Most successful entrepreneurs who have had good exits quietly retire to play golf and become “angels.”
Rajiv, instead, chose to become a “devil.”
Rashtriya Rishis
For centuries, whenever needed, Bharat has given rise to Rashtriya Rishis—spiritual and intellectual monks who guided the nation. Adi Shankaracharya walked from one end of the subcontinent to the other—twice—reviving and restoring Dharma through debate and institution-building. Later, under colonial rule, Swami Vivekananda, Dayananda Saraswati, and Sri Aurobindo inspired the nation with their thought and active engagement with society. Post-independence, Swami Chinmayananda and Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati continued this work—awakening Hindus, converting Hindus into Hinduism.
Rashtriya Jnanis
And then there were the contemporary Rashtriya Jnanis—Ram Swarup and Sita Ram Goel. In a hostile political climate and an ignorant and impoverished social environment, they were the silent “Voice of India,” writing, publishing, and forewarning about the dangers Bharat faced.
But the times were not yet ready for a mass awakening.
The Birth of a Rashtriya Jnana Yodha
Post-liberalisation. Post “non-hostile”governments. Bharat was ready to wake up—a prosperous upper middle class and diaspora emerged, digitally connected, and more confident. Yet new challenges arose—those from Western academia. We needed someone who was not only a Rashtriya Jnani but something more. We needed a Rashtriya Jnana Yodha, who:
A) as a scholar, thinks and writes with deep insights on civilisational issues
B) is unafraid to engage and debate with adversaries
C) rallies other Hindus to become self-aware of their identity and the issues they face
D) builds an ecosystem of like-minded organisations
And sure enough, a new warrior emerged—Rajiv Malhotra, Rashtriya Jnana Yodha, was born. His mission: to protect our Dharma not just from distortion but from digestion.
Some highlights of his journey so far:
A. Breaking India, Being Different, Indra’s Net, The Battle for Sanskrit, Academic Hinduphobia, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power, Snakes in the Ganga, and several more emerged from his pen. But more than books, he also gave us concepts and frameworks: U-Turn Theory, Digestion, Breaking India Forces, Hinduphobia, Sanskrit Non-Translatables—to name a few.
B. He never feared to engage with adversaries and actively sought occasions to debate them.
C. He built an army of Intellectual Kshatriyas—tens of thousands of intellectuals who understood the importance of Sadhana, Tapas, and Vada.
D. Just like Pujya Swamiji started the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha by bringing together all the various mathadhipatis and sampradayas, Rajiv launched the Banyan Tree Initiative to bring together all the institutions engaged in this field.
Celebrating 30 Years of Infinity Foundation
I am just returning from the 30th anniversary of Infinity Foundation in New Jersey. I was honoured to moderate a panel on Intellectual Kshatriyas. As I sat among 1,300 people, with hundreds turned away due to lack of space, I saw firsthand the extraordinary respect, love, and deep sense of gratitude from all those present—and the impact he had on their lives.
Here’s to Rajiv Malhotra, Bharat’s first Rashtriya Jnana Yodha—a man who chose to be a “devil” to his opponents rather than retire and be an “angel” investor.
Hari’s Curries – A Buffet of Reflections