See

discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280646432

Book Review : The Argumentative Indian:

Writings on Indian History, Culture and
Identity (Paperback)

Technical Report · July 2005

CITATIONS READS

0 590

1 author:

Hemanta Saikia
Debraj Roy College
17 PUBLICATIONS 4 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Hemanta Saikia on 04 August 2015.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Book Review

Name of the book: The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History,

Culture and Identity (Paperback)

Author: Amartya Sen

Language: English
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Publication date: June 2, 2005
Pages: 256
ISBN: 978-0-7139-9687-6
Price: Rs. 1,129

Review:
The book is a amalgamation of contributions of Novel Prize winner renowned economist
Amartya Sen’s glorious essays on public conversation and rational pluralism in Indian society that
incorporate Indian history, uniqueness, culture, focusing on the tradition social debates and
intellectual pluralism. It is the perceptions of Indian culture, history, or individuality which is not
inevitably distorted or discerning but also without having a clear scientific interpretation. The book
is a coherent challenge to the conformist perception of history mainly what is meant by the
eastern/western perception and more specifically, what constitutes the mindset of people.
Therefore, it may be termed as an exploration into the approach of being Indian in an ideal
normative prudence. This is a book highlight of the audacity for exchange of thoughts which is
intensely rooted within the native people that will lead to the triumph of normative democratic
ideas/institutions and scouting the Indian class organism and disparity. Sen pointed out that these
coherent confrontational societies have been significant in the amplification of Indian secular polity
which will be crucial in the ultimate triumph of egalitarian outlines and imminent social justice.
The book is superbly written and each essay is a delight to comprehend. It ought to be essential
appraisal for any person gravely involved in contemporary Indian culture and tradition.
The book is comprised of four parts: the first part converses the arguments of general
civilization of pluralistic clash within India; right from Buddha or Ashoka to modern India. The
second parts attempts to refurbish the idea’s of Rabindranath Tagore as a coherent polymath,
fascinating spiritual and socio political opinion, and look over country’s association to other
societies, including the western countries along with china; particularly the unreceptive and
intellectually worthwhile cross relationship between Asian cultures. The third part of the book
looks at divergences of class and criticizes disparity in Indian society and opinions that have been
used to rationalize them. Lastly, the book explores modern cultures of secularism and restraint in
Indian context.
Sen disproves the superficial western explanation of India as a mainly Hindu religion
country with the same rigorous erudition that he knock down the isolationist, bounded view of
Hindutva held by the Hindu right that lined India. He propounds a vision of Hinduism as a
comprehensive thinking rather than an exclusionist or disruptive faith. This view of Hinduism is
grown up enough and openhanded enough to accommodate disorderly views and even
philosophical skepticism. This is a sizable view of a broad and munificent Hinduism, which
distinction sharply with the narrow and hostile version that is currently on proffer, led mainly by
parts of the Hindutva association. Sen remarks that, in order to comprehend the contentions of the
Indian, it is essential to clutch the philosophy and thoughts contained in the Ramayana, the
Mahabharata, the Bhagwat Gita-the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna. The Buddha’s
insight towards life and earth as contained in various Buddhist credentials, writings of
Rabindranath Tagore, Radhakrishnan, Gandhi, Nehru etc. Sen frequently cites Akbar's as a
broadminded in a pluralist framework and his focus on the function of reasoning in choosing this
approach. Akbar held that reason cannot but be uppermost, since even when disputing reason, we
would have to give cause for that argument. Yet, Sen makes an influential remark that these men
were far more progressive than their worldwide contemporaries.
Sen is also annoyed with contemporary attacks on modernity of India. The attackers believe
modernity as a European intellectual phenomenon and distinct by a typical philosophy like
individuality, advancement, secularism, and democratic system and they question its universality or
appropriateness for the non western world. With concepts like ‘reason’ and ‘heterodoxy’, Sen
considers the idea of modernity as perplexing and immaterial as a pointer of merit or demerit in
evaluating contemporary precedence. The point is that there is no run away from the obligatory to
examine and review ideas no matter whether they are seen as pro-modern or anti-modern. The
pertinent question is how these strategies would influence the lives of people.
