In the midst of Hindu groupie’s relentless propaganda on India being a house of non-violence and the world’s largest democracy, this book couldn’t have been more timely. The book in divided into eleven chapters; seven chapters composed by the leading author, Arthur Bommer and other four chapters, one each, written by the other four authors.

Kancha Ilaiah’s chapter, India’s Caste/Class Culture: An Andhra Pradesh Perspective, is enlightening by all accounts. What is and what had been going on in the home state of India’s present prime minister is nothing short of crime against the humanity. The statement such as: “The state liquidated many such boys at a young age in fake “encounters.” Others simply disappeared and only later were discovered to be dead Some professionals who offered their services to defend the civil rights of the fighting masses were also killed by the state….” is awfully similar to what goes on in other states, especially in Punjab. Suranjit Kumar Saha’s chapter, The Brahminic Social Order and Tribal Society, is written very well. It seems Mr. Saha is well versed with the main Hindu scriptures in a historical sense and how their myriad instructions have led to an entrenched Hindu version of apartheid called the Brahminic Social Order. Asghar Ali Engineer in his chapter, A Perspective on Hindu Muslim Conflict, has shown much degree of improvement compared to the earlier chapter he wrote in ANATOMY OF A CONFRONTATION: The BabriMaSjidRamJanmaBhumi Issue, Edited By: Survepalli Gopal; Viking/Penguin, New Delhi: 1991. The author details the killing riots against the Muslim population in various parts of the country in recent years. Gorard Heuze in his chapter, Shiv Sena and “National” Hinduism, c has detailed the proliferation of Shiv Sena (one of the private Hindu armies) in the area of Madhya Pradesh called Chhattisgarh. Ironically, Chhattisgarh happens to be the same place where Lawrence A. Babb explored and gathered the material for his book, The Divine Hierarchy: Popular Hinduism in Central India. Columbi University Press, New York: 1975. There was nothing of Shiv Sena. least then in accordance with the book. I guess, some things do change (forthe worst!) in the Hindu world. Thanks to Mr. Heuze for bringing us to date new developments in Chhattisgarh. The operation of Shiv Sena accounts not only political but also how it has penetrated other facets of the city life. What caught my attention is the power of Shiv Sena to influence (guess who?)-some of our young Sikhs: “The Sena has a permanent propaganda campaign directed toward young Sikhs, particularly the munis (Sikhs who trim their beard and hair). Munis are often young, from a well-off or quite wealthy families, who wish to escape the strict religious rules of their community. They are not drawn to Hinduism as a doctrine.

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 13, 1995