing the author's pride in being a Hindu who believes in and practises his religion with a liberal and tolerant mindset. He sets down all the points that make him proud to be a Hindu and goes on to condemn the acts of the powers that be in the name of religion. Through this book, the author has successfully conveyed the message that Hinduism is a flexible religion that gives room to its followers to question and cogitate without blindly following a set of rules. For me, the book has been a historical, cultural, philosophical, political, and social take on the oldest religion in the world. Furthermore, it has forced me to ask myself some uncomfortable questions about our daily little acts that are seemingly "little" but may not be so to the one at the receiving end. With so much chaos going on around us, Why I Am A Hindu opens our eyes to the fact that we need more compassion and tolerance and that it begins with an inward look into ourselves.

Zertab Quaderi is an SEO English content writer and social media and marketing consultant by day and a reader of both fiction and non-fiction books by night. In between, she travels and dabbles in watercolour painting.