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✋🏽 Stop Giving Voice To The Detractors Of India & Hindus
Dear Reader,
What happens when those entrusted to protect the nation's soul and ethos invite its detractors to define the narrative?
The recent debacle at the Ahmedabad International Book Festival (AIBF) 2024 reveals a deeper rot in the government’s cultural outreach—a failure to vet participants whose ideologies stand in stark opposition to India’s civilizational ethos.
In my piece, "End The Self-Sabotage: Government Must Stop Lending Credibility To Those Who Despise India", I try to outline how cultural events, funded by taxpayer money, are repeatedly hijacked by individuals who distort India's heritage and history.
At AIBF 2024, names like William Dalrymple, who has previously de-platformed Indian voices and mocked the nation’s democratic choices, are being presented with a spotlight to propagate their distorted and mischievous agendas.
Joining him were other authors whose works, views, and public statements are riddled with contempt for Hindu traditions and Indian institutions.
Today, Harshil Mehta, who first noted and called out the fiasco at AIBF, narrates his personal ordeal in his thought-provoking article — "Why I Am Reading ‘The Golden Road’ But Opposing Dalrymple At AIBF".
Harshil explains that while he is reading Dalrymple’s book, he couldn’t ignore the author's troubling track record—de-platforming others while enjoying platforms funded by the same nation he critiques.
He contends, "those who promote cancel culture or bullying should be met with the same response".
His relentless efforts in exposing the laxity at AIBF, forced the organisers (Amdavad Municipal Corporation and National Book Trust) to backpedal and course-correct.
This isn’t just about AIBF. The pattern isn't new. It is not a bug. Rather it’s a recurring feature of government-sponsored events over the last decade. Frustrating at the least and colossally damaging at the worst.
Why does this happen? Bureaucratic negligence, ideological apathy, or worse, a desire to appease hostile narratives?
The Fallout: When platforms meant to celebrate Indian heritage host those who mock it, they end up alienating supporters, embolden detractors, and imprint a distorted narrative on future generations.
The stakes cannot be higher.
What Needs to Change? We argue for structured and structural reforms:
Rigorous Vetting: Government events must have advisors who align with ideological clarity and national ethos to help screen the guests and speakers.
Accountability: Officials responsible for such lapses must face consequences.
Balanced Dialogues: While alternate viewpoints should be welcomed, outright distortions cannot be tolerated.
These aren’t just fixes—they’re imperatives. If we fail to act, we risk losing the cultural and ideological mandate this nation has fought so hard to reclaim.
Read the above-mentioned articles here and here. Also, we have something beautiful for you in the next section. Check it out!
- Anmol N Jain
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