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In The Name of Religion
At the age eleven, when Shafiq joined India’s struggle for freedom and participated in the movement to save Bhagat Singh, he had no inkling that this struggle would not end with India’s freedom; one day he would have to fight his own people.
When his father comes back home, upon being released after five years of captivity in Pakistan, Rajan is shocked to see his father who has been brutally tortured by Pakistan. He decides to avenge the community behind the creation of Pakistan.
A rally is planned in Ayodhya on first Sunday of December and the top brass of saffron party is to join. They want to provoke the devotees of Lord Ram into doing something unbelievable. Rajan is assigned the task of creating the conducive atmosphere in Ayodhya on the eve of this rally.
Will Ayodhya witness a dreadful night before its darkest day?
When his father comes back home, upon being released after five years of captivity in Pakistan, Rajan is shocked to see his father who has been brutally tortured by Pakistan. He decides to avenge the community behind the creation of Pakistan.
A rally is planned in Ayodhya on first Sunday of December and the top brass of saffron party is to join. They want to provoke the devotees of Lord Ram into doing something unbelievable. Rajan is assigned the task of creating the conducive atmosphere in Ayodhya on the eve of this rally.
Will Ayodhya witness a dreadful night before its darkest day?
Paperback
First published October 1, 2019
13 people want to read
About the author
Ankur Chaudhary
3 books37 followersI love stories - in any format. Since childhood I have read stories in magazines, newspaper, books, watched on television or heard from storytellers. I believe books are the best medium to know a story.
I am an avid reader and also write. I have published three books which are available on amazon. Interested in stories - real or fictional.
I am an avid reader and also write. I have published three books which are available on amazon. Interested in stories - real or fictional.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 30, 2020
In The Name of Religion by Ankur Chaudhary is a socially relevant novel focusing on the idea of communal harmony in India. The plot portrays how at the time of independence, partition was done on the basis of religion only for political gains and with no thoughts about the welfare of the society. Ever since that fateful day in 1947, political parties across the spectrum are fueling communal riots for their immoral gains, without thinking how this is affecting the country at the global stage.
With a predictable plot, the story doesn't have much to hold the reader's attention. Nevertheless, it is a quick read with a very good message promoting communal harmony, which is a welcome move in the present situation with the Narendra Modi led extremist government at the helm of the affairs of our nation.
Thanks to the author and the publisher for the copy.
Verdict: Recommended.
With a predictable plot, the story doesn't have much to hold the reader's attention. Nevertheless, it is a quick read with a very good message promoting communal harmony, which is a welcome move in the present situation with the Narendra Modi led extremist government at the helm of the affairs of our nation.
Thanks to the author and the publisher for the copy.
Verdict: Recommended.
October 27, 2019
A very confident debut on a topic which is politically charged - Ayodhya Riots. The book does end up doing a balancing act by making it around individuals rather than their religion.
The first half of the book is set around the stories of the two protagonists. When there is a significant gap in the age of the two main characters - we get two parallel stories from different timelines. Shafiq's story is set in the pre-independence era, followed by the turmoil of partition. Rajan's story is set when India and Pakistan were at war and takes on a personal tragedy.
Alternating between the stories in different timelines, the first part mostly tries to explain the characters before they meet at Ayodhya. The second part does have some melodramatic moments - but then it tries not to preach. The ending was clever.
There are parts of the book which reveal that it is a debut book. Places where the language usage is much ahead of it's time. And some loose ends exist in the multiple threads - especially that of Rajan's uncle and childhood. And some convenience based developments happen much later in the second half. I also wish the author had underplayed the role of people who seed hatred. Despite these shortcomings, the book remains true to it's theme.
Terror has no religion. And people who indulge in them need not have a terrible backstory. The two characters undergo violence in personal life thanks to their religions - but their attitude to life is different.
Note: This is an early review of the book.
The first half of the book is set around the stories of the two protagonists. When there is a significant gap in the age of the two main characters - we get two parallel stories from different timelines. Shafiq's story is set in the pre-independence era, followed by the turmoil of partition. Rajan's story is set when India and Pakistan were at war and takes on a personal tragedy.
Alternating between the stories in different timelines, the first part mostly tries to explain the characters before they meet at Ayodhya. The second part does have some melodramatic moments - but then it tries not to preach. The ending was clever.
There are parts of the book which reveal that it is a debut book. Places where the language usage is much ahead of it's time. And some loose ends exist in the multiple threads - especially that of Rajan's uncle and childhood. And some convenience based developments happen much later in the second half. I also wish the author had underplayed the role of people who seed hatred. Despite these shortcomings, the book remains true to it's theme.
