Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India (77 page)

Once the idea of working on Gita Press was settled, two renowned historians, Shahid Amin and Wendy Doniger, encouraged me to work on the subject. Shahid welcomed the idea with his usual exuberance and Doniger, a doyenne of Hindu studies, gave some vital suggestions that helped me shape my application for the New India Foundation fellowship. She also introduced me to Ulrike Stark, her colleague in the University of Chicago and author of a remarkable book on Naval Kishore Press. Stark asked me to look at the larger colonial politics and how it coincided with the Hindu nationalist project while chronicling the story of Gita Press. In fact, these themes run through the book. A big thank you Ulrike.

The New India Foundation fellowship had eluded me earlier but it taught me the rigour expected of applicants. Thanks to Sunil Khilnani, Krishna Kumar and Tanya Matthan for reading my proposal and making substantive suggestions. I particularly thank Sunil Khilnani for pointing out that the proposal should emphasize the post 1947 history of the Gita Press. Erudite and humble, Tanya read the proposal and made some crucial remarks. Though her own area of interest is far removed from religious politics, Tanya with her eclectic range of reading and knowledge came up with some interesting suggestions. Krishna Kumar, a bilingual education theorist of great repute, reminded me that Hindu nationalism should be seen in the context of competitive communalism. Much of how the Gita Press archives was discovered finds mention in the Introduction. But making sense of it would not have been possible were it not for Charu Gupta, an eminent historian herself. She helped me navigate the maze of archives and constantly encouraged me to complete the work.

A better part of the research was conducted in Gorakhpur, Banaras and Lucknow. I experienced hospitality and made friends during my repeated trips to these towns. In Gorakhpur, Lalmani Tiwari of Gita Press welcomed me with open arms and opened the Press’ library. But if there were no Harikrishna Dujari, there would have been no book. He not only gave me full freedom to access the mammoth archives but ensured I was well taken care of in the Gita Vatika guesthouse. Coming from a family that for generations has worked with Gita Press and its founding editor, Hanuman Prasad Poddar, Dujari was my window to a period gone by. Poddar’s grandson Rasyendu Fogla and his family were equally hospitable and cooperative during my several visits to the town that has become synonymous with Gita Press. I know the book does not replicate their idea of Gita Press and Poddar. But I am sure they will appreciate that the idea behind the book is not to sing paeans of Gita Press but to place it within the larger canvas of Hindu nationalism in colonial and post-colonial India.

As the ambit of research widened, bureaucrat Vrinda Sarup, who would have made a first-rate historian, helped me get access to the Commissioner’s Record Room in Gorakhpur. The then Commissioner, K. Ravindra Babu, and his entire staff need to be thanked for letting me stay in the record room beyond office hours and for plying me with tea and snacks. Ganga Prasad Pandey of Gita Vatika helped with references and material at very short notice. Over my long stays in Gorakhpur the owners of two photocopy shops—Deep Communications and Aman Photocopier—went out of their way to accommodate my almost unrealistic demands and never let me down.

In Banaras, my university friend Ajeet provided me a home away from home. A remarkable man who left a good career to work among sex workers and make a huge difference to their lives, Ajeet, his wife Santwana Manju and little daughter, Barish Brishti, a budding classical singer, gave me company and home food after long days spent in the libraries of the Theosophical Society, Banaras Hindu University and Nagari Pracharini Sabha. In Lucknow, college friend Amrit Abhijat, a bureaucrat, helped me access CID records. The CID Records Office is one of the most efficiently run institutions I have come across. It was on the advice of Malavika Kasturi of the University of Toronto that I went to the office and it was worth the effort. The UP State Archives became my haunt for months. Its staff went out of the way and helped me procure documents at short notice.

In Chandigarh, lawyer Anupam Gupta and his wife Dolly keep an open house and maintain a mammoth library. Thanks to Anupam, I could procure documents and books that would have been impossible to find.

Many Delhi University friends teaching in India and abroad pitched in with research and by reading drafts of various chapters. Thanks to technology, references and material arrived within days and even hours of my demand. It is a long list and I will restrict myself to thank a few of them, the way we have always addressed each other. Thank you A, H, T, N, K and R. Shasank Shekhar Sinha of Routledge India should be singled out for his help in getting me access to academic journals.

