Because India Comes First: Reflections on Nationalism, Identity and Culture

The essays in Because India Comes First explore a wide range of issues central to contemporary debates in India: the responsibilities of the head of state, rule of law, peace and public order, Mahatma Gandhi and Gandhism, Ambedkar’s ideals, women’s empowerment, the Indian judiciary, the Ram Janmabhoomi case, the abrogation of Article 370, and the legacies of leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Arun Jaitley, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance learnings.

The book also examines key decisions made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in recent years, India’s diplomatic relations with neighboring countries, and confrontations with China. Madhav analyses India’s policymaking history and argues that, moving forward, the nation must put India first. He critiques liberal fascism, deconstructs India’s understanding of terrorism, contends that opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is intellectually dishonest, considers lessons from the Black Lives Matter movement in the Indian context, and emphasizes that protests should follow Martin Luther King Jr.’s non-violent principles rather than descending into anarchy.

Together, these essays present a broad vision of India’s growth as a global soft power and predict how the nation will evolve over the coming decades. A must-read for those who embrace the idea of a new India and for anyone willing to consider multiple perspectives in every debate.

Ram Madhav is an Indian politician, social leader, author, and thinker. He is the President of the India Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank. From 2014 to 2020, Dr. Madhav served as the National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), overseeing political affairs in Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, and other North-Eastern states of India.

With over 300 publications to his credit, he has authored several books in English and Telugu, including The Hindutva Paradigm: Integral Humanism and the Quest for a Non-Western Worldview and Uneasy Neighbours: India and China after 50 Years of the War. He is a regular contributor to major publications such as The Indian Express, The Hindustan Times, and OPEN magazine.

Dr. Madhav has also held editorial roles, serving as editor of Bharatiya Pragna, an English monthly published by Pragna Bharati, and as associate editor of Jagriti, a Telugu weekly.