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The book review titled "Review of Hindu Nationalism and Terrorism in India: The Saffron Threat to Democracy" by Eamon Murphy provides a critical examination of the relationship between Hindu nationalism, terrorism, and state violence in India. The book challenges the myth that all terrorists are Muslims and explores the role of Hindus in terrorism, particularly state terrorism. It delves into the complexities of Hindu nationalism and its impact on democracy, communal violence, and the targeting of minority groups, specifically Muslims. The review highlights the author's balanced perspective on the involvement of both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the main opposition Congress Party in the politicization of religious extremism and the terrorizing of minority communities. The book also discusses the "Saffronization" of democratic institutions and the suppression of the mass media under BJP rule. Overall, this book provides valuable insights into the intersection of Hindu nationalism, terrorism, and state violence in India, making it a significant contribution to the field of critical terrorism studies. [Extracted from the article]

The book "Democratic Setbacks in Asia" explores different aspects of the situation in South, East, and Southeast Asia that present common trends in the region. The book is divided into nine chapters and addresses specific cases in the Asian region, such as the debate on democracy, civil-military relations, the role of Buddhism in politics, and transnational activism. It also analyzes the management of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the political situation in Myanmar, the evolution of Cambodia's regime towards competitive authoritarianism, the case of Indonesia, and Taiwanese identity. The objective of the book is to provide a better understanding of democratic setbacks in Asia and their global relevance. [Extracted from the article]

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The book "Sacred cows & chicken manchurian: the everyday politics of eating meat in India" by James Staples challenges the oversimplified binary on Indian food preferences, particularly in South India, through anthropological research in Andhra Pradesh. Staples explores the historical context of beef consumption in India, the evolution of dietary habits, and the factors influencing food choices, including economic, cultural, and global market influences. The author also delves into the complex interplay of factors driving dietary transitions in South India, highlighting the multifaceted nature of food choices beyond simplistic political attributions. The book offers a detailed study of the everyday politics behind eating meat in India, contributing significantly to the anthropology of food, sociology, history, and related disciplines. [Extracted from the article]

In his new book, I Modi's India: Hindu nationalism and the rise of ethnic democracy i , Christophe Jaffrelot, a long-time observer of Indian politics, argues that a fundamental transformation is taking place in the country today, as the world's largest democracy mutates into "an authoritarian Hindu Raj" (p. 6). Modi's India: Hindu nationalism and the rise of ethnic democracy: by Christophe Jaffrelot; translated by Cynthia Schoch, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2021, xvi + 639 pp., £28 (ebook), ISBN 9780691206806 Dividing India's post-independence democratic journey into three ages, Jaffrelot views the period following the rise of Narendra Modi and Hindu Nationalism since 2014 as the "third age" of Indian democracy. [Extracted from the article]

On the one hand, the author evinces heartfelt enthusiasm for India's cultural richness and diversity and for its people's creativity, resourcefulness, and love of storytelling. Following a seven-part introduction that expands on these arguments, the author turns to selected examples of bionationalism's contemporary manifestations. Chapter 5, "Conceiving a Hindu Nation: (Re)Making the Indian Womb", takes an equally provocative look at what the author calls "an evolving technopatriarchal, transnational morality play" about the generative roles of Indian women (184). [Extracted from the article]

Twenty-five years after his seminal book, I The Hindu Nationalist Movement and Indian Politics i (Jaffrelot, [1]), Christophe Jaffrelot has written something of a sequel. The movement's political wing, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) now dominates Indian politics at the national level and governs several state governments. These policy designs are worthy of attention as they are revealing of both the BJP's changing politics; the circulation, and uses of global development policies; as well as the types of citizens the government wishes to create. [Extracted from the article]

Jaffrelot's approach is essentially descriptive theory borrowing; namely how India conforms to the checklist model of populism, authoritarianism or ethnic democracy. The rise of Hindu nationalists to power in India since 2014 under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi has produced contrasting explanations of this phenomenon: as a species of authoritarian populism, a by-product of India's transition to an authoritarian industrial state (like other Asian states), or as a form of ethnic consolidation. [Extracted from the article]

A review of the book "Hindu Nationalism in India: Ideology and Politics," by Bidyut Chakrabarty and Bhuwan Jha, is presented.

The article reviews the book "Pogrom in Gujarat: Hindu Nationalism and Anti-Muslim Violence in India" by Parvis Ghassem-Fachandi.

The article reviews the books "Secularism's Last Sigh? Hindutva and the (Mis)Rule of Law," by Brenda Cossman and Ratna Kapur and "Indian Secularism: A Social and Intellectual History 1870-1950," by Shabnum Tejani.

The article reviews the book "The Everyday Life of Hindu Nationalism: An Ethnographic Account," by Shubh Mathur.

In the Introduction, Ramos examines the key narrative of the goddess Sati and the origin of the I pithas i . In Chapter 2, Ramos turns to the famous Kamakhya temple in Assam, which is believed to be the seat of the goddess' yoni or sexual organ. Finally, in the conclusion, Ramos brings the discussion of pilgrimage, politics, and nationalism up to the present by examining the rhetoric of right-wing politicians in the twenty-first century. [Extracted from the article]