RickWoods111 at 22:54, 6 May 2026

2026-05-06T22:54:24Z

New page

{{short description|Indian Hindutva activist and litigator (born 1985)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jayakumar Sai Deepak
| image = J Sai Deepak,2017 (On RSTV) (cropped) even smaller.png
| alt = J Sai Deepak in 2017 on RSTV
| caption = Deepak in 2017
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|11|23}}
| birth_place = [[Hyderabad]], India
| birth_name =
| nationality =
| occupation = Lawyer, writer, columnist
| education = [[Mechanical engineering]]<br>[[law]]
| alma_mater = [[Anna University]]<br>[[IIT Kharagpur]]
| notable_works = ''India that is Bharat'' (2021)<br> ''India, Bharat and Pakistan'' (2022)
| awards =
| website =
}}
'''Jayakumar Sai Deepak''' (born 23 November 1985) is an Indian [[Hindutva]]<ref name=":1">Sources about Hindutva:
*{{cite book |last=Jacobsen |first=Knut A. |title=Routledge Handbook of Contemporary India |date=2023 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-003-27843-6 |editor-last=Chopra |editor-first=Rohit |publication-place=Abingdon, Oxon New York, NY |page=222 |chapter=International Networks Supporting Hindutva |doi=10.4324/9781003278436 |quote=Hindutva ideologues, like J. Sai Deepak, have also found mainstream English-language publishers like Bloomsbury India and Penguin Books India much more amenable to publishing their work, which more often than not substitutes crudely nationalist historical and social perspectives for scholarly quality |chapter-url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003278436-16/international-networks-supporting-hindutva-rohit-chopra}}
*{{cite journal |last=Hew |first=Wai Weng |last2=Chan |first2=Nicholas |date=2024 |title=Idealized Past, Exclusivist Present: Right-wing Appropriation of the Decolonial Rhetoric in Malaysia |journal=Critical Asian Studies |volume=56 |issue=4 |pages=625–651 |doi=10.1080/14672715.2024.2400219 |issn=1467-2715 |quote=Walter Mignolo, had to apologize on Facebook after he endorsed a book written by Sai Deepak, a Hindu supremacist who used decolonial frameworks to legitimize problematic Hindutva ideas.}}
*{{cite journal |last=Hull |first=George |date=4 May 2023 |title=Varieties of intellectual decolonisation: an introduction |journal=Social Dynamics |volume=49 |issue=2 |pages=185–195 |doi=10.1080/02533952.2023.2243077 |issn=0253-3952 |quote=Sai Deepak – who is, like Ram Swarup, a prominent voice in the Hindutva current of thought and political activism}}</ref> proponent, lawyer, columnist and author.<ref name="Kunnummal 2023">{{cite journal | last=Kunnummal | first=Ashraf | title=Islamic Liberation Theology and Decolonial Studies: The Case of Hindutva Extractivism | journal=Religions | publisher=MDPI AG | volume=14 | issue=9 | date=2023-08-22 | issn=2077-1444 | doi=10.3390/rel14091080 | doi-access=free | page=1080|quote= Of the Hindutva propagandists who deploy decolonial studies, J. Sai Deepak is the only one who has written substantively on it.}}</ref> As a [[counsel]], he practices before the [[Supreme Court of India]] and the [[Delhi High Court|High Court of Delhi]].<ref>{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|2076261680}} |title=Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala too has rights under Article 21, SC told |agency=Indo-Asian News Service |date=26 July 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|2076507987}} |title=Sabarimala case: Deity living person, has right to privacy, women devotees to SC |newspaper=Indian Express |location=Mumbai |date=27 July 2018 }}</ref> In 2024, along with 70 other advocates, he was designated as [[Senior Advocate]] by [[Delhi High Court]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-30 |title=J. Sai Deepak Among 71 Advocates Designated Senior Advocate By Delhi High Court, Supreme Court Conferrs Designation On Newly Appointed ASG|url=https://www.verdictum.in/news/j-sai-deepak-delhi-high-court-senior-advocate-designation-1559572 |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=Verdictum |language=en}}</ref>

He writes columns for ''[[The Indian Express]]'' and [[Open (Indian magazine)|''The Open Magazine'']]. He has authored two books about [[decoloniality]] in relation to [[India]]: ''India That Is Bharat'' (2021) and ''India, Bharat and Pakistan'' (2022).

==Early life and education==

Deepak was born in [[Hyderabad]] in a [[Tamil Brahmin]] family.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOlxkJvqTFs |title=J Sai Deepak On Hindutva, Free temple movement, Muslims in India & more{{!}}The Raunac Podcast{{!}} Rj Raunac |date=2024-05-22 |last=RJ Raunac |access-date=2025-06-09 |via=YouTube}}</ref> He studied at St. Anthony's High School in Hyderabad. He then graduated in mechanical engineering from [[Anna University]] and completed law from [[IIT Kharagpur]]'s [[Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law]].<ref>{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|2083283397}} |last1=Iyer |first1=Lakshmi |title=Small talk: The Deity's Advocate |newspaper=Mumbai Mirror |date=6 August 2018 }}</ref>

==Career==

Deepak has been part of [[Basmati]] [[Geographical Indications in India|Geographical Indication]] litigation, as the [[Special counsel|Special Counsel]] for the [[Government of Madhya Pradesh]], seeking inclusion of the state as part of the Basmati Geographical Indication.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The State Government Of Madhya Pradesh vs Union Of India & Ors on 25 April, 2019 |url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/73658577/ }}</ref>

