Book Review – “Twilight Prisoners- The Rise of Hindu Right and Fall of India”

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By Syed Ali Mujtaba, Copy Edited By Adam Rizvi, The India Observer, TIO: Siddhartha Deb’s book “Twilight Prisoners- The Rise of Hindu Right and Fall of India” comprises essays on the erosion of constitutional arrangement and the rise of the Hindu Right in India.

The 10 years of Modi rule have seen the absolute dominance of the Hindu right in the body politic of India, particularly in North India.

Deb writes, “The assault appears across institutions, culture, and communities. This murderous assault is the utter degradation of India’s poor and minorities. The BJP rule has gagged the voices of dissent and liberalism in India.”

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“Twilight Prisoners” is broken into three parts, each with three essays.  The essays range from an analysis of Modi’s violence and rage to a critique of the Hindu Right’s delusions about ancient Indian science and technology. Notable in the book of nine excellent essays are a moving piece on Manipur and one on the assassination of Gauri Lankesh.

 Deb writes with an uncanny intelligence marked with a deep uneasiness about the state of Indian society.  Modern fascism has a moving target of hate which in the Indian context oscillates between Muslims, “Western” elites, farmers, the urban poor, lower castes, or Indians in the Eastern provinces.

Deb writes, “The biggest target of the Modi rule is the Indian Muslim community –that is being systematically disenfranchised in Modi’s India.”

Deb continues, “The inauguration of the Ayodhya Temple has made it clear:  Modi’s India is to be a Hindu India, and everyone must pay unto it.  Any resistance will be met with harassment, violence, murder, and elimination and even annihilation.”

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“Twilight Prisoners” is a short, easily readable book that is packed with powerful punches. Deb’s analysis is original and true to the core.  He doesn’t fit into the straight-jacket of the BJP narrative which holds that if you are against us you are either a “Congresswalla” or “Anti-Indian.”

 “Twilight Prisoners” concludes with a powerful statement made by Deb at the end:  “As long as there is resistance and remembrance, there is still hope.”

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Siddhartha Deb is born in Shillong. He lives in Harlem, New York. His fiction and nonfiction have been long-listed for the International Dublin Literary Award, shortlisted for the Orwell Prize, and been awarded the Pen Open Prize. His journalism and essays have appeared in The New York Times, Guardian, New Republic, Baffler, n+1, Dissent and Caravan.

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Curated and Compiled by Humra Kidwai

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