Terror has no religion. And people who indulge in them need not have a terrible backstory. The two characters undergo violence in personal life thanks to their religions - but their attitude to life is different.
Note: This is an early review of the book.
January 20, 2020
In his blurb, debutant author Mr. Ankur Chaudhary proposes a question which has grown increasingly pertinent over the years following the events which unfolded in Ayodhya. This book however, doesn’t speak about the aftermath of the incident, but rather goes back in history to unearth the sentiments which brought such an incident to fruition. And that is where the author’s intelligent writing shines through.
In the name of religion is a story of two men, who witnessed two distinct phases of India’s growth over the years. While tragedy follows both the protagonists closely, we get an insightful look into how it shapes these two men and gives them reasons to fight their own personal wars. The characters in themselves are multi-layered and have a clear sense of direction both in their personal and professional lives. It is interesting to see that although their ideologies are clashing, the drive they have towards fulfilling what they have pledged to accomplish is almost parallel to each other. It is the author’s expertise in mirroring both these characters, bringing out both the similarities as well as the stark difference in their lives, that makes this book an engaging mix of varied character sketches interacting among themselves.
The second thing which is noticeable is the attention to details that this story demands and the author clearly pays. The images are vivid, even though they span so many different locations, and not once do the descriptions feel stock or repetitive. The sentiments raging across various communities during the infamous execution of revolutionary Bhagat Singh for example, are brought to light through the innocent eyes of a child who becomes a part of the struggle for independence when his father is apprehended and beaten up by the police. The angst of people demanding freedom, and their relentless zeal to achieve the same thus, becomes amplified when looked at from the child’s perspective. By removing any distractions in the narration of these moments, the author manages to establish a narrative which is entirely free from unwarranted complications.
Third, and most importantly, the research behind this book is stunning. Every event is talked about in equal depths, and every character and location is firmly rooted in prevalent history. Not once does the author falter from backing his story with the apt facts and figures, thus ensuring that although touted as a work of fiction, this book has enough connection with reality to establish itself as a brilliant understanding of our country’s history as well.
All in all, this book is an uncompromising look at religion and the fault lines which have at times, threatened our unity. It is also a record of the compassion that various leaders have shown during times of peril. Congratulations are due to Mr. Ankur, for creating such an important and timely piece of work which talks not only about our past but also gives a keen insight into the present and allows us to take a view into the future as well.
The book might end on an ambiguous note, but his vision leaves us with an assurance of optimism.
In the name of religion is a story of two men, who witnessed two distinct phases of India’s growth over the years. While tragedy follows both the protagonists closely, we get an insightful look into how it shapes these two men and gives them reasons to fight their own personal wars. The characters in themselves are multi-layered and have a clear sense of direction both in their personal and professional lives. It is interesting to see that although their ideologies are clashing, the drive they have towards fulfilling what they have pledged to accomplish is almost parallel to each other. It is the author’s expertise in mirroring both these characters, bringing out both the similarities as well as the stark difference in their lives, that makes this book an engaging mix of varied character sketches interacting among themselves.
The second thing which is noticeable is the attention to details that this story demands and the author clearly pays. The images are vivid, even though they span so many different locations, and not once do the descriptions feel stock or repetitive. The sentiments raging across various communities during the infamous execution of revolutionary Bhagat Singh for example, are brought to light through the innocent eyes of a child who becomes a part of the struggle for independence when his father is apprehended and beaten up by the police. The angst of people demanding freedom, and their relentless zeal to achieve the same thus, becomes amplified when looked at from the child’s perspective. By removing any distractions in the narration of these moments, the author manages to establish a narrative which is entirely free from unwarranted complications.
Third, and most importantly, the research behind this book is stunning. Every event is talked about in equal depths, and every character and location is firmly rooted in prevalent history. Not once does the author falter from backing his story with the apt facts and figures, thus ensuring that although touted as a work of fiction, this book has enough connection with reality to establish itself as a brilliant understanding of our country’s history as well.
All in all, this book is an uncompromising look at religion and the fault lines which have at times, threatened our unity. It is also a record of the compassion that various leaders have shown during times of peril. Congratulations are due to Mr. Ankur, for creating such an important and timely piece of work which talks not only about our past but also gives a keen insight into the present and allows us to take a view into the future as well.
The book might end on an ambiguous note, but his vision leaves us with an assurance of optimism.
August 12, 2020
Is this a story that has never been told ? No.
Is it something that we do not know about the partition trauma ? No .
Do such people and stories still exist even today ? Yes !
Ankur Choudhary’s new debut novel “In the Name of religion” speaks everything that we know, might have heard somewhere, may have seen or met some character in reality or in a film … but now these characters take the centre stage.
