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_askthebookbug 's review for:
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"Our gods kill only to raise the Other to the divine status. Violence inflicted by the gods doesn't remain violence but becomes a narrative of redemption and liberation. Even violent battles and lynchings become dharmayuddha. Shrouded and concealed in religious myths, this was India's secret history of blood justice." - Aparna Vaidik.
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Although the word 'lynch' comes from the time of American Revolution, it has often been put to use in our country, even more so in the recent times. While we claim that our nation has been a torch bearer for preaching and practicing non-violence, Aparna puts forth many instances that teaches us otherwise. This book which serves as a memoir makes for an eye opener when it comes to how we have been viewing our mythological stories. When one finishes reading My Son's Inheritance, there are no longer unanswered questions but a simple fact that our country wasn't built on non-violence.
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The entirety of this book is addressed to Aparna's son whom she fondly refers to as Babu. A simple encounter with her neighbour, sets her mind whirring about how unfairly we associate violence with only muslims. It is then she goes ahead to think of her grandfather who was closely associated with Arya Samaj, who believed in Gaurakshak. Through various pieces of information, she presents to us the history of beef-lynchings in India. Although in the past, cows were slaughtered by Hindu butchers, with the onset of Arya Samaj, this came to an end. She also mentions the coming together of Rajput and Vaishnavism. Through her grandfather, she visits places that has shrines and tablets dedicated to cow protectors (Bharmall) and learns how lynching first came into existence.
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When she moves on to explain how we have been romanticizing our myths that portrayed worthy and righteous men getting lynched or killed so that the gods can win, it made me rethink the way I have been perceiving such stories all these years. She doesn't stop there but goes on to talk about how casteism came into existence. How Brahmins are deemed to be of the highest value while Dalits were associated with the lowest of low jobs.
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There are mentions of Jyotirao Phule and his wife, Savitribai Phule who set up schools for Dalit and Muslim children at a time when they weren't allowed to be educated. The vicious cycle which didn't allow Dalits to have access to education was broken through them. I found this book fascinating for it covered a multitude of aspects be it religion or mythology, or something as simple as humanity. In spite of being written realistically, there's an intimate touch to Aparna's way of writing probably because of the fact that it was addressed to her son or because of the constant recollection of her grandfather's involvement in Gaurakshak. This book has powerful narration, often making me highlight big chunks of lines ever so frequently. My Son's Inheritance is a brilliant book that makes one think about the choices we make, the paths that we have been following in the name of tradition and how casteism has come to be so important that we have pushed humanity to the background.
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She concludes with this hard-hitting/beautiful message to her son - "Inheritance by definition, is not always of your choosing. But while you are tethered to it, you are in no way bound by it. You are free to choose the elements of your inheritance that you wish to own , to discard, to celebrate, to be indifferent to, or even to fight. You inheritance will acquire the meaning you give it."
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Rating - 5/5.
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"Our gods kill only to raise the Other to the divine status. Violence inflicted by the gods doesn't remain violence but becomes a narrative of redemption and liberation. Even violent battles and lynchings become dharmayuddha. Shrouded and concealed in religious myths, this was India's secret history of blood justice." - Aparna Vaidik.
•
Although the word 'lynch' comes from the time of American Revolution, it has often been put to use in our country, even more so in the recent times. While we claim that our nation has been a torch bearer for preaching and practicing non-violence, Aparna puts forth many instances that teaches us otherwise. This book which serves as a memoir makes for an eye opener when it comes to how we have been viewing our mythological stories. When one finishes reading My Son's Inheritance, there are no longer unanswered questions but a simple fact that our country wasn't built on non-violence.
•
The entirety of this book is addressed to Aparna's son whom she fondly refers to as Babu. A simple encounter with her neighbour, sets her mind whirring about how unfairly we associate violence with only muslims. It is then she goes ahead to think of her grandfather who was closely associated with Arya Samaj, who believed in Gaurakshak. Through various pieces of information, she presents to us the history of beef-lynchings in India. Although in the past, cows were slaughtered by Hindu butchers, with the onset of Arya Samaj, this came to an end. She also mentions the coming together of Rajput and Vaishnavism. Through her grandfather, she visits places that has shrines and tablets dedicated to cow protectors (Bharmall) and learns how lynching first came into existence.
•
When she moves on to explain how we have been romanticizing our myths that portrayed worthy and righteous men getting lynched or killed so that the gods can win, it made me rethink the way I have been perceiving such stories all these years. She doesn't stop there but goes on to talk about how casteism came into existence. How Brahmins are deemed to be of the highest value while Dalits were associated with the lowest of low jobs.
•
There are mentions of Jyotirao Phule and his wife, Savitribai Phule who set up schools for Dalit and Muslim children at a time when they weren't allowed to be educated. The vicious cycle which didn't allow Dalits to have access to education was broken through them. I found this book fascinating for it covered a multitude of aspects be it religion or mythology, or something as simple as humanity. In spite of being written realistically, there's an intimate touch to Aparna's way of writing probably because of the fact that it was addressed to her son or because of the constant recollection of her grandfather's involvement in Gaurakshak. This book has powerful narration, often making me highlight big chunks of lines ever so frequently. My Son's Inheritance is a brilliant book that makes one think about the choices we make, the paths that we have been following in the name of tradition and how casteism has come to be so important that we have pushed humanity to the background.
•
She concludes with this hard-hitting/beautiful message to her son - "Inheritance by definition, is not always of your choosing. But while you are tethered to it, you are in no way bound by it. You are free to choose the elements of your inheritance that you wish to own , to discard, to celebrate, to be indifferent to, or even to fight. You inheritance will acquire the meaning you give it."
•
Rating - 5/5.