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  • THE BATTLE OF BELONGING (HB)
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THE BATTLE OF BELONGING (HB)

by Shashi Tharoor (Author) Format: Hardcover
4.6 out of 5 stars (699)

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There are over a billion Indians alive today. But are some Indians more Indian than others? To answer this question, one that is central to the identity of every man, woman, and child who belongs to the modern Republic of India, eminent thinker and bestselling writer Shashi Tharoor explores hotly contested ideas of nationalism, patriotism, citizenship, and belonging. In the course of his study, he explains what nationalism is, and can be, reveals who is anti-national, what patriotism actually means, and explores the nature and future of Indian nationhood. He gives us a clear-sighted view of the forces working to undermine the ‘idea of India’ (a phrase coined by Rabindranath Tagore) that has evolved through history and which, in its modern form, was enshrined in India’s Constitution by its founding fathers. Divided into six sections, the book starts off by exploring historical and contemporary ideas of nationalism, patriotism, liberalism, democracy, and humanism, many of which emerged in the West in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and quickly spread throughout the world. The author then summarizes India’s liberal constitutionalism, exploring the enlightened values that towering leaders and thinkers like Gandhi, Nehru, Tagore, Ambedkar, Patel, Azad, and others invested the nation with. These are contrasted with the narrow-minded, divisive, sectarian, ‘us vs them’ alternatives formulated by Hindutva ideologues, and propagated by their followers who are now in office. Today, the battle is between these two opposing ideas of India, or what might be described as ethno-religious nationalism vs civic nationalism. The struggle for India’s soul has heightened, deepened, and broadened, and threatens to hollow out and destroy the remarkable concepts of pluralism, secularism, and inclusive nationhood that were bestowed upon the nation at Independence. The Constitution is under siege, institutions are being undermined, mythical pasts propagated, universities assailed, minorities demonized, and worse. Every passing month sees new attacks on the ideals that India has long been admired for, as authoritarian leaders and their bigoted supporters push the country towards a state of illiberalism and intolerance. If they succeed, millions will be stripped of their identity, and bogus theories of Indianness will take root in the soil of the subcontinent. However, all is not yet lost, and this erudite and lucid book shows us what will need to be done to win the battle of belonging and strengthen everything that is unique and valuable about India. Firmly anchored in incontestable scholarship, yet passionately and fiercely argued, The Battle of Belonging is a book that unambiguously establishes what true Indianness is and what it means to be a patriotic and nationalistic Indian in the twenty-first century.
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  1. Print length
    462 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Aleph Book Company
  4. Publication date
    31 October 2020
  5. Dimensions
    22.86 x 15.24 x 1.27 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    8194735386
  7. ISBN-13
    978-8194735380
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nationalism, patriotism, and citizenship
nationalism, patriotism, and citizenship

nationalism, patriotism, and citizenship

nationalism, patriotism, and citizenship

nationalism, patriotism, and citizenship

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Review

‘This is a refreshing, vigorous, and humane contribution to thinking about India’s identity, and building a nation that can at once do justice to India’s deep history, its constitutional promise, and its extraordinary diversity’ —Pratap Bhanu Mehta

‘Shashi Tharoor’s The Battle of Belonging is a passionate defence of civic nationalism. [It] is many books rolled into one...full of erudition interspersed with personal anecdotes. You find the raconteur and the public intellectual…vying with each other to catch the reader’s attention. But in the final analysis the book hangs together and the message is clear.’ -The Hindu

‘The Battle of Belonging retraces the evolution of the Indian nationalism and analyses the present-day churn on the topic. The book, well researched and scholarly, provides a historical background of the genesis of the idea of nationalism in a western construct, before going on to focus on the essential questions related to Indian nationalism.’ –The Week

‘Anyone who has…read through the 400-plus pages of Shashi Tharoor’s The Battle Of Belonging will come away staggered by the extraordinary scholarship…well integrated into the argument’- Open

‘The range of scholarship that Tharoor offers and his delineations of key ideas are superbly impressive’- Financial Express

‘Shashi Tharoor’s views on India today and the idea of nationalism.’- The Tribune