Part of the research was conducted in Chennai in the libraries and archives of the Theosophical Society and
The Hindu
newspaper. Thanks to Siddharth Varadarajan, the then editor of
The Hindu
, I was allowed access to the huge archives of the paper. Polite and hospitable, the
Hindu
librarian K. Rajendra Babu presides over the best-maintained archive anywhere in the country that, unlike many other newspapers, has not fallen prey to making money out of its back issues.

In Delhi I made use of, and immensely benefited from, the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML), National Archives of India (NAI) and Marwari Library in Chandni Chowk. NMML and NAI also boast of some of the finest and most cooperative staff. Historian Mushirul Hasan, the then director-general of NAI, and Jaya Ravindran helped me locate sources and facilitated quick access. Thanks to Hasan’s advice I specifically looked at the politics around the cow. Months spent in total silence in NMML’s manuscript and microfilm section were the most rewarding. Ever-smiling Deepa Bhatnagar never says no to a researcher and N. Balakrishnan, an NMML veteran, helped me with everything including organizing books through inter-library lending. NMML director Mahesh Rangarajan was a regular source of encouragement while reminding me it is not always a great idea to carry on research indefinitely. Biswamoy Pati read the first chapter and gave some important suggestions on religious concepts.

As the writing progressed so did deviations from the original idea. Novelist and writer Ajaz Ashraf, a dear friend and colleague for many years, was there to pull me out of long blank phases to assure me that deviations can at times result in something more productive. It was he I would look up to for advice, argument and encouragement. Jyotirmaya Sharma of the University of Hyderabad, and author of highly acclaimed books on Hindutva and M.S. Golwalkar, came to my rescue when for days together I could not fine-tune many arguments. Jyotirmaya unravelled the complexity in simple and insightful language. Thank you, Ajaz and Jyotirmaya, for everything. Sociologist Nandini Sundar helped me understand the deeper politics behind Hindu nationalist fascination with adivasis and what it meant for the Gita Press. She has been a big support.

I got in touch with Monika Freier mid-way through my writing. She has worked on Gita Press and immediately shared her article and dissertation. Monika also led me to Paul Arney who is possibly the first scholar to work on Gita Press. She sent me Paul’s articles and also secured his permission to use them in my book. Thank you, Monika and Paul.

My former colleague and friend Ronojoy Sen introduced me to Medha M. Kudaisya, his colleague at the National University of Singapore. Medha’s magisterial work on G.D. Birla was a big help. She also suggested new sources, especially on the world of Kolkata Marwaris. From the University of Toronto, historian of visual culture and contemporary art Kajri Jain cleared my doubts on artists who worked on Hindu iconography and Gita Press. Friends like Jitendra Kumar and Apoorvanand calmly translated complex Hindi words and sentences over phone or emails. Ravish Tiwari, then with the
Indian Express
, deconstructed small towns of eastern Uttar Pradesh with a quick history. Hridayesh Joshi of
NDTV
, among the finest TV journalists in India, has waited for this book more than anyone else. Long interactions with him have always been enriching. Rakesh Sinha of Delhi University who runs the RSS-funded India Policy Foundation is an old friend who never lets ideological differences come in the way of help. He pitched in with translations of Golwalkar’s speeches and references. Ritu Sinha, who is also working on Gita Press, selflessly shared her thoughts, articles and references. In Patna, Srikant helped with dates and references. So did Shamsul Islam. Ram Bahadur Rai’s revelation on Babri Masjid point to the multilayered world of the Sangh Parivar.

In Times House, my working abode for fifteen years, a long list of friends and colleagues went out of their way to help. I am thankful to my editors Jaideep Bose, Arindam Sengupta and Diwakar for letting me go on a year’s sabbatical. Without the leave, the book would have never seen the light of day. Shankar Raghuraman organized books for me and Rajesh Ramachandran, who had a short stint in Kerala, chipped in with crucial information from Kochi. Mohua Chatterjee and Abheek Barman helped with translations of old-world Bangla. There is another reason why I am indebted to Abheek. During a casual conversation he suggested I look at the report of the Vivien Bose Commission of Inquiry. It literally changed the course of my chapter on Poddar. In my department Rajat Pandit was there to remind me I should not delay the project and colleague Manoj Mitta, a successful author of two remarkable books, had words of constant encouragement.

