A biography of Dadabhai Naoroji, one of the founders of the Indian National Congress, by Dinyar Patel was recently named winner of the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize 2021.

Why in news?

• ‘Naoroji: Pioneer of Indian Nationalism’ was selected for the NIF Book Prize from a brilliant shortlist of six books that showcased some of the finest non-fiction writing.

About the NIF Book Prize

• “Naoroji: Pioneer of Indian Nationalism” was selected from the six shortlisted books that covered a variety of themes and subjects and showcased some of the finest non-fiction writing about India, organisers New India Foundation said.
• Instituted in 2018, the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the country. It celebrates high-quality non-fiction literature on modern and contemporary India from writers of all nationalities published in the previous calendar year. The Prize carries a cash award of INR 15 lakhs and a citation.
• This year’s winner, Dinyar Patel, was selected by a jury panel which included political scientist and author Niraja Gopal Jayal (Jury Chair), entrepreneur and author Nandan Nilekani; historian and author Srinath Raghavan; historian and author Nayanjot Lahiri; and entrepreneur Manish Sabharwal.

About Dadabhai Naoroji

• Naoroji’s political career evolved in three distinct phases. He began as the activist who formulated the “drain of wealth” theory, which held the British Raj responsible for India’s crippling poverty and devastating famines. His ideas upended conventional wisdom holding that colonialism was beneficial for Indian subjects and put a generation of imperial officials on the defensive. Next, he attempted to influence the British Parliament to institute political reforms. He immersed himself in British politics, forging links with socialists, Irish home rulers, suffragists, and critics of empire. With these allies, Naoroji clinched his landmark election to the House of Commons in 1892, an event noticed by colonial subjects around the world. Finally, in his twilight years he grew disillusioned with parliamentary politics and became more radical. He strengthened his ties with British and European socialists, reached out to American anti-imperialists and Progressives, and fully enunciated his demand for swaraj. Only self-rule, he declared, could remedy the economic ills brought about by British control in India. Naoraji is the first comprehensive study of the most significant Indian nationalist leader before Gandhi.