As, the hindu fraternity of India rejoiced when the foundation stones of Ram Janmabhoomi at Ayodhya was being layed, A novel was silently released amidst the pandemic a month before the programmeat Ayodhya.
I was young lad back in those days when the Babri Masjid was being demolished by the karsewaks. A few years before the demolition I grew up watching partition TV serials like Buniyaad and Tamas in Doordarshan on a 21 inch Onida television at home. This book to me scrambling back to the memory lane as vivid images of the Partition trauma played out in TV and the blurred stories of the karsewaks who had returned from Ayodhya came floating back.
Ankur Choudhary has intricately woven an excellent story that links these two landmarks that has carved the history of modern India and the reality we live in these times. His stories traverse almost fifty years with his two protagonists Shafiq and Ranjan who have their own lens and benchmarks of gauging the ethos that makes India . Though their stories move parallel to each other and are separated by space and time in alternate chapters charting their lives and characters yet they keep crisscrossing each other. It is again in the final chapters that both these characters once again come face to face when a supposed peace rally in Ayodhya goes awry. I wouldn’t like to delve much into the storyline but the characters are lively and it is as if watching a film being played out right in front of your eyes as you turn every page.
The story may not be as intense as reading a Manto or Amrita Shergill or an Arundhati Roy but what it does is that it brings out the raw emotive truth about what goes on the minds of the common people in these two communities of India. This novel should educate the whatsapp University fed generation to know what made India that we all are proud of.
I would like to give a 4/ 5 for this well crafted book especially keeping the youth in mind. Please go ahead and read. A perfect potboiler for crafting into a good web series.
Is it something that we do not know about the partition trauma ? No .
Do such people and stories still exist even today ? Yes !
Ankur Choudhary’s new debut novel “In the Name of religion” speaks everything that we know, might have heard somewhere, may have seen or met some character in reality or in a film … but now these characters take the centre stage.
As, the hindu fraternity of India rejoiced when the foundation stones of Ram Janmabhoomi at Ayodhya was being layed, A novel was silently released amidst the pandemic a month before the programmeat Ayodhya.
I was young lad back in those days when the Babri Masjid was being demolished by the karsewaks. A few years before the demolition I grew up watching partition TV serials like Buniyaad and Tamas in Doordarshan on a 21 inch Onida television at home. This book to me scrambling back to the memory lane as vivid images of the Partition trauma played out in TV and the blurred stories of the karsewaks who had returned from Ayodhya came floating back.
Ankur Choudhary has intricately woven an excellent story that links these two landmarks that has carved the history of modern India and the reality we live in these times. His stories traverse almost fifty years with his two protagonists Shafiq and Ranjan who have their own lens and benchmarks of gauging the ethos that makes India . Though their stories move parallel to each other and are separated by space and time in alternate chapters charting their lives and characters yet they keep crisscrossing each other. It is again in the final chapters that both these characters once again come face to face when a supposed peace rally in Ayodhya goes awry. I wouldn’t like to delve much into the storyline but the characters are lively and it is as if watching a film being played out right in front of your eyes as you turn every page.
The story may not be as intense as reading a Manto or Amrita Shergill or an Arundhati Roy but what it does is that it brings out the raw emotive truth about what goes on the minds of the common people in these two communities of India. This novel should educate the whatsapp University fed generation to know what made India that we all are proud of.
I would like to give a 4/ 5 for this well crafted book especially keeping the youth in mind. Please go ahead and read. A perfect potboiler for crafting into a good web series.
August 7, 2020
'In the name of religion' is the story of partition of India and its after effects narrated through the eyes of two protagonists, Rajan and Shafiq in different eras. Shafiq's story begins with the hanging of Bhagat Singh and Rajan's story begins with the return of his father, a captured war soldier, from Pakistan.
Both characters undergo immense suffering due to the Hindu-Muslim hatred but while Shafiq choses to undertake a path of restoring peace between the two communities, Rajan's heart is filled with hatred against the opposite religion and he follows the path that aims at triggering communal riots. Over a period of years, their paths collide at the Ayodhya rally which resulted in the infamous Babri Masjid demolition.
What will happen when persons belonging to two opposite religions and two opposite ideologies; one of peace and one of hatred, face each other?
Stories that revolve around the partition of India are always interesting to me as it was the most unfortunate event in Indian history ever, the consequences of which we are facing even today and perhaps, shall face for ever.
