Years ago when I came across Faking News, I was struck by the sheer ingenuity and audacity of the person behind this digital spoof show, which took the mickey out of the mainstream media for its predictable, biased and often silly coverage of politics and personalities in India. Curiosity made me seek him out.
That first meeting was revelatory. I had expected a brash young man with an in-your-face attitude. Rahul turned out to be soft-spoken, polite, more of a listener than a speaker and had a beguiling smile. I have closely followed his work since then, especially his tireless efforts to create an alternative, Right-of-Centre platform for news and views.
The story he tells in this book helps readers understand the amazing rise of Narendra Modi, first as CM of Gujarat and now as PM of India, and why he is so crazily popular among the masses.
It explains why and how pink champagne Nehruvian socialism died, taking down along with it the Indian faux liberal elite’s over-vaulting sense of entitlement. It offers a post-mortem report on the causes that led to the unmourned demise of pseudo-secularism and the loud clamour in its wake for the recognition of Hindu rights.
India is in a deep churn as the masses render the classes irrelevant and a more rooted, more confident, more nationalist new India takes shape and form. To understand the churn that is happening, read this book.
Kanchan Gupta Senior journalist and Distinguished Fellow, ORF (Observer Research Foundation)
Remarks by Kanchan Gupta
Years ago when I came across Faking News, I was struck by the sheer ingenuity and audacity of the person behind this digital spoof show, which took the mickey out of the mainstream media for its predictable, biased and often silly coverage of politics and personalities in India. Curiosity made me seek him out.
That first meeting was revelatory. I had expected a brash young man with an in-your-face attitude. Rahul turned out to be soft-spoken, polite, more of a listener than a speaker and had a beguiling smile. I have closely followed his work since then, especially his tireless efforts to create an alternative, Right-of-Centre platform for news and views.
The story he tells in this book helps readers understand the amazing rise of Narendra Modi, first as CM of Gujarat and now as PM of India, and why he is so crazily popular among the masses.
It explains why and how pink champagne Nehruvian socialism died, taking down along with it the Indian faux liberal elite’s over-vaulting sense of entitlement. It offers a post-mortem report on the causes that led to the unmourned demise of pseudo-secularism and the loud clamour in its wake for the recognition of Hindu rights.
India is in a deep churn as the masses render the classes irrelevant and a more rooted, more confident, more nationalist new India takes shape and form. To understand the churn that is happening, read this book.
Kanchan Gupta
Senior journalist and Distinguished Fellow, ORF (Observer Research Foundation)
More remarks on the book by other dignitaries
Amish Tripathi
Read this book, and get a microcosmic understanding of the massive social changes taking place in India.
Vivek Agnihotri
This is not just the story of Rahul, it’s the story of modern India and it is about you.
Bibek Debroy
The book is evocatively written and portrays India’s metamorphosis beautifully.
Sanjeev Sanyal
Many a newly minted ‘Sanghis’ will identify with this journey.
T.V. Mohandas Pai
The book is an eye-opener for all of us.
Anupam Kher
Very interesting and quite relevant to our times.
Smriti Irani
Story of the coming of age of an average Indian who dared to break the shackles of a Nehruvian past.
Anand Ranganathan
Roushan has written something that is unputdownable.
R. Jagannathan
This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand changing India, and emerging Hindutva.