Book review- Becoming Indian by Pavan K. Varma

"Becoming Indian" is a follow-up of the bestselling book "Being Indian", by Pavan K. Varma. Contrary to its title the book is a non-fictional work and can be considered as an authority over the concept of "Indian cultural heritage and westoxication".

When the topic of "Indian culture" is quoted the usual rhetoric of the right-wing intelligentsia flashes across our mind. But the author Pavan K. Varma has a totally different story to tell. Wile being in the top echelons of power and interactions with many renowned personalities he comes up with "Becoming Indian" after spending around 4 years of time to write this well-researched work. The author points out the difference between political freedom and "cultural freedom". He argues that both these concepts are independent and need to be thoroughly scrutinised in a post-colonial society such as India. The book talks about how the colonial rule has impacted our understanding of our cultural value structure and effectively created a new structure wherein everyday we try and mock our colonial masters.The book offers a vivid description from Macaulian understanding of Indian society to the elitist attitude of today's "modern Indian society".

Even after 60+ years of "freedom" and "self-rule" our modern intelligentsia is still seen fawning over "western icons and symbolism". The point to be taken care of here is, the author is not opposing the idea of "western thought or customs" as such but is worried about our current generation forgetting our own philosophical traditions and artistic knowledge. The author employed various techniques to explain logically how our ideas are pre-mediated due to the "colonial hangover". Vivid arguments have been used by the author which stimulate us to question the existing social order and artistic discourse in India. He sternly questions the notion of "West is best and east is inferior" attitude which prevails in our society. The language of "English" which is a colonial relic now plays an important role and is now acting as an agent of stratifying people on linguistic basis.

The morality which the moral police defend is actually the "moral code" and is not representative. This argument is very well elaborated in the book. The concept of multiculturalism in Britain and how its ex-colonial subjects are shaping the post-colonial Britain is also discussed by citing various personal and societal examples

"A book every young man and women of the country should read"- THE TELEGRAPH

The book is available on Amazon.in at a very affordable price of Rs.220

Here is the link: Becoming Indian- The unfinished revolution of culture and identity by Pavan K. Varma

Speak out!

Welcome to the Introvert intelligentsia, a space which is open to various opinions and viewpoints. Society can't progress with a single idea or an ideological grouping. Various ideas and thoughts are to be amalgamated to understand and interpret our society, especially the Indian society. Diverse opinions are a part and parcel of the Indian society. We face many complex issues which need these diverse opinions to "unite".

Students play a very important role in opinion making. They are one of the major players in public discourse right throught the democratic journey of this country. Our campus fraternity too has over times raised many issues of national and international importance. But sadly we always are a part of a "Group" and over time suppressed the "individual" opinions. Few individuals voice out their opinions over the social media which in recent times has been a great tool for "introverts" and independent voices to rise up and speak out!

Therefore the "Introvert intelligentsia" is an attempt to provide a common platform where individual voices can converge their ideas and contribute their part. People who want to be heard, people who are in need of a voice this is you chance! Language is not a barrier nor the topic. Sensible issues which are to be addressed can be taken up. Personal experiences related to social discourse are also welcome.

Few quotes before we end this inaugural post:

---In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act. - George Orwell

---“In keeping silent about evil, in burying it so deep within us that no sign of it appears on the surface, we are implanting it, and it will rise up a thousand fold in the future. When we neither punish nor reproach evildoers, we are not simply protecting their trivial old age, we are thereby ripping the foundations of justice from beneath new generations.” ― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

---“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” ― Daniel Patrick Moynihan

---“If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.” ― Noam Chomsky

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