And whether anyone likes to know about this dreadful part of history or not, one cannot escape from the after effects of partition in one form or another, let be the terrorist attacks of Mumbai, the Kashmir conflict, the Mumbai bomb blasts, the recent riots that took place in Delhi, the Babri Masjid demolition and conflict of Ram mandir in Ayodhya ( this is as fresh as while writing the review today when the bhoomi pujan of the mandir has taken place), or even the cricket rivalry between the two nations. Every generation has been affected by it and shall be affected by it whether we accept or not. And the author has done a remarkable job in retelling the partition story in his own style.
The characters are very well described and you feel strongly connected with them.
There is no moment in the story when I felt bored or it felt unrealistic.
To conclude, In the name of Religion is one must book every Indian must read especially in these times when communal hatred is as easy to spread as forwarding a Tweet or WA message.
Both characters undergo immense suffering due to the Hindu-Muslim hatred but while Shafiq choses to undertake a path of restoring peace between the two communities, Rajan's heart is filled with hatred against the opposite religion and he follows the path that aims at triggering communal riots. Over a period of years, their paths collide at the Ayodhya rally which resulted in the infamous Babri Masjid demolition.
What will happen when persons belonging to two opposite religions and two opposite ideologies; one of peace and one of hatred, face each other?
Stories that revolve around the partition of India are always interesting to me as it was the most unfortunate event in Indian history ever, the consequences of which we are facing even today and perhaps, shall face for ever.
And whether anyone likes to know about this dreadful part of history or not, one cannot escape from the after effects of partition in one form or another, let be the terrorist attacks of Mumbai, the Kashmir conflict, the Mumbai bomb blasts, the recent riots that took place in Delhi, the Babri Masjid demolition and conflict of Ram mandir in Ayodhya ( this is as fresh as while writing the review today when the bhoomi pujan of the mandir has taken place), or even the cricket rivalry between the two nations. Every generation has been affected by it and shall be affected by it whether we accept or not. And the author has done a remarkable job in retelling the partition story in his own style.
The characters are very well described and you feel strongly connected with them.
There is no moment in the story when I felt bored or it felt unrealistic.
To conclude, In the name of Religion is one must book every Indian must read especially in these times when communal hatred is as easy to spread as forwarding a Tweet or WA message.
March 19, 2021
An absolute must-read for Indians.
Ratings: 4.8/5
A pre and post-independent India is shown via the characters of Shafiq and Rajan. Though, independence has been attained, do we have religious freedom? That's a burning question brought out by this powerful book.
What I liked about the book:
--> The two eras are shown from the PoV of characters belonging to different religions.
--> The kind of research and detailing which shines throughout the book and definitely adds to the gripping tale.
--> How it is so relevant and manages to hold a mirror to our society without spewing any religious hate.
Ratings: 4.8/5
A pre and post-independent India is shown via the characters of Shafiq and Rajan. Though, independence has been attained, do we have religious freedom? That's a burning question brought out by this powerful book.
What I liked about the book:
--> The two eras are shown from the PoV of characters belonging to different religions.
--> The kind of research and detailing which shines throughout the book and definitely adds to the gripping tale.
--> How it is so relevant and manages to hold a mirror to our society without spewing any religious hate.
August 19, 2021
It is very unfortunate that despite completing decades of Independence, Indians are still fighting amoung their own co-existing citizens in the name of religion. A book like this is much needed to evoke humanity, as Ankur Chaudhary tries to preach peace!
Gripping, Recommended!
Gripping, Recommended!
October 29, 2020
It is very difficult to write a non-partisan book when dealing with concepts as complex and personal as religion and patriotism. With simple language and a great story, the author has written a novel which you can relate to. The author takes his characters through real life incidents in history of India(A major one is teased in the cover itself.) It does take a little time to get into it but soon you'll find it difficult to put the book down.
A little more editing and proofreading could have been better
I'd recommend this one to all historical fiction lovers.
A little more editing and proofreading could have been better
I'd recommend this one to all historical fiction lovers.
January 5, 2020
In The Name of Religion" by Ankur Chaudhary is a socially relevant book which deals with the horrendous crimes people commit after being misguided by the wrong set of leaders. It's an appeasement book, however, I feel that Ankur has handled the topic sensitivity. No sides are chosen, rather he takes us to a wonderful journey and opens up various facts. Naratted through the eyes of Shafiq and Rajan, it's a good read. The writing is also neat and well-edited. I think people of all ages should give it a try, given how important it is in our current scenario. 4.5/5 stars
January 25, 2020
A very good read from author presenting a balanced view without taking sides. A message that people need during the times where world is moving right. Thought provoking message that makes you think about future you anticipate for your upcoming generations! It should read for the point of view it presents. There are some mistakes, which seems to be stemming from proof reading and not the plot itself but they can easily be overlooked for the thought it presents.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews