Twilight Prisoners: The Rise of the Hindu Right and the Fall of India

by Siddhartha Deb

An incisive, lyrically written, and deeply-reported account of India's descent into authoritarianism and religious fundamentalism

Here is an absorbing and disturbing account of India's transformation into a religious fundamentalist, brutally unequal dystopia, from a novelist described by Pankaj Mishra as “one of the most distinctive writers to have emerged from South Asia in the last two decades.” Originally from a remote town in the northeastern hills of India, Siddhartha Deb crisscrosses the country to explain the rise of Hindu authoritarianism and the fall of Indian democracy.

With a journalist's commitment to on-the-ground reportage and a literary writer's sensitivity, Deb describes how prime minister Narendra Modi and his party–a formation explicitly beholden to European fascists–has deftly exploited modern technologies, the media, and market forces to launch a relentless campaign on minorities, women, dissenters, and the poor.

Deb narrates Modi's emergence from an obscure paramilitary volunteer to world leader, but he also includes portraits of resistance exemplified by figures like Arundhati Roy, the assassinated journalist Gauri Lankesh, and the group of political prisoners known as the BK 16. This important collection of essays is an unforgettable portrait of the country as it prepares for crucial national elections in 2024.

Genres: Politics, India, Nonfiction, History, Essays, Journalism, Religion

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 16, 2024

About the author

Siddhartha Deb is an Indian author who was educated in India and at Columbia University, US. Deb began his career in journalism as a sports journalist in Calcutta in 1994 before moving to Delhi to continue regular journalism.

Reviews

[Anushka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another set of essays documenting different facets of the Modi regime. While much of the information is not exactly new, but Deb's research adds much needed depth and nuance to the understanding of several events and personalities. An important read, with slivers of hope amongst the mostly depressing landscape. Deb's writing is lucid which made it a quick read.

[Kartik Chauhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a few books on the ascent of Hindutva in India, but each one is equally important, and currently exists in a fledgling list that needs to be read like our lives depend on it. Because they do.
Phenomenal prose, genius research and a book that leaves you with hope and courage, despite the desperate times.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Important Look At Modi’s India

The Hindu Right is steadily disenfranchising Muslims in India, taking away their rights to vote and even their citizenship. They imprison and assassinate dissidents and two states are under the equivalent of military rule. This is a good introduction to Modi and the Hindu Right.

[Rupande Mehta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliantly written! Shows the alarming rise of the Hindu right & how they’re bending the country to their will. Would love an update to it based on the 2024 elections.

[giovi · Rating 5 out of 5]

so so well done. everyone should read this. the kafkaesque state of modi's hindutva india needs to be confronted.
"an awareness that lives, religious as well as secular, are built in part on fantasy."

[Anjie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished Twilight Prisoners and it’s hard to shake the impact. The book meticulously explores the decline of democracy in India under Prime Minister Modi, whose policies have fueled Hindu bigotry and extremism while cracking down on Muslims. This book feels especially chilling now, given Modi’s warm reception on the global stage and deepening relationship with Trump.

Deb’s research is thorough and compelling. He draws on India’s history to succinctly set the stage but focuses on the contemporary erosion of civil rights, the rule of law, privacy, and India’s global standing. Two chapters stood out to me: the harrowing look back at the Bhopal chemical disaster and an unflinching look at how dissent is suppressed right now. Spoiler: it doesn’t end well for those resisting.

This book isn’t just a critique of India’s present; it’s a warning for the world. Democracy’s fragility is a universal story, and Deb underscores the urgency of recognizing it. Highly recommend if you want a deeper understanding of India’s current crossroads and the global stakes. Hope those in power aren’t taking notes for the wrong reasons.

[Brumaire Bodbyl-Mast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps I’ve done little in terms of deep diving or even really diving at all for English literature on the modern Hindu right. But while I feel that this book is excellent as a collection of essays, its title and subtitle is incredibly misleading (as great of a title as it is). This is not a chronological account or even general analysis of the Hindu right, rather, it is, as is all too common, a collection of previously published, tied vaguely together to tell a story of the Hindu right, its criminal elements, and historical fascist ties. While the first few “chapters” do emphasize this dubious history in a sort of chronological account, the rest are scattered, focusing on initiatives the Hindu right undertakes or select controversies that they have their hands in. The naxalites get very few mentions. However, there is still incredibly useful insight regarding especially the BJP’s attacks on citizenship and its particular formulation and understanding of identity, among other more minute aspects of BJP rise & rule. Yet, this is not really a holistic history.

[Soojung Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nonfiction book is good when you find yourself talking about what you learned with others prior to finishing: "Did you know...?!?!" The first time I heard about Modhi in any alarming sense was from pundit Hassan Minhaj. But Deb (not a comedian but author, journalist, essayist, professor) provides strong historical, modern context and examples of the authoritarian rise of Modhi and the Indian government's crackdown on free speech, women's rights, and religious freedoms. The situation is nuanced, and I feel that Deb provides great context and navigates the subject well to inform. This work is investigative journalism at its best. I STRONGLY recommend reading this book for a larger understanding of modernday India and global politics.

