This is Nirad Chaudhari’s personal voyage of discovery, an individual’s exploration of India and things Indian. The
author says that the British ruled India for two hundred years, but failed to understand either the Hindu mind or hindu character. To them, the hindu appeared to be irrational (much given to supersticion), contradictory and illogical. They failed to understand the power of tradition or that India resides mostly in the villages. This India is largely resitant to outside influences and has a timeless element to it. It would appear obvious, but it needs to be said all the same – Hinduism is central to the hindu’s way of life.The author says that the unwritten rule of Indo-British relations was that the less the better for both the sides!? The result is that in spite of a surfeit of information, outsiders know much less about India than India knows about the otside world.
The author says that the caste system is the name given to the various racial, social, cultural and economic groups that constitute Hindu society. The caste system has not created divesity and disuniy; all it has done is organized the diversity and disunity that already existed into a socially acceptable form. By doing this, the caste system has reduced the possibility of conflict between competing groups. Thus, it has acted as a force of stability during chaotic times. Though it may appear inequitable to outsiders, it is not really so for it has grown and evolved through the ages. Given the current international scenario, the author’s views on Islam and the conduct of muslims are worth paying attention to. The author says that Islam does not permit muslims to remain under the rule of non-muslims. There are two broad strands within the muslim community – those who look upon India as a “Land of Strife”, in which it is the (religious) duty of muslims to fight non-muslims, and those who do not. (In India, the former group are known as Muslim indians, whereas the latter are known as Indian muslims.) It is this mindset of the muslims, aided and abetted by a mindless fanaticism, that lead to the partition of India. The author says that compared to the Islamic conquest, the effect of British
colonial rule is unimportant. Its lasting legcy has been the introduction of the English language, and the creation of a “westernised” upper middle class or ruling elite. Even after the much sought after independence, the old colonial system has continued more or less unchanged. This system is totally unsuited to independent India, because its sole purpose was the suppression of the populace and the perpetuation of colonial rule. The author dscribes the credo of
secularism as a curse on the unfortunate people of India. This secularism is only a façade; behind it lies a dangerous void of faith and ideas. What the author means is that this secularism is artificial because it is alien to the soil of India, and that its adoption by the ruling class has estranged the rulers from the ruled. Divorced from his culture and traditions, the Hindu loses his inner strength and his very raison d’etre. The author says the pretense of secularism has removed the restraining hand of dharma (duty/faith) on our passions, and the result is widespread immorality in our public life. The author says that Hindus have not hesitated in adopting certin aspects of foreign culture, because of the inherent faith they have in the strength of their own culture. As for the impetuosity of youth, the author says that tradition reasserts itself and Hindu society reclaims its own.That is why the author says that the Hindu is hereditary in his outlook. Much has changed since the author wrote this book some forty years ago, but much of it is relevant still; which is why this book is a valuable addition to the study of India, her land, her culture and her people.