BOOK REVIEW : Girilal Jain, The Hindu Phenomenon, UBSPD, New Delhi, 1994, vii+170pp.

This article provides a scholarly review of the book "The Hindu Phenomenon" by the influential Indian journalist and commentator, Girilal Jain. The reviewer summarizes the book's central thesis, which offers a robust intellectual defense of Hindu nationalism and a critique of the secular consensus that had dominated Indian politics since independence. The review highlights the key arguments presented by Jain, including his analysis of the civilizational roots of Hindu identity and his contention that the rise of the Hindutva movement was an authentic and long-overdue political awakening. The reviewer assesses the strengths of Jain's polemical and historical arguments, while also offering a critical perspective on the book's interpretations and its potential political implications. The review concludes by recognizing the book's importance as a significant and articulate statement of the Hindu nationalist worldview, making it an essential, if controversial, text for understanding the major ideological shifts occurring in contemporary India.

This article offers a critical review of Girilal Jain's provocative and important book, "The Hindu Phenomenon." The review begins by positioning the book not as a neutral academic study, but as a powerful political tract written by one of India's most prominent public intellectuals. It encapsulates the author's main argument: that the rise of Hindu political consciousness, far from being an aberration, was a natural and necessary reassertion of India's core civilizational identity after decades of suppression by a Westernized, secular elite. The reviewer then systematically discusses the key themes of the book. This includes Jain's historical analysis, his critique of the Nehruvian state, and his robust defense of the cultural and political aspirations of the Hindutva movement. The review engages critically with Jain's polemical style and his often-controversial interpretations of Indian history and politics. It would likely assess the intellectual coherence of his arguments and contrast them with the mainstream secular and liberal perspectives on Indian nationalism. The review would likely conclude that "The Hindu Phenomenon" is a seminal text, not because one has to agree with its conclusions, but because it provides one of the most articulate and forceful expressions of the Hindu nationalist ideology that was rapidly gaining political ascendancy in India during the 1990s. As such, it is presented as indispensable reading for anyone seeking to understand the deep ideological currents shaping modern India.