Hindutva Sex and Adventure

by John MacLithon

Andrew Luyt,a radio journalist, is posted to India because he was born there and speaks a smattering of Hindi. Armed with his Nagra professional tape recorder and with all the cliches, prejudices and ideas that his strict Protestant and secular upbringing has instilled in him, he covers some important events, of the eighties and the nineties, in Kashmir, Ayodhya, Tawang and Pakistan. Along the way, he falls in love with a young Indian girl, Imla, a print journalist and together they have a number of adventures and some unusual sex.

Gradually, as he interprets what he encounters in India, he veers towards a soft Hindutva vision, because he feels Hinduism offers many ways to God and that it is a way of life rather than a religion. Imla, however, remains committed to a secular vision and they often disagree.

Thirty years later, Andrew, by now famous both in India and in England, resigns from his job, starts writing books and practicing a spirituality that is a blend of Christianity and Hinduism. Andrew has found success and fame but has he found love and friendship? And where is Imla?

Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Manu]

A terrible propaganda book for the Hindutva ideology with pathetic sleazy writing of sex. The protagonist is a BBC journalist, modelled on Mark Tully(who justifiably objected to the character depiction in the book), who is portrayed as an RSS apologist. The book attempts to glorify the RSS ideology with some perspectives which are passed off as coming from a white man. I am sure this book is written by a bigoted ideologue, under the pseudonym of a white man John Maclington. The Western author’s fake name has been chosen assuming that it will give more credibility to the views. All that passes of as RW WhatsApp logic fills this book, which was published in 2010-11. Thinking that the ideology might bore the readers, the fake author has filled the passages with sex too. And one instance is outrageous, as it glorifies rape, which the woman is show as enjoying. The author’s perverted fantasies, both ideological and carnal, populate this pathetic book. Had there been an option of a negative rating, would have given that for this garbage.

[David Hall]

Dreadful book ,badly written and clearly intended as some kind of attack on the well respected, much loved Journalist Sir Mark Tully.
It's a mystery how it ever came to be published ....and by a well respected Indian Publisher at that.

[Rajat]

I loved the really erotic scenes between Andrew and Imla. The book was very informative and I liked the interview of Dalai Lama (Though was a bit disappointed with the overall conservative thoughts of Dalai Lama and Buddhism. I had a preconceived notion some why that Buddhism is a bit more liberal than other religions but that proved wrong with this book)