THE BATTLE OF BELONGING by Shashi Tharoor 2022 Paperback New

Description: THE BATTLE OF BELONGINGBy Shashi Tharoor In his thought-provoking book, "The Battle of Belonging: On Nationalism, Patriotism, and What It Means to Be Indian," Shashi Tharoor delves into the complex and contentious concepts of nationalism, patriotism, citizenship, and belonging in the context of modern India. With a clear-sighted view, Tharoor explores the forces that are working to undermine the very idea of India, as enshrined in its Constitution, and offers insights into the nature and future of Indian nationhood.Divided into six sections, the book begins by examining the historical and contemporary ideas of nationalism, patriotism, liberalism, democracy, and humanism. Tharoor highlights that these concepts originated in the West during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries but quickly spread worldwide. He then delves into India's liberal constitutionalism, emphasizing the enlightened values that leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, Tagore, Ambedkar, Patel, Azad, and others instilled in the nation. These values stand in stark contrast to the narrow-minded, divisive, and sectarian ideologies propagated by Hindutva ideologues and their followers who currently hold positions of power.Today, India finds itself at a crossroads, with a battle between two opposing ideas of Indian identity: ethno-religious nationalism versus civic nationalism. Tharoor argues that this struggle for India's soul has intensified and threatens to erode the principles of pluralism, secularism, and inclusive nationhood that were established at Independence. The Constitution is under attack, institutions are being undermined, minorities are being demonized, and authoritarian leaders are pushing the country towards illiberalism and intolerance. If these forces succeed, the very identity of millions of Indians will be stripped away, replaced by distorted theories of Indianness.However, Tharoor remains hopeful and outlines the steps needed to win the battle of belonging and preserve the unique and valuable aspects of India. Drawing on extensive scholarship, he presents a compelling case for what true Indianness entails and what it means to be a patriotic and nationalistic Indian in the twenty-first century.Beyond his role as an author, Tharoor's credentials lend weight to his arguments. He is a former Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and has served as a Minister of State for Human Resource Development and Minister of State for External Affairs in the Indian government. As the longest-serving member of the Lok Sabha from Thiruvananthapuram, he has chaired Parliament's Standing Committees on External Affairs and Information Technology. Tharoor's literary achievements include winning prestigious awards such as the Sahitya Akademi Award, the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Books, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, and the Crossword Lifetime Achievement Award."The Battle of Belonging" is a timely and essential contribution to the ongoing discourse on nationalism, patriotism, and identity in India. Tharoor's erudite and lucid writing style, combined with his deep understanding of history and politics, makes this book accessible to a wide audience. While the technical details and HTML formatting are not included in this summary, the core ideas and arguments presented by Tharoor remain intact. By shedding light on the challenges facing India's pluralistic society, Tharoor encourages readers to reflect on their own understanding of nationalism and patriotism, ultimately urging them to take action to protect the values that make India truly unique. Notice: The displayed image is a symbolic representation of the book, The actual book cover image may differ. ( Why? So

Price: 25.2 USD

Location: Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2025-01-08T13:54:28.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD