Because India Comes First: Reflections on Nationalism, Identity and Culture

By Ram Madhav

The essays in Because India Comes First explore a wide range of issues central to contemporary debates in India: the responsibilities of the head of state, rule of law, peace and public order, Mahatma Gandhi and Gandhism, Ambedkar's ideals, women's empowerment, the Indian judiciary, the Ram Janmabhoomi case, the abrogation of Article 370, and the legacies of leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Arun Jaitley, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance learnings.

The book also examines key decisions made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in recent years, India's diplomatic relations with neighboring countries, and confrontations with China. Madhav analyses India's policymaking history and argues that, moving forward, the nation must put India first. He critiques liberal fascism, deconstructs India's understanding of terrorism, contends that opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is intellectually dishonest, considers lessons from the Black Lives Matter movement in the Indian context, and emphasizes that protests should follow Martin Luther King Jr.'s non-violent principles rather than descending into anarchy.

Together, these essays present a broad vision of India's growth as a global soft power and predict how the nation will evolve over the coming decades. A must-read for those who embrace the idea of a new India and for anyone willing to consider multiple perspectives in every debate.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 8196911319
• ISBN13: 9788196911317
• Release Date: March 2024
• Publisher: Rupa Publications India
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.5"