“Rescuing History from the Left”, Open Magzine, October 10, 2025
“I DO NOT WISH to sound overly sensational or sentimental, but I was supposed to see SL Bhyrappa on the day he died. He had been ailing for a while, but the end felt sudden and unexpected. Also heartbreaking for so many in his large circle of family, friends, admirers, and millions of readers.
In my own case, I must confess that I did not know the great man all that well, but I owed him a special debt of gratitude. Indeed, one of his last acts of literary, intellectual, and personal generosity was the touching blurb he sent for my new book, Hindutva and Hind Swaraj: History’s Forgotten Doubles.
I shall quote it in full: “An inviting and compelling exploration of the ideological and political differences between Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. This book is unique and brilliant.” Bhyrappa’s words, emblazoned on the front cover of my book, have bound me forever with him. He was in hospital, but he sent his endorsement through Dr Gouri Sekhar, one of his closest confidants and supporters…….”
Read full article at openthemagazine.com
