Indian Controversies; by Arun Shourie.

Arun Shourie as ever steps into regions of situations in India that most people in public life steer clear of for fear of being object of mudslinging or worse, and treats the subjects he looks into with the same clear incisive light of reason that he used to for his journalistic career, giving facts about the issues from history and present, and analysis without partisan considerations. Shourie brings his usual journalistic integrity to the whole topic, with facts found and laid before the reader, with clear light of reason and analysis of the whole issue - or rather the whole basket of issues that he deals with in this book.

From Sikh extremists turmoil and their harping on various quotes brought to table with the various vitupertions of some of the Sikh revered Gurus against mainstream and very popular deities of India (which explains the surprising change of name of one extremely popular deity in north - much visited by both Hindu and Sikh people - a name change that goes against ancient tradition in a strange way) and sects, and reasoned analysis of today's - or rather yesteryear's perhaps, since the Sikh extremism fomented by exterior (to India) interests is now seemingly over - propaganda; to the history of various Islamic invaders and destruction of temples by them, and the issues about whole temples destruction by various invaders and reconstruction thereof matter; to the historical proofs thereof being removed from libraries and later editions of English language books (but not the original versions), to the court cases that have been going on for over two hundred years and have been delayed in the political interest first by the British rulers and subsequently by the Indian ones, especially those that ruled most of the time since independence; to the question of a common civil code for India and history of the question thereof, to other various issues, Shourie deals with various controversies that have plagued the nation increasingly more in recent years. Which is why this book is a good place to get to know about the various stormy controversies that India has been plagued with often quite unnecessarily and for such ignominious reasons as a dirty political game overriding the interests of the nation.

None of these things, or at least very very few, are actually secrets - they are no secret to anyone with even a little acquaintance with history, and this book contains few surprises except that of finding someone willing to speak out the truth and lay facts before public so clearly. In a country like India where one cannot do much without everyone around being aware with gossip and comments without reserve, there can be few secrets really - but while most people do know all this and might admit it the truth of it all in privacy, most people steer clear of such issues, especially in public life where the overwhelming considerations are security for oneself and family on one hand and to some extent (especially for those in power most of the time) pandering to the dominating interests; and those that don't do so are in danger of being at the bull's eye of everyone's free range for shooting slime and being treated like criminals, merely for telling it like it is rather than pretending for sake of pleasing partisan interests of mostly powers from outside the nation.

Most people therefore do know about all of this in broad terms and perhaps well over half the details he brings to light, but most also refrain from speaking out or admitting any of it for fear of being a target of mud slinging and being forever at the receiving end of slimeball politics.

And yet the book is worthy of much credit for documenting once for all various details and evidences and proofs and reasonings involved in the various issues, - and the author is deserving of credit for the qualities that go into his persona and work.

So one has to thank this ever fearless journalist from the pre emergency era who has not given up telling the truth as it is. If anyone doubts about the risk he is incurring - one site has just gone blank on me for posting this review, so I had to write this one all over fresh. Perhaps the review benefited from a rewriting, but one can only know for certain if the other version is recovered.

From the very public - and yet shrouded in secrecy - murder of John F. Kennedy, to Diana's death to the grail question, various attempts have been going on to pooh pooh what they usually term conspiracy theories. One can add a grand one to them all now, about that against India and her ancient civilisation and roots. The conspiracy deniers and pooh poohers might one day deny there was a nation so wonderful as India with her unbelievably rich heritage. Hope this never shall come to pass.

The picture that comes to mind with an uncanny similarity - not for the book but more for the situation, generally - is that of the ancient epic Mahaabhaarata where the sons of Gods lose and go on losing time after time, almost until the end when Divine finally has to step in and help the fight on the side of right, and meanwhile the ignoble, the greedy, the manipulating and the evil go on scoring and exiling the good, the reasonable, even the loved ones. Not that Raamaayana was or is different in this by much - but it had fewer villains and less complications, being earlier in history, and the villains were strangers to the good ones, to say the least.

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