Breaking India
Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines is a book written by Rajiv Malhotra and Aravindan Neelakandan which argues that India's integrity is being undermined by the support of western institutions for the Dravidian movement and Dalit identity. It was published by Amaryllis in 2011. In 2011, this book was in the list of top 10 bestseller books in India.[1]
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| Author | Rajiv Malhotra, Aravindan Neelakandan |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Amaryllis, An imprint of Manjul Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. |
Publication date | 2011 |
| Pages | 640 |
| ISBN | 978-8191067378 |
| OCLC | 706503582 |
| Part of a series on |
| Dravidian culture and history |
|---|
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| Portal:Dravidian civilizations |
Synopsis
According to the book's promotional website breakingindia.com:
India's integrity is being undermined by three global networks that have well-established operating bases inside India: (i) Islamic radicalism linked with Pakistan, (ii) Maoists and Marxist radicals supported by China via intermediaries such as Nepal, and (iii) Dravidian and Dalit identity separatism being fostered by the West in the name of human rights. This book focuses on the third: the role of U.S. and European churches, academics, think-tanks, foundations, government and human rights groups in fostering separation of the identities of Dravidian and Dalit communities from the rest of India.[2]
In the introductory chapter of Breaking India, Malhotra writes:
This book looks at the historical origins of both the Dravidian movement and Dalit identity, as well as the current players involved in shaping these separatist identities. It includes an analysis of the individuals and institutions involved and their motivations, activities, and desired endgame. While many are located in the US and the European Union, there are an increasing number in India too, the latter often functioning like the local branch offices of these foreign entities.[3]
The co-author Aravindan Neelakandan said: "We wrote the book for all Indians for you and me because we do not want our children to end up in refugee camps."[4]
Upendra Baxi said that the book essentially focuses on "3-S":[5]
- Subordination of India's independence
- Surveillance of independent India
- Subversion of independent India
Translation
In December 2011, a Tamil version of the book titled Udaiyum India? was released.[6] In April 2014, a Hindi version of the book titled Bharat Vikhandan was released.[7]
On 15 February 2015, a Kannada version of the book titled Bharatha Bhanjana was released in Bengaluru[8] by the noted Kannada litterateur M. Chidananda Murthy. The book is translated to Kannada by Shri Lakshmikanth Hegde and edited by R. V. Jahagiradar, with a foreword by the renowned Kannada novelist S. L. Bhyrappa.[9]
Reception
Positive response
Several speakers at the book release gave a positive response to Breaking India. For example:
eminent international jurist and Member of Parliament Shri Ram Jethmalani said that [the book] is "an eye opener, a warning to us" of not only of internal enemies but external ones too who are collaborating with dummies, proxies inside our border and trying to weaken India, break her unity, integration and ultimately to jeopardise our freedom, sovereignty, culture.[10]
Columnist, public intellectual, and financial analyst S Gurumurthy said: he said that
This work is long overdue. There have been a lot of efforts to expose the kind of machinations that's going on to pervert our nationalism, pervert our past, pervert our great heroes, pervert even our spiritual personalities like Thiruvalluvar.
Criticism
Philosophy master and Christian social reformer Vishal Mangalwadi (who was a topic in the book) wrote:
The authors of Breaking India display a tremendous capacity for collecting data. Had they also the intellectual integrity to interpret fairly the people they critique, they might have won many hearts and minds. The authors' goal is noble – to unite India – although they come across as terrorists, indiscriminately shooting every Western scholar, linguist, scientist, politician, philanthropist, and missionary who ever spoke out against the oppression of "lower caste" Indians. "Faultlines" that divide India can be bridged if the case for unity is made honestly, with grace and charity. After 650 pages, I was left with feeling that the authors heaped loads of insult on every intelligent Hindu who feels that caste and untouchability are wrong.[11]
Gita Ramaswamy writes:
This doorstopper of a book is really one long polemical pamphlet. The authors' intention is historiographical confrontation with Bible-thumpers in Tamil Nadu, but what they lack is expertise in handling historical data and a professional approach [...] The problem is in analysing Dravidian and Dalit faultlines. They don't get wished away by denial. One would expect the authors to analyse these faultlines, acknowledge the limited validity of conversions and identity politics, and discuss their limitations. Instead, they are in denial throughout and consequently fall into outrageous positions ... While Dravidianists insist on the fact of an Aryan invasion (and are supported by studies of scholars such as Romila Thapar), Malhotra disproves them—but uses the same tiresome polemic without the attendant scholarship.[12]
See also
References
- "Amazon India Bestsellers". April 2014.
- breakingindia.com
- Rajiv Malhotra (2011), Breaking India: Introduction
- "Breaking India. The book launch The ploy against India exposed". 27 February 2011. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
- "Book Release: 'Breaking India'". 14 February 2011.
- "Udaiyum India? on Flipkart".
- "Rajiv Malothra on Twitter". April 2014.
- "Rajiv Malhotra on Twitter". 15 February 2015.
- "Kannada Version of Shri Rajiv Malhotra's Breaking India; Book Release in Bangalore". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- "Ram Jethmalani releases the book Breaking India". 9 February 2011.
- Review by Vishal Mangalwadi Archived October 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- {{cite web | url=https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/yankee-hindutva-strikes/271815 | first=Gita | last=Ramaswamy | date=23 May 2011 | title=Yankee Hindutva Strikes | publisher=Outlook | accessdate=18 January 2020
External links
Breaking India
Rajiv Malhotra