‘Shashi Tharoor’s new book provides an analytical overview of patriotism to readers grappling with swiftly changing definitions of nationalism.’-Hindu Business Line

‘He brings in a touch of logic and gets it backed by an array of authorities and authors he quotes from.’- New Indian Express

‘... (The Battle of Belonging) remains a must-read for the sheer brilliance of Tharoor as a writer and also because of the personal stories and anecdotes he has up his sleeve.’- Daily Guardian

About the Author

SHASHI THAROOR is the bestselling author of over twenty books, both fiction and non-fiction, besides being a noted critic and columnist. His books include the path-breaking satire The Great Indian Novel, the classic India: From Midnight to the Millennium, the bestselling An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India, for which he won the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Books (Non-Fiction), 2016, and, most recently, The New World Disorder and the Indian Imperative (co-authored with Samir Saran), The Paradoxical Prime Minister: Narendra Modi and His India, and The Hindu Way: An Introduction to Hinduism. He was a former Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and a former Minister of State for Human Resource Development and Minister of State for External Affairs in the Government of India. In his third term, he is the longest-serving member of the Lok Sabha from Thiruvananthapuram and chairs Parliament’s Standing Committee on Information Technology. He has won numerous literary awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award, a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and the Crossword Lifetime Achievement Award. He was honoured as New Age Politician of the Year by NDTV in 2010, and in 2004 with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, India’s highest honour for overseas Indians.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Aleph Book Company
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 31 October 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 462 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 8194735386
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8194735380
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 643 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 22.86 x 15.24 x 1.27 cm
  • Importer ‏ : ‎ Rupa Pub, 7/16 Ansari Road-110002
  • Packer ‏ : ‎ Rupa Pub, 7/16 Ansari Road-110002
  • Generic Name ‏ : ‎ Book
  • Best Sellers Rank: #12,126 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars (699)

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
699 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book impressive and highly readable, praising its thorough research and analytical approach to patriotism and nationalism. The writing style receives positive feedback, with one customer noting its neutral tone.
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17 customers mention content, 17 positive, 0 negative
Customers find the content of the book impressive and insightful, with one customer noting it provides further works citation.
...of autonomy and also Bharat vs India..Really thought provoking and insightful..A good purchase for all Indian nationalists ... Pseudo nationalists...Read more
One of the best book that I have read so far.Read more
Must read , Awesome Book know actual senario of current situation.Read more
Good book and lucid language and every should readRead more
15 customers mention readability, 15 positive, 0 negative
Customers find the book highly readable and consider it a must-read, with one customer noting it is a magnum opus by Shashi Tharoor.
Must read , Awesome Book know actual senario of current situation.Read more
Great Read to understand political advancements of contemporary India. 4.5/5Read more
Worth a read...Read more
I really like book it's worth to read, here sashi Tharoor has rightly articulated what it means to be an indianRead more
11 customers mention research, 11 positive, 0 negative
Customers appreciate the thorough research in the book, with one customer noting how it provides a comprehensive understanding of nationalism, while another mentions how it deals with current empirical reality.
...1 week, usually reading does not take me too long, this thoroughly researched book, what Tharoor called his "magnum opus", stand firmly on his claim....Read more
Well researched. It's highly readable. Mr. Shashi Tharoor went through the works of most of the prominent authorities on Nationalism....Read more
A very well researched book but at times you may feel it is biased in narratives. Something one must read in current scenarioRead more
Wonderful presentation and very informative.Read more
9 customers mention writing style, 9 positive, 0 negative
Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, with one customer noting it is well-researched, while another mentions the author's neutral and impartial approach.
I like the way it is written, enjoyed reading it.Read more
It's written with complete research.Read more
A brilliantly written work of immense contemporary pertinence. A must read for all and sundry.Read more
...Oh also - this is not a piece of Congress propaganda. Tharoor as a writer is very neutral, even though is never disingenuous - he makes a mention of...Read more
6 customers mention nationalism, 5 positive, 1 negative
Customers appreciate the book's analysis of patriotism and nationalism, with one customer highlighting its critique of muscular religious nationalism, while another notes how it explores the essence of being Indian.
...He has conceptually separated all the forms of nationalism and argued that patriotism needs to be rescued from the shackles of ethnocultural...Read more
Detailed Explanation of Nationalism, Patriotism, Gandhi's Hinduism Vs Hindutva and Liberal Constitutionalism and Patriotism.Read more
...on avoiding blind loyalty in the modern era and delving into the essence of being Indian. A solid choice for a new read.Read more
A READABLE BOOK.IT DEALS WITH THE VARIOUS ISSUES AND DIRECTIONS OF NATIONALIty.Read more
Diverse and complex yet easily digestible.
5 out of 5 stars
Diverse and complex yet easily digestible.
Original and reasonably priced, the book offers quality pages. It provides a thorough understanding of nationalism, guiding readers on avoiding blind loyalty in the modern era and delving into the essence of being Indian. A solid choice for a new read.
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Top reviews from India

