March nonfiction: Six recently published titles that explore crucial moments of Indian history

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Hedgewar, Sachin Nandha

Hedgewar chronicles the untold story of the enigmatic founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), whose vision for India’s cultural revival continues to shape the nation’s socio-political landscape. Through meticulous research and vivid storytelling, this biography traces Hedgewar’s journey from an orphaned child in colonial India to the mastermind behind one of the world’s most secretive organisations.

Set against the backdrop of a country grappling with colonial rule, rising communal tensions, and the complexities of modernity, this book opens a window to Hedgewar’s philosophy of cultural nationalism, his challenges with contemporaries like Gandhi, Nehru and Savarkar, and his transformative leadership. It also explores his inner struggles to make sense of his own critique of Hindu society. This book is a window into the labyrinth of India’s civilisational ethos, offering a nuanced perspective on the RSS’s origins and its impact on India today.

Rubber: The Social and Natural History of an Indispensable Substance, Vidya Rajan

The Aztecs and the Mayas believed that rubber possessed immense cosmic significance. Today, it is an indispensable and omnipresent part of human society. But how did the journey of the substance take the turns that it did, transforming it from an object of amusing curiosity to…

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