A turnaround in the course of Indian history’ is how the 11 March 2017 UP assembly elections are being described. It is believed, the election of a majority BJP government and of a Hindu mathadhikari as the Chief Minister of India’s most populous State is an expression of resurgence of Hinduism, not just a religious awakening. In 21st century India, this is the third such symbolic public demonstration of saffron ascendancy, says author Prafull Goradia, who was an eye-witness to the first such assertion in recent times, the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. Until the advent of Narendra Modi, no leader was able to inspire the Hindu confidence for the expression of their true sentiments, he asserts. The book, Saffron Awakening, takes a look at what UP suffered during centuries of Islamic rule and analyses why Uttar Pradesh voted the way it did. Never before has the Hindu expressed himself with such vengeance. It is a time of Saffron Awakening.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Prafull Goradia
The Saffron Book is neither a hidden agenda nor a secret conspiracy. It is the open manifesto of a modern Indian who was born in Mumbai, bred in Gujarat, brought up in Kolkata and now shuttles between Vadodara and Delhi. He has a second house in Kochi as well as a residence in Ahmedabad. His business is spread across nine cities from Guwahati in the east to Coonoor and Coimbatore in the South. Son of a Boston University Graduate, his wife and both his daughters finished their studies at Cambridge, England. Schooled by Catholic Anglo-Indians, he graduated from Elphinstone College, Mumbai, in 1956. He later learnt spoken Urdu from Agha Iqbal Mirza who was a virtual member of the household for eight years until he died in 1986. His earliest business benefactors happened to be the Jewish Elias family of Calcutta. Two of his aunts were Parsee. Although a Gujarati, Goradia also speaks Hindi and Bengali. His great grandfather was the first allopath to pass out of an Indian university with a degree called Licenciate of Medicine in 1863. His grandfather was the Divan of Morbi state in Saurashtra until 1933. All in all, he has not the slightest grouse against any community. The only difference between him and some members of the intelligentsia is that he does not pay the tribute that the Hindu politeness often pays to anti Hindus who wear the slogan of secularism on their sleeve. Hypocrisy is not the key to achieving Hindu Muslim oneness without which India cannot be integrated. Many a great soul beginning with Emperor Akbar to Bhakta Kabir to Mahatma Gandhi has tried. Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi a la Shah Bano also attempted. Yet the equation has oscillated between that of acquaintance and the adversary. At best, they have smiled and at worst they have killed one another. It has never firmed up into friendship. Goradia believes no one can be a friend unless he is frank and forthright. The Saffron Book is his answer to fulfil his undying desire for a united India where 100 crore people can move forward like one person to catch up on their lost centuries.
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