  • BeastCommander
    5 out of 5 stars
    The Battle for India's Soul is a real thing
    Reviewed in India on 21 September 2022
    Format: Hardcover
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    I initially procured this book to find out for myself what the whole hype around Tharoor the intellectual is all about. Not only was I pleasantly surprised, but now I think he genuinely has a deep love for the country, and even more importantly, a vision for what it should be (which in fact it has been too, way before the chaos of the past few decades). And let's stop confusing the terms Anglophile and Elitist. Just because you and I were educated in English-medium schools and perhaps studied abroad, or even lived or were born abroad, does not automatically make us Elitist (even if we are arguably elite) - and certainly does not mean that our patriotism is any lesser than that of the salt of the earth kind of people. It takes all kinds of people to fill the world, and we need each other's perspectives to illuminate and temper our own. And we certainly need Tharoor's. This book is incredibly well-researched and impeccably referenced. The bibliography itself is worth the price of the book. And it's about the events of the here and now, of a history that's occurring before our very eyes. Yes, a battle is afoot. There's no other way of describing it. Why do we live in a country today where so many of us have to prove that we are patriots? And why the patriotism of others, ideologically rooted in which side you very well know, is assumed without question and reproach? Why do we increasingly come across the feeling that there can be only one idea of India, whereas this ancient civilisation housed in a new country (seventy five years for a country is still very, very young) has always been identified as that place where ideas jostled against one another like passengers on the Virar fast, but still travelling together to the same destination? There are many important questions asked in this book, and very many humane, illuminating observations shared by the author. In these times of turbulence, if you are wondering just what in the world is going in with India, this book needs to be read. Oh also - this is not a piece of Congress propaganda. Tharoor as a writer is very neutral, even though is never disingenuous - he makes a mention of his loyalty to the Congress but also explains why. Tharoor has a wonderful mind, a good heart and his famous mastery of language is at service here. Do read! This book is about us!

    6 people found this helpful
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  • SURIYAPRAKASH C
    5 out of 5 stars
    Masterful mind and heart
    Reviewed in India on 16 September 2023
    Format: Kindle Edition
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    A must read to get into the depth of what’s happening in our country and what we as responsible and patriotic citizens need to do to restore the ‘Unity in diversity’ we grew up taking for granted!

    Shashi Tharoor mincing no words in giving a clarion call to protect our democracy and the spirit of nationhood!

    Scholarly and yet so understandable and absolutely relatable!

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  • Sidhyendra sisodia
    4 out of 5 stars
    Indeed a magnum opus by Shashi Tharoor.
    Reviewed in India on 19 November 2020
    Format: Hardcover
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    Completing this book took me around 1 week, usually reading does not take me too long, this thoroughly researched book, what Tharoor called his "magnum opus", stand firmly on his claim. I had to revisit all the theories of nationalism, primarily, three broad approaches- primordial, perennial, and modernist before reading its first section. To my utter surprise, Tharoor has, indeed, entertained all the theoretical debate which I could imagine and even he has gone beyond it. He has conceptually separated all the forms of nationalism and argued that patriotism needs to be rescued from the shackles of ethnocultural nationalism.

