I Could Not Be Hindu: The Story of a Dalit in the RSS Paperback

Bhanwar Meghwanshi's explosive memoir, "I Could Not Be Hindu: The Story of a Dalit in the RSS," translated by Nivedita Menon, offers a gripping insider's account of his journey from a thirteen-year-old Dalit boy joining the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1987 to becoming a vocal critic of Hindutva. Despite rising through the ranks and actively participating in the Ramjanmabhoomi movement, even to the point of hating Muslims without having met them, Meghwanshi consistently faced the reality of being a "lesser Hindu" due to his "untouchable" status. This powerful narrative exposes the inherent casteism and hypocrisy within the RSS, revealing how the organization, while ostensibly promoting Hindu unity, perpetuates social hierarchies and uses Dalits as foot soldiers in its communal politics, ultimately leading Meghwanshi to embrace Ambedkarism and dedicate his life to fighting for Dalit rights and exposing the fallacies of Hindutva.