[Shahir Saleheen]

This collection of essays provides some insightful information about the rise of the Hindu nationalist movements within India and its effects on the nation through the political corruption of Nadrenda Modi and the BJP. From attacking and killing journalists, tracking and spying on activists critical of the BJP regime, manufacturing foriegn enemies with people of other ethnic groups within the country, backing a military junta outside of the border of the country, allowing for an environmental catastrophe to happen while letting those responsible face limited repercussions, a nation like India, rich with a diverse flora of cultures, people, and history will only continue to suffer with the forces of extreme fascism disguised in religious passion.

[Vivek · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a pretty uneven collection of essays, all previously published between 2009 and 2021. I appreciated a lot of the information in this book while I often couldn't stand the writing and tone - Deb is critical of Hindu nationalists as you would expect, but he also seems to carry those attitudes to India and its people more broadly, which really annoyed me. It kind of epitomizes my general concern with reading books about India written in English, often by Western elites (I say this as someone who could fairly be described that way myself, and who doesn't know any other languages well enough to read in them). Can't recommend.

[Julian Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of essays by left-wing essayist Siddhartha Deb on various topics in Indian politics and society, centerijg on the rise of Hindutva and authoritarianism under the Modi government. His writing is consistently strong, and the first-person narratives of meeting, say, Burmese pro-democracy dissidents in exile in India's hinterlands are interesting. The narrative on the Bhopal chemical disaster was also gripping. However, the essays felt rather disparate, without much tying each one to its fellows.

[kathryn donovan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each chapter probably could have been its own book. I felt like I was introduced to a vastly complicated idea / situation and then moved right on to a different one. I love Siddhartha Deb's style of writing and his complex sentence structure. However, to be honest, he introduced too much novel (for me) information in one sentence that it made it difficult for me to process. I had to keep going back and looking things up. Not that that is a bad thing.

[Brian Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfortunately, as brilliantly as this book delineates a phony fabricated nationalist narrative, a less and less visible repression continues its rise. Historical revisionism and fascism that many of think India incapable of has become pervasive. As usual, corporate interests couldn't be more delighted. What could be wrong with a few Sri Krishna symbols and meat-free diets? Not to mention the staggering poverty has not gone away.

[Rianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down. I learned so much about the political climate and repression in India, but thought the presentation of info in the book felt lazy - it’s a collection of his essays, the themes tying them together in each “Part” are not clear, info is often repeated or not fully fleshed out the first time it’s raised. I think this would have been great as a cohesive, edited novel, but as it is misses its potential by a lot.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of long-form journalistic pieces published by the author in various magazines over the last 15 years or so. Most were highly interesting and the anthology was a quick read. Especially found the article on Bhopal, which the author visited a few years ago, relevant and insightful.

[Arathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a great book that filled me with so much rage and confusion and a wistful sadness. what i didn't care for was the ending- it just seemed super abrupt. i wish some aspects of the book were much much longer and interrogated further.

[Radhika · Rating 4 out of 5]

brilliant.

[Srishti · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most important reads for liberal India.

[Crystal John · Rating 5 out of 5]

One amazing read - shows how dirtily Politics pollutes our lives and livelihoods :( Written authentically!

[Left_coast_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twilight Prisoners by Siddhartha Deb is a collection of his articles that have appeared in various periodicals, mostly in the last 20 years. They cover a range of topics relevant to the rightward trajectory of Indian politics, especially the violence and repression experienced by journalists who are critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP party.

The BJP is a nationalist political party with various regional and paramilitary groups in tow. Espousing a fascistic ideology known as Hindutva, they are attempting to create a nation of Hindu supremacy and crony capitalism. Deb provides specific examples of this including changes to immigration law which put millions of people at risk of deportation.

There are two cultural manifestations of this ideology that I found particularly interesting. One is a recent surge in interest in ancient Hindu scriptures. This has resulted in at least one prominent forgery, which claims that ancient Indians had technologically advanced flying aircraft, a historical and scientific impossibility.

The second is the construction of a Hindu temple called Ram Mandir on the site of a mosque. This mosque was torn down in a frenzied attack reminiscent of the January 6 events in the US. BJP political leaders, Modi included, led a traveling procession to the site and held a massive rally. Attendees overwhelmed the police and rushed the mosque to begin demolishing it. The mosque destroyed, a subsequent archaeological investigation has created controversy with conflicting claims about whether or not a Hindu temple predated the mosque.

The Hindu right is attempting to create a mythologized past, painting India as a technologically-advanced Hindu utopia without Muslims. And anyone who disputes this is at risk of being imprisoned or worse. India currently ranks 159th out of 180 in the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom index. Much of this has been overlooked by Western elites, eager to have a pro-Western counterweight to China.

I wasn't entirely ignorant of the political atmosphere in India, but this book made it much clearer for me. One negative: points are repeated throughout since each article was originally meant to stand on its own.