BOOK REVIEW

Group Members
Abhishek Gandhi | Vinod Kumar |
Kapil Singhal | Sunil Tholia

Preliminary Round
Date: 05.10.2018

AFP 1

Course Director : Mr. K.K. Goyal

 IMMORTAL INDIA
BOOKS WRITTEN | EDUCATIONAL AND
About Author PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND | LITERARY
RECOGNITIONS |

CHOOSING IMMORTAL INDIA | INTRODUCTION TO

Book Summary THE BOOK | ISSUES COVERED | CONTEMPORARY
RELEVANCE |

WRITING STYLE | COMPARISION WITH SIMILAR

Reader's Reaction BOOKS | VIEWS OF ACADEMICS | EMERGING
GROUNDS

Questions/ Dialogue

YOUNG COUNTRY, TIMELESS CIVILISATION

 IMMORTAL INDIA
BOOKS WRITTEN | EDUCATIONAL AND
About Author PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND | LITERARY
RECOGNITIONS |

CHOOSING IMMORTAL INDIA | INTRODUCTION TO

Book Summary THE BOOK | ISSUES COVERED | CONTEMPORARY
RELEVANCE |

WRITING STYLE | COMPARISION WITH SIMILAR

Reader's Reaction BOOKS | VIEWS OF ACADEMICS | EMERGING
GROUNDS

Questions/ Dialogue

YOUNG COUNTRY, TIMELESS CIVILISATION

 Books Written by Amish

Fiction

Non
Fiction

Fiction

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 Educational and Professional
Background
Xaviers, Mumbai

IIM Calcutta

14 Years in Financial Services

Interest in Mythologies

Intersection of Diversified Experience + Mythologies =

Interesting and Engaging Non Fiction

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 IMMORTAL INDIA
BOOKS WRITTEN | EDUCATIONAL AND
About Author PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND | LITERARY
RECOGNITIONS |

CHOOSING IMMORTAL INDIA | INTRODUCTION TO

Book Summary THE BOOK | ISSUES COVERED | CONTEMPORARY
RELEVANCE |

WRITING STYLE | COMPARISION WITH SIMILAR

Reader's Reaction BOOKS | VIEWS OF ACADEMICS | EMERGING
GROUNDS

Questions/ Dialogue

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 Choosing “Immortal India”
• Intersection of the interests of Team Members

Member Inspired by
Abhishek Religio-mythological basis of socio-political issues
Vinod Narratives and Counter narratives on mythology
Kapil Content written in a simple, straight and lucid manner
Sunil Integrative and interdisciplinary nature of the book

• Book of relatively small size – High ROI

• For comprehending the issues confronting our country better

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 HERBAL

MUSCULAR

WEAPONS

ABODE OF MOUNTAINS

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 God of Contradictions

Anger – Third Eye

Love – Sati, Parvati

Art – Shiva Dance, Nataraja

Intoxicated

Smeared with Ash

ANTI ELITIST GOD

 INTRODUCTION

Modern yet Conservative

Technological yet Agricultural

Urban yet Rural

Secular yet Religious

Rich yet Poor

Many More??
 INTRODUCTION

यूनान-ओ-मिस्र-ओ-रूिा सब मिट गए जहााँ से ,

अब तक िगर है बाक़ी नाि-ओ-मनशााँ हिारा,
कुछ बात है मक हस्त़ी मिटत़ी नह़ीीं हिाऱी
समिय ीं रहा है िु श्मन िौर-ए-ज़िााँ हिारा l

YOUNG COUNTRY, TIMELESS CIVILISATION

 IMMORTAL INDIA
BOOKS WRITTEN | EDUCATIONAL AND
About Author PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND | LITERARY
RECOGNITIONS |

CHOOSING IMMORTAL INDIA | INTRODUCTION TO

Book Summary THE BOOK | ISSUES COVERED |
CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE |

WRITING STYLE | COMPARISION WITH SIMILAR

Reader's Reaction BOOKS | VIEWS OF ACADEMICS | EMERGING
GROUNDS

Questions/ Dialogue

YOUNG COUNTRY, TIMELESS CIVILISATION

 Bane of Casteism
• Prevailing Notion – Caste system sanctified by Ancient Scriptures
• Reality Check – Few groups face terrible prejudice
• Historical Tidbits–
• Shudra Rulers of the Past - Kakatiya
• Gita enunciates varna based on Guna not Karma
• Valmiki – A shudra ; Ved Vyas – Son of Fisherman
• Alternative Narratives –
– Examples from the past can be taken as per convenience
– Genetic Research suggests that interbreeding among various groups
stopped around 0 to 400 CE
• Current Solution – Positive Affirmation Policies

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 LGBT Rights
• Prevailing Notion – Many Believe it is not natural on cultural and
religious grounds
• Current Position in Law – SC recently struck down Sec 377 of IPC
• Reality Check
• This group has existed throughout history
• Semitic Faiths view it as serious crime
• Hindu texts – LGBT references in non negative way ; Shikandi;
Kamasutra; ManuSmriti mentions it as minor misdemeanor
• Sec 377 – medieval interpretations of Christianity
• Liberal Society is based on Individual Rights; Genuine
Liberalism still very far in India

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 Inter Faith Dialogue
• The source and the end of soul are same.
• Religion and spirituality assist the journey of soul.
• Must walk the path that resonates with our soul.
• Learn to respect differences

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 Unbridled Shakti
• यत्र नाययस्तु पूज्यन्ते रिन्ते तत्र िे वता:।
(Where women are honored, the Gods are Pleased)

Women still struggle for their rights in India

 Fatwa
 Molestation
 Female foeticide
 Dowry

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 Myth of Aryan Invasion

• North Indian as Aryan invader

 Linguistics based : Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT)

 Out-of-India Theory
 Aryan Migration Theory (AMT)

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 Forgive but Never Forget History
• Dealing with Country’s Past – America Vs Arab world Vs India
• Current way of Dealing with Past in India
• Denial - Jaliawala Bagh Vs Famine of 1942 ;
• Is this due to sense of loyalty to cultural forefathers of Indian Elite?
• Magnitude of Violence during Medival Invasions airbrushed from
Textbooks
• Denial causes Misdirected Anger – Communalism, Riots, Hate
• Capacity of Indians to handle truth and ensure Social Peace
• Lasting Peace – Society must learn to accept and handle truth

“Denial is not cure for Historical Abuse. Truth is. Satyamev Jayate”

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 Issues Covered
Bane of Freedom of
Casteism Expression

Social

Inter Faith Dialogue Myth of Aryan Invasion

Issues
Religion
and History
Mythology

Unbridled Shakti Forgive but Never Forget

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 Contemporary Relevance
• Conscious Acknowledgement of wrongs
• Root Cause Analysis

• Prevention of Mishaps
– Communal Riots
– Gender and Caste Discrimination
• Better appreciation of Progressive Rulings
– Section 377
– Women entry in Sabrimala
– Adultery
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 IMMORTAL INDIA
BOOKS WRITTEN | EDUCATIONAL AND
About Author PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND | LITERARY
RECOGNITIONS |

CHOOSING IMMORTAL INDIA | INTRODUCTION TO

Book Summary THE BOOK | ISSUES COVERED | CONTEMPORARY
RELEVANCE |

WRITING STYLE | COMPARISION WITH SIMILAR

Reader's Reaction BOOKS | VIEWS OF ACADEMICS | EMERGING
GROUNDS

Questions/ Dialogue

YOUNG COUNTRY, TIMELESS CIVILISATION

 Writing Style

Reflection and
Forecast
Past into Present

Mythologies

“weaves significant tidbits from mythologies into the modern world through
narratives and counter narratives”

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 Writing Style
Ideological Bent Right of Centre

Geographical
Indian Subcontinent
Scope

Histriography Multidisciplinary Perspective

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 Comparision with Similar Books
Name of Book Language Substantiation Geographical Ideological
and Author Simplicity of Assertions Scope Bent
Immortal India
Right of Centre
by Amish
Argumentative
Indian by Dr. Left of Centre
Amartya Sen
Difficulty of
being Good by Right of Centre
Gurcharan Das
My Geeta by
Right of Centre
Devdut Patnaik

High Moderate Low

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 Views of Academics
Mr Swapan Dasgupta – Journalist and Member of Parliament

To understand the new India you need to read Amish. After retelling
mythologies now he is exploring contemporary issues confronting
India. He does it with remarkable lucidity and Indianness.
Mr. Shekar Gupta – Print Journalist

Getting to know him through his books lately has revealed to me a

deeply thoughtful mind with an unusual, original and fascinating
view of the past.
Mr. Veer Sanghvi – Print and Television Journalist

One of the India’s best storytellers looks at today’s burning issues

and clarifies the arguments by blending reasons and history

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 Thank You

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