5.0 out of 5 stars A Powerful, Unflinching Mirror to a Nation’s Transformation

Z. · May 30, 2025

Reading The New India by Rahul Bhatia was a deeply personal experience for me. I grew up in India during many of the pivotal moments this book captures—the rise of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, the shocking demolition of the Babri Masjid when I was just 13, the assassinations of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, the slow yet deliberate rise of the BJP, and the shifting tone of public discourse shaped by leaders like LK Advani, Uma Bharti, and Vajpayee.What makes Bhatia’s work so compelling is how it connects the dots that many have seen but few have so clearly and courageously outlined. As someone who watched these events unfold firsthand, I’ve long felt the growing presence of the RSS and Hindutva ideology was not just a political trend but something far deeper and more structural—something reminiscent of the rise of authoritarian movements elsewhere in history. The parallels with the early days of the SS in Germany always haunted me, and I’ve often wondered why more scholars weren’t exploring these similarities with urgency. Finally, someone has.Bhatia does an exceptional job of not only chronicling these developments, but also providing the historical context and political psychology behind them. He blends reportage with analysis, giving the reader a sense of both what happened and why it matters. His writing is clear and direct, yet filled with nuance. He doesn't resort to alarmism, but the alarm is there—rightly so—built through careful documentation of how democratic norms have been eroded, institutions weakened, and identities weaponized.The book is not an easy read emotionally, especially for those of us who still carry the memories of a different India—an imperfect but more pluralistic, hopeful country. But it is a necessary one. It puts into words what many of us have felt and feared: that the transformation of India has not been accidental, but engineered, with a long view and deep roots.The New India is not just a political book—it’s a wake-up call, a reckoning, and, perhaps, the beginning of a broader conversation that India and the world urgently need to have. For anyone trying to make sense of the country's current trajectory through a historical and comparative lens, this is essential reading.

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read: A Mirror to Democracy's Global Decline

W. · January 4, 2025

Rahul Bhatia’s The New India is a must-read for anyone concerned with the global decline of democracy, human rights, privacy, and the growing threat of groupthink. While the book centers on India, its themes resonate universally, reflecting a system of operations eroding democratic values worldwide.For me, the character of Nisar, along with others in civil society, embodies the frustrations and resilience of the silent majority across the globe. They are courageous individuals, willing to challenge a system intent on silencing dissent, often at significant personal cost. Most importantly, they pose the critical question we must all confront: What makes perfectly innocent people act against their and society’s interests?On page 409, Nisar’s poignant reflection encapsulates the anguish many feel:"What a beautiful country this is," he said between rice fields. "It is such a big country; they have made it so small. They have filled people's heads with rumors and innuendos, so they hate each other. In the Quran is written wherever you live, so you should make it strong. But people don't read. They don't read their books and try to understand."This heartfelt observation speaks to a beautiful soul grieving for his motherland and grappling with society's divisive state of mind. The New India serves as both a mirror and a warning—urging us to reflect, resist apathy, and ask the questions that matter before it’s too late.

2.0 out of 5 stars disappointing

t. · January 29, 2025

this book is described on its jacket as a formal history of the transformation of india from postcolonial times under the humanistic leadership of mahatma ghandi into its present iteration as a hindu nationalistic state under prime minister narendra modi. the book is weirdly structured. there is some descriptive history interwoven into the narrative, but mostly the book revolves around a series of ad nauseum interviews and encounters between the author, rahul bhatia, and members of the right wing, hindu nationalistic organization RSS. the book was not tightly edited and the narrative was much too focused on the author's own personal experiences and perspective, which were neither relevant nor interesting.