Dear Sir,
I read your book in the early 2000s, and I believe it was a Malayalam translation. Coming from a Christian family, it was the first time I encountered the reality of caste in such a direct and powerful way. It opened my eyes to a world I had not understood before, and it profoundly changed the way I looked at Hinduism and caste.
When I founded Countercurrents, the impact of that book stayed with me. I am sure it shaped, in no small measure, the way Countercurrents approaches caste, Hinduism and Hindutva. The book has undoubtedly influenced generations of readers, not only in India but across the world, and helped many people see caste and the structures of oppression associated with it in a new light.
I have always felt that even if you had written no other book, “Why I Am Not a Hindu” alone would have been enough to place you among the highest echelons of Indian thinkers. Its impact goes far beyond the pages of the book.
Thank you for opening my eyes, and the eyes of millions of others, to realities that are so often hidden, denied or ignored.
Congratulations on completing 30 years. I wish you many more years of writing, questioning and challenging the structures of injustice.
With deep respect and solidarity,
Binu Matthew
Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd 