What do you think?
Rate this book
The Truth About Us
`India?has an information space packed with numerous sources and agents ? from politicians and activists to profiteers and extortionists ? all competing for attention and legitimacy in a growing information market? Whom does one believe?? The political manipulation and simplification of information about a dizzyingly complex society have fashioned certain `truths? about India. These truths have resulted in the creation of major religious and caste identities, which have been the defining features of the country?s politics and history for over 200 years. An unsparing study of how this situation has come about, The Truth about Us explores answers to crucial questions: Is India a homogenous Hindu nation sprinkled with minorities, or a pluralistic, heterogeneous one? Is our knowledge of the inequalities in our society founded on facts or perceptions? What are the real origin stories of India?s social categories, and how are they being constructed and challenged today? At a time when India is in the throes of an existential debate, convulsed by contesting claims over identity and history, Hindutva and Dalit consciousness, nationalism and freedom of speech, and the rights and realities of minorities, this deeply provocative book is urgent reading for every thinking Indian.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2019
11 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 31, 2020
Sanjay lays out and argues his point of view painstakingly.
His argument is sound. The logic is very layered. Sanjay does end up repeating things in a professorial style. Must say it helps in understanding the point being made but is at times a tad irritating.
It is a must read for anyone interested in understanding how we have got to where we have and why it is not a 'black swan' event.
His argument is sound. The logic is very layered. Sanjay does end up repeating things in a professorial style. Must say it helps in understanding the point being made but is at times a tad irritating.
It is a must read for anyone interested in understanding how we have got to where we have and why it is not a 'black swan' event.
December 27, 2022
In The Truth About Us, Sanjoy Chakravorty delves into India's complex and often manipulated information space, exploring the political and social forces that have shaped our understanding of the country's history and identity. Through an unsparing examination of India's political and social landscape, Chakravorty challenges the "truths" constructed about India and asks crucial questions about the nature of our society and its inequalities.
One of the book's key arguments is that the concept of caste in India is a European colonial construction based on a flawed reading of ancient Sanskrit texts. Chakravorty argues that India did not have a rigid, heretical and religious system before it was invented by the British. The Aryan migration theory - which was also the product of European colonial agendas - is largely ignored in the book.
Given the current existential debates convulsing India - including contesting claims over identity, history, nationalism, and freedom of speech - The Truth About Us is an urgent read for every thinking Indian. It is a deeply provocative exploration of the complexities of India's information space, and a valuable contribution to the ongoing conversations about the country's past, present, and future.
One of the book's key arguments is that the concept of caste in India is a European colonial construction based on a flawed reading of ancient Sanskrit texts. Chakravorty argues that India did not have a rigid, heretical and religious system before it was invented by the British. The Aryan migration theory - which was also the product of European colonial agendas - is largely ignored in the book.
Given the current existential debates convulsing India - including contesting claims over identity, history, nationalism, and freedom of speech - The Truth About Us is an urgent read for every thinking Indian. It is a deeply provocative exploration of the complexities of India's information space, and a valuable contribution to the ongoing conversations about the country's past, present, and future.
July 17, 2019
Lends voice to concerned Indian citizen who believes in democracy
A very easy read. An honest simplification of complex issues facing India. The book decries the need for simplified message to counter Hidutva led simplification. And it takes us one step in that direction. Recommended to every Indian who wants to make sense of what is happening in the political sphere.
A very easy read. An honest simplification of complex issues facing India. The book decries the need for simplified message to counter Hidutva led simplification. And it takes us one step in that direction. Recommended to every Indian who wants to make sense of what is happening in the political sphere.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews