Gaslighting the nation: The post-truth political discourse in Shashi Tharoor’s The Battle of Belonging

This article analyses Shashi Tharoor's The Battle of Belonging as a critique of contemporary Indian politics. It looks at how the book exposes post-truth strategies, emotive nationalism, and majoritarian strategies that influence public opinion and silence critics. The study claims that Tharoor's works serve as a counter-narrative, supporting constitutional norms, pluralism, and democratic aspirations. Using discourse analysis, post-truth theory, and nationalism studies, the study explores ideas of inclusion, exclusion, and civic responsibility. A detailed reading of the book reveals how Tharoor elevates underrepresented voices like dissenters, minorities, and democratic values while opposing simplistic dichotomies like patriot/traitor. This piece reiterates that democracy and a sense of national identity are dynamic, moral domains. Future research may focus on comparative post-truth political writing or the role of political literature in promoting critical citizenship.