'This book elaborates how India was betrayed after Independence'

A renewed debate on the meaning of nationalism in contemporary India took centre stage on Tuesday with the launch of “My Idea of Nation First: Redefining Unalloyed Nationalism, authored by senior journalist Uday Mahurkar, at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.

- AAISHA SABIR

Author Uday Mahurkar described the book as an attempt to interrogate ideas rather than individuals. While acknowledging Mahatma Gandhi’s contributions to social reform, cleanliness and grassroots empowerment, he argued that certain historical decisions needed critical examination from the standpoint of national interest.

“This book elaborates how India was betrayed after Independence,” Mahurkar said, adding that emotional nationalism and the tendency to view past leaders as infallible had prevented an honest appraisal of history. He maintained that an uncritical pursuit of Hindu-