The book also has a focus on the cinema of Satyajit Ray, one of India's famous film-makers.
Ray, whose debut film, Pather Panchali, endures still as a wonderful, touching and important movie
was more than only a film maker. He was an amazingly gifted playwright, artist and creator,
perfectly moving connecting the worlds of Western and Indian classical music. Sen argues that Ray
accomplishes this amalgamation by drawing on the sacrilegious tradition of India. He was willing
to accumulate from other cultures and was able to combine that knowledge with what he had
swallowed from his own. The book is also breaks away from the usual perceptions that Indians
have a unique quality where they assimilate ideas from western culture into their own, as he pointed
out to the case of Satyajit Ray. Sen delineates three types of western approach to India: the
exoticism, the authoritative, and the curatorial. He contends that these structures are strengthening
each other. This, in turn, has strongly prejudiced the design of the modern Indian identity. Sen
reveals that India is a country with a long tradition of sacrilege, honesty, and rational dialogue, a
sizeable India that is inclusive, broadminded, and multicultural. This contrast with at least two key
insights of India in modern times: a Western and an Indian as the land of religion, the country of
unsuspecting faith and unquestioned practices and the Hindutva idea of India. The Argumentative
Indian will provide a new dimension and perspective to that perception.
However, there are some limitations of the book as criticized by the economists on several
grounds. Firstly, Sen does not depart beyond stating self evident precisions. Although, adequately
written, and with many points of interest, there is a slenderness and ostentation about the whole that
displeases. One restraint of the book is that the use of history is as deceitful and unresponsive as
that of those Sen wishes to convey down. The Argumentative Indian is not adequately thoughtful
and gives out as a vigorous prompt that history is continually being used in an insecurely
adolescent way. Another curb of the book is in its format. His intellectual touch in this progression
is however evident. Unfortunately, on some topics the arguments presented were superficial and too
prejudiced. Example: Dr. Sen also took India to task for becoming a Nuclear Nation, in spite of
poverty in India. Dr. Sen's influences would hold water in utopian world and egalitarian society.
Unfortunately in today's uni-polar world and with Indian friendly neighbors growing defense
expenditure year after year, India was left with no alternative then protects itself. Sen has
scrutinized history not only by conventional historical essays but also on spiritual and civilizing
essays in sharp contrast to the living and approach of the rulers, emperors and zamindars. The
Argumentative Indian has many disputations and it is required to think that no book is the end of
history. We still believe that a good quality history book for a country must to be one which put up
faith among the people towards a superior shared life with the principle and laws of the land as
developed without needlessly being gripped with what has occurred over the past in the peripheral
and in conformity with present needs but not exposed outlook continuously. Sharp analytical
scrutiny is also required to understand the advancement of such an enormously assorted country as
India which contains all imaginable features of the globe in miniaturized structure.
To sum up, in spite of the dissimilarity of outlooks on some of the contents and
interpretation, this book provides outstanding thoughts and forces the reader to consider. This book
has an outstanding accomplishment and moral vision of history, civilization and political economy.
Prof. Sen views resound with grand kings like Ashoka, Akbar and first Prime Minister of India
Jawaharlal Nehru. His book provides as good source of stimulation for the younger generation to
better comprehend how Indian magnitude lies in its assortment and lenience towards citizens of all
countries, class, faith, belief and colors. Sen focuses how Hindu fundamentalism hurts Hinduism
and the initiative of India, because it accommodates that has been the trademark of Hinduism. It has
given it the pliability that it has shown through its long history. Dr. Sen also does an outstanding
 remark and driving the point that India has lot more than the spiritual, supernatural land that has
been deployed over the years. Concluding the book, he remarks that the Indian identity has been
seen as amazing of a 'federal' notion that draws on the different spiritual community, perhaps even
including non-religious attitude within the list of the elements of a 'federation of cultures’.
Therefore, Indian identity is not singular one rather a federal concept isolated from religious
judgment. On the whole, Amartya Sen’s The Argumentative Indian is one of the greatest
contributions to our intellectual convention.

Reference:
Sen Amartya (2005) ‘The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity’,
Penguin Books Ltd, New Delhi, India.

Reviewed by
Dr. Hemanta Saikia

View publication stats