How does one thank Ramachandra Guha? I will quote what Gandhi wrote to Hanuman Prasad Poddar after son Devdas was released from Gorakhpur jail in 1932. Poddar had taken care of Devdas: ‘…Why should I feel obliged? The civilized way is to seek such help in silence. Only God can reward for such selfless service, a human being cannot. I think such help should be taken in silence.’ Silence will not suffice here since I am no Mahatma. Ram is a liberal in the truest sense. He has been excited about the book right from the beginning and as a managing trustee of New India Foundation runs one of the freest organizations, asks no questions, does not impose his views and is ever ready to help. He was the first one to read the entire manuscript, 60,000 words more than what my readers will go through. His suggestions have become a template for my future books. I have bothered him with minor matters, and possibly more frequently than other Fellows have or would ever do. I will look up to him, always. Thank you, Ram.

Nandan Nilekani, the man behind the NIF, grilled me on the economics of Gita Press. It was not on my agenda but proved crucial to the big picture I was seeking to create.

Thanks also to Gopalkrishna Gandhi for helping me with references, especially the one on the Gita published by the
Hindustan Times
when his father, Devdas Gandhi, was the editor. His kind words and keen interest in the book provided me the much-needed morale boost at the fag end of writing.

Getting an editor who would be scathing yet compassionate made me anxious. My former colleague in
TOI
and dear friend Gopal Tandon agreed to chip in. His comments after reading the first chapter came as a shock but I knew it will come back to me improved. Part of the 1970s set, Gopal, who never got his due, went through each word and every fact, pointed out mistakes, repetitions, verbosity and mercilessly set them right. The process went on for over a year. I also thank his wife Nieru and daughter Saloni for suffering me hours on end in their house, arguing, fighting and devouring good food. It is difficult to meet a man like Gopal.

Then came Rivka Israel, a professional editor with wide experience. She was tasked to cut the flab and put the manuscript in order. I call her the smiling assassin. And what a job she did! Receiving chapters with chunks removed, at times moved to another chapter, was initially painful but once the job was over and I read the full manuscript all I could do was to acknowledge her exceptional editing skills. Due to her long stint with a leading academic publisher, Rivka was well versed with sources and at times even suggested new facts that I accepted with gratitude. If I ever venture to write a book again, Rivka will be my editor.

In HarperCollins I was fortunate to have Ajitha as my editor. Young but cast in the old mould, Ajitha’s biggest quality is that she is a great listener. She convinced me to have faith in HarperCollins and has done a great job. Designer Bonita Shimray understood the concept of the book and came up with a cover instantly liked by everyone. Amrita Talwar took up the responsibility of marketing with great enthusiasm. Publisher Karthika took the backseat after passing the baton to Ajitha, appeared occasionally but authoritatively and ensured the deadline is met. Her positive energy and perennial smile makes HarperCollins such a happy place.

Novelist, writer and essayist Pankaj Mishra, who has experienced the influence of Gita Press in his early years, was most welcoming and agreed to not only read the manuscript but also write an advance comment. Thank you, Pankaj, for reposing faith in the book. I am grateful to novelist and essayist Arundhati Roy who too read the manuscript at short notice and agreed to endorse the book.

Delhi’s iconic bookshop Bahrisons has been my second home for years, filling me with all I want and with the longest possible credit line. Thanks to Anuj and Rajni for running the best bookshop and having Mithilesh as their Man Friday. I wonder how Mithilesh remembers so many books and knows the mind of so many customers. He got me all I wanted, at times even photocopies of out-of-print editions.

Legendary Prabhu Book Service is located in the most unusual place, Sadar Bazar of Gurgaon. But its fame is international and for decades it has fed researchers with first editions, rare journals and all that makes research such a happy vocation. I still cannot get over how owner Vijay Jain organized copies of
Hindu Panch
,
Chand
,
Saraswati, Uma
and many others and got me addicted to first editions. Spending time with him, listening to the tales of authors and politicians, who all drop by, is an education. Thank you Jainsaab.