Aum Beep Beep: Lifting the Lid on Hinduism

Description

"Aum Beep Beep" is a heartfelt cry of rage from within the citadel of caste privilege. This highly irreverent, controversial and hilarious book, written in the form of an impassioned letter from a father to a son, charts the journey of a believer from belief to disillusionment to outrage as he begins to read and understand the cloak of violence that shrouds the much lauded scriptures of Hinduism. The author, a practising solicitor, writes from deep personal experience, having grown up in an upper-caste milieu where caste privilege was seen as the fount of moral superiority. He dismantles the scriptural writings in ways that are simultaneously poignant and shocking. The writing style is accessible, funny and thought-provoking. He explores three primal themes: that of endemic violence; sex as violence; and the brute display of intolerance to non-believers and those who dare to question. This book is unique, for while both radical Islam and fundamentalist Christianity have received many adverse commentaries, Hinduism has largely been seen to be "tolerant" and "peaceful". This book is a refreshing antidote to those pervasive accolades and elucidates the tropes that justify immoral and unethical stands. It is a clarion call to the son to divest himself of age-old belief and privilege and walk out into the sun of freedom, where "belonging" is not a matter of tradition, community or nationality.