Vivekananda beyond Hindutva assumptions

Govind Krishnan's book argues the liberal intelligentsia's tendency to treat everything Hindu as suspect results in Vivekananda's appropriation by the Sangh Parivar

Vivekananda: The Philosopher of Freedom

Author: Govind Krishnan V

Publisher: Aleph

Pages: 485+xviii

Price: Rs 999

Typically, the very mention of Vivekananda produces the mental image of a heroic sanyasi, challengingly proud of his Hindu heritage.

This image has an element of truth, but only a half-truth, which, as the cliche goes, is more harmful than a whole lie. Vivekananda was certainly proud of his cultural heritage, but his pride neither excluded critical reflection on this issue nor did it come in the way of the articulation of universal human concerns. As Govind Krishnan V rightly notes, “…the difference between ideal and practice is