    Tharoor in his Magnum opus presented his case strongly, forcefully, and emphatically for civic nationalism twinned with patriotism, which would indeed, give every Indian their rightful honoured place in the twenty-first century and beyond. He also sought to balance the common good with individual rights and group rights so that individual freedom is not undermined in the name of cultural autonomy. He has also countered the Daniel A. Bell's work "The China Model" where Bell argued that authoritarian regime of China can be viable model of governance, or say, the alternative to Indian and Western liberal democracy.

    This book is well updated, deals with current empirical reality, and furnishes normative critique of existing regime in India while completely exposing them from their roots - their ideologues and ideologies, social media bigotry, soft bigotry subtly perpetuated by leaders at the centre, and most importantly why does the masses are associating themselves with them, not only within territorial boundary of nation but beyond it - Diaspora nationalism.

    Book has many things to offer and provides further works citation which is essential and updated. He speaks for the "New India" where no one gets lynched for the food you eat, marginalised for the faith you hold dear, criminalized for the person you love, or imprisoned for making use of fundamental rights guaranteed by our own Constitution. He called this book a paean to an India, not an elegy, and certainly not a dirge!

    67 people found this helpful
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  • Divyam
    5 out of 5 stars
    Diverse and complex yet easily digestible.
    Reviewed in India on 16 November 2023
    Format: Paperback
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    Original and reasonably priced, the book offers quality pages. It provides a thorough understanding of nationalism, guiding readers on avoiding blind loyalty in the modern era and delving into the essence of being Indian. A solid choice for a new read.

    Diverse and complex yet easily digestible.
    Diverse and complex yet easily digestible.
    Diverse and complex yet easily digestible.
    Diverse and complex yet easily digestible.
    Diverse and complex yet easily digestible.
    Diverse and complex yet easily digestible.
    Divyam
    5 out of 5 stars
    Diverse and complex yet easily digestible.
    Reviewed in India on 16 November 2023
    Format: Paperback

    Original and reasonably priced, the book offers quality pages. It provides a thorough understanding of nationalism, guiding readers on avoiding blind loyalty in the modern era and delving into the essence of being Indian. A solid choice for a new read.

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  • Pal Jatinder
    5 out of 5 stars
    beautifully written by Shashi Tharoor
    Reviewed in India on 19 December 2022
    Format: Hardcover
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    This book is very beautifully written by Shashi Tharoor. He is great writer. In present times we the people are battling for belonging. This book is looking through the present times politics of religion, cast and creed. Thanks to Shashi Tharoor for writing this beautiful book.

    One person found this helpful
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  • Nishi Sharma
    5 out of 5 stars
    One of the best book that I have read so far.
    Reviewed in India on 3 April 2023
    Format: Hardcover
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    I ordered the hard cover and I love this book. This was the first book that I have read of Mr. Tharoor. I would love read more.

    One of the best book that I have read so far.
    One of the best book that I have read so far.
    Nishi Sharma
    5 out of 5 stars
    One of the best book that I have read so far.
    Reviewed in India on 3 April 2023
    Format: Hardcover

    I ordered the hard cover and I love this book. This was the first book that I have read of Mr. Tharoor. I would love read more.

    One person found this helpful
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  • ND Badrinath
    4 out of 5 stars
    Even Tharoor Can't Shake His Biases!
    Reviewed in India on 21 September 2021
    Format: Kindle Edition
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    This book elaborates on an idea whose time has come.

    Indians must debate what form of nationalism they want. And Shashi Tharoor lays out the choices before us clearly. Hence the four stars.

    But why not five?

    That's because, when discussing the Congress party, he gets defensive. He glibly glosses over its failings and structural faults that are clearly visible to an unbiased eye.

    Why did he have to do that? Because he needed to point out the structural faults of the BJP in order to make his case. And he found that he was throwing stones from a glass house.

    But, possessing great intellect and exposure to world affairs, he has great ability to counter evidence that's obvious to the meanest intellect.

    Barring this trap that he could not but set for himself, the book is an excellent take off platform for a crucial debate.

    8 people found this helpful
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  • Raj Keplerhume
    5 out of 5 stars
    Brilliant. Masterful.
    Reviewed in India on 15 April 2021
    Format: Hardcover
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    The best book on the subject so far. Shashi Tharoor's masterful research and his grip on the topics is commendable. A must read for every one.

    One person found this helpful
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