Book Review: Yuvraj Pokharna’s ‘Hindutva For Gen Z’ Puts A Complex Idea Under The Lens

Yuvraj Pokharna has lifted ‘the shivadhanushya’, as a legend goes. He has undertaken a task that’s not only difficult, but also tricky. Hindutva for Gen Z tackles two complex topics — Hindutva and Gen Z. Convoluted to a level where many can’t comprehend, the Gen Z arrives with an ‘I know all’ mindset. And Hindutva is convolved in many ways than one. And I must say that he has managed the tightrope walk well.

As Sunil Ambekar, Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, says in his Foreword: ‘The book presents the core ideas of Hindutva with clarity and without pretension. While readers may hold differing views, and even I may not agree with every position, Yuvraj’s effort to present these ideas with care and honesty is commendable.’ (sic)

The first chapter, How I Live My Hindutva, is an open discussion about the term Hindutva and its comparison with Islam and Christianity. What really impressed me was his candid avowal where he admits that Hindutva doesn’t require following any fundamental beliefs like any other religion. He quotes Nandakumar: ‘The only dogma that Hindutva admits is the one that it doesn’t permit any dogma.’ He affirms that dharma in Hindutva has nothing to do with religion. And that Hindutva is more universalist than most take it to be. Something that was waiting to be done for a long time. He ends that chapter saying: ‘I live my Hindutva by accepting that one truth may be approached in various ways.’ (sic)

The second chapter, again, is something that had to be talked about unequivocally. And Yuvraj has done exactly that. In Decoding India’s Caste System, he categorically mentions that the caste system that we see today was created by the British. The original Varna system, which even Krishna talks about in Bhagavad Gita, was based on karma (deeds) and guna (qualities). In that original

system, a shudra could easily become a brahmin if he chose to change his characteristics, become a learner and practiced the Brahminic rituals, etc. Yuvraj also explains the complication and emergence of Jati here.

In Secularism as a Systematic Apartheid against Hindus, Yuvraj criticises Nehru’s stand when he abolished polygamy from the Hindu Civil Code and allowed the Muslims to continue with it. He has quoted JB Kriplani, where he had accused Nehru: ‘I charge you with communalism because you are bringing forward a law about monogamy only for the Hindu community. Take it from me; the Muslim community is ready for it, but you aren’t brave enough to do it.’ And he makes his stand about Indian secularism very clear in the concluding paragraph where he says: ‘We owe it to future generations to bequeath them an India freed from the false binaries and divisions imposed by a false ‘secularism’, an India that cherishes its ‘Hindu-ness’ as an essential part of its multi-hued garment.’ (sic)

The chapter The Journey – Hindutva Flows addresses one of the most asked questions today: Did Hindutva exist before Savarkar? To quote Yuvraj — This chapter aims to trace the chronological development of the idea of Hindutva. And he does. He refers to the Mahabharata,

the Ramayana, Adi Shankaracharya, Dayanand Saraswati, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Swami Vivekananda along with Savarkar. He also mentions the Bengali publication by Chandranath Basu — Hindutva: Hindur Prakrita Itihas as a significant milestone. He talks about Hindutva in India pre- and post-Independence and the rise varied institutions like RSS. However, the most intriguing fact mentioned here is that the origin of the word ‘Hindu’ is traced back to the 6th century.

It is not surprising that Yuvraj devotes an entire chapter to RSS. The interesting fact remains that he is quite unbiased when he explores the trajectory. He quotes Walter Andersen — ‘the RSS is hard to understand and easy to misunderstand.’ (sic) Yuvraj points out that RSS and Bharatiya Jan Sangh, formed by Shyamprasad Mookherji, are, and remain to be, different identities.

The Gen Z surely find the chapter Where’s Your Culture in Boycotting Cinema? as one of the more captivating chapters. He taps Bharat Muni’s Natya Shastra to drive across the point that Indian cinema has been inspired largely by Hindutva. ‘It is reasonable to assume that early founders of our film industry embraced the ethos of Hindutva when they established this arena with the intention of narrating stories deeply rooted in our culture.’ (sic) And while saying this Yuvraj condemns the Boycott Bollywood movement. He, instead, encourages Gen Z to take a stand by viewing films that resonate with the ethos of our culture.

For me, the 19th chapter, Technology and Developmental Goals – Hindutva’s Scientific Swagger, delivers the core of what Yuvraj wants to convey to Gen Z. He annals all inventors, scientists, and doctors of the by-gone era that Sanatan Dharma has recorded as rishi-munis. It reiterates the fact that India/Bharat has long known the scientific foundations that the West boasts of.

In the concluding chapter of the book, the author gives Gen Z 12 pointers to imbibe in their lifestyle to carry the flame of Hindutva ahead without making too much of an ado about anything. Yuvraj sums up the book simply by saying that Viksit Bharat is ‘the’ vishwaguru that the world is looking forward to. Hindutva for Gen Z is a book that readers of all generations should take a dive into to explore the hidden meanings of Hindutva and its relevance in today’s world.

Book: Hindutva for Gen Z

Author: Yuvraj Pokharna

Publisher: BLUONE INK PVT. LTD.

Pages: 240

Price: Rs 499

Published on: Sunday, September 27, 2026, 07:55 AM IST