Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said his latest book on social reformer Sree Narayana Guru was consciously written in a compact, accessible format to appeal to younger readers with shorter attention spans.
Tharoor was speaking at the 2026 edition of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, where The Sage Who Reimagined Hinduism: The Life, Lessons, & Legacy of Sree Narayana Guru had its city release.
Addressing the audience, Tharoor said he wanted to avoid the traditionally voluminous style of Indian biographies while ensuring the work remained rigorous and substantive.
“One of the problems in our country is that good books about the great men and women of our society tend to be mammoth,” he said, adding that the book was designed to suit the “Tiktok generation” without sacrificing depth.
The book explores the life, philosophy and enduring influence of Sree Narayana Guru, a 19th-century thinker whose ideas played a key role in the Kerala renaissance and challenged rigid social hierarchies within Hindu society. Tharoor traces how the reformer used reason, ethics and education to question caste-based discrimination and religious orthodoxy.
Tharoor at the book-signing session
Highlighting the contemporary relevance of Narayana Guru, Tharoor referred to his teaching of “one God, one caste, one religion,” noting that its emphasis on unity and human equality continues to resonate in modern society.
He also pointed out parallels between Narayana Guru’s ideas and the teachings of Swami Vivekananda.
Tharoor described Narayana Guru as a revolutionary figure who empowered marginalised communities through education, arguing that his social interventions laid the foundation for far-reaching political and social change in Kerala.
The book had its all-India launch last week at Sivagiri Mutt in Varkala, with Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan releasing the first copy and presenting it to Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar.