Deepak argued the case against the [[Entry of women to Sabarimala|entry of women]] to [[Sabarimala Temple]] and had supported '[[Ready To Wait campaign|ready to wait]]' campaign. He argued against the entry, stating that the Hindu deity [[Lord Ayyappa|Ayyappan]] observes ''naishtika [[brahmacharya]]'' ("lifelong celibacy").<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 2019 |title=Written Submissions to the Supreme Court of India in the Sabarimala Temple Entry Case |url=https://peoplefordharma.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Sabarimala-Written-Submissions-1.pdf}}</ref> He was also a counsel in a petition to allow priests of any [[Caste system in Kerala|caste]] to be priests at Sabarimala, the priesthood at the temple has historically been open to only [[Malayali Brahmin]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 February 2023 |title=Written Submissions in the Vishnunarayan vs State of Kerala case |url=https://www.peoplefordharma.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/14484_Written_Submission-3.pdf}}</ref> The [[Kerala High Court]] ruled in favor of the traditional practices.

Deepak represented the [[Travancore royal family]] for their right to manage the estates of the [[Padmanabhaswamy Temple]] in [[Thiruvananthapuram]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 2019 |title=Written Submissions to the Supreme Court of India in the Padmanabhaswamy Temple Administration Case |url=https://peoplefordharma.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Padmanabhaswamy-Written-Submissions.pdf}}</ref> The Supreme Court of India ruled in favor of the family.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vishwanath |first=Apurva |date=2020-07-13 |title=Explained: Padmanabhaswamy temple case, and what the verdict means for the Travancore royal family |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-the-padmanabhaswamy-temple-case-and-what-verdict-means-for-travancore-royal-family-6503543/ |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=13 July 2020 |title=Sri Marthanda Varma vs State of Kerala |url=https://api.sci.gov.in/supremecourt/2011/10179/10179_2011_32_1501_22898_Judgement_13-Jul-2020.pdf |website=Supreme Court of India}}</ref>

Deepak was the counsel for [[Anand Rangnathan|Anand Ranganathan]] in the [[Contempt of court in India|contempt of court]] case against the latter for endorsing the criticism of Justice [[S. Muralidhar]] by [[Swaminathan Gurumurthy|S. Gurumurthy]] and [[Vivek Agnihotri]].<ref>{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|2817965951}} |title='Am a free speech absolutist': Author Anand Ranganathan in contempt case |agency=Indo-Asian News Service |date=24 May 2023 }}</ref> The Delhi High Court closed the proceedings against Ranganathan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thapliyal |first=Nupur |date=2024-01-03 |title=Delhi High Court Closes Proceedings Against Anand Ranganathan In Criminal Contempt Case For Tweets Against Justice S Muralidhar |url=https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/delhi-high-court/delhi-high-court-anand-ranganathan-criminal-contempt-case-tweets-justice-s-muralidhar-245737 |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=www.livelaw.in |language=en}}</ref>

==Views==
{{Conservatism in India|Intellectuals}}
Deepak writes two blogs, one named ''Yukti'' on [[constitutional theory]] and [[Philosophy of law|legal philosophy]]; and one named ''The Demanding Mistress'' on [[Civil law (common law)|civil]], [[Commercial law|commercial]] and [[Intellectual property|intellectual property law]]. An article in the latter blog was cited by the [[Madras High Court]] in its decision on the [[TVS Motor Company]] vs. [[Bajaj Auto]] Limited intellectual property dispute.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Madras High Court |date=18 May 2009 |title=M/S TVS Motor Company Limited vs M/S Bajaj Auto Limited on 18 May, 2009 |url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1721105/ |website=indiankanoon.org}}</ref>

Deepak is a [[Hindutva]] activist.<ref name=":1" /> He believes that the several good qualities of the [[Vedanga|knowledge systems]] of [[Vedic civilisation|ancient Hindu civilization]], mixed with the good qualities of [[Prussian education system|modern education]] systems, can be a template for [[Education in India|modern Indian education]] systems, which he considers to have multiple drawbacks.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/j-sai-deepak-is-wrong-indian-democracy-is-not-hindu-will-8690455/ |last=Sijoria |first=Siddharth |title=J Sai Deepak is wrong: Indian democracy is not Hindu will|date=28 June 2023 |website=[[The Indian Express]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2023/07/24/isolation-conservatism-and-buzzwords-what-drives-the-lucrative-market-for-right-wing-influencers|last=Sen |first=Raj Shekhar |title=Isolation, conservatism and buzzwords: What drives the lucrative market for right-wing influencers|date=24 July 2023 |website=[[newslaundry]]}}</ref> He opposes the [[Dravidian movement]] and [[Periyar]]ite thought, and claims they are Western interventions in [[South India|Southern Indian]] societal fault lines.<ref>{{Cite web |last=T. Mayura Priyan |date=2023-10-08 |title=Sanatana Dharma and the Dravidian Movement: A response to J. Sai Deepak — 2 – The Leaflet |url=https://theleaflet.in/sanatana-dharma-and-the-dravidian-movement-a-response-to-j-sai-deepak-2/ |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=theleaflet.in |language=en-US}}</ref> He has written an article, where he discussed limitations imposed by the Indian Constitution against Hindu majoritarian expression. He had criticized the provisions for Hindu majority authority being subject to judicial review and being overruled if it conflicts with constitutional morality.<ref name=":0" />

Deepak's talk on the [[Uniform Civil Code]] in [[Bengaluru]] at a Karnataka Bar Association event was faced with opposition from a group of lawyers who wanted the event to be cancelled in an attempted case of deplatforming, but it wasn't.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shukla |first=Suchita |date=2023-09-01 |title=Karnataka Bar Council Ignores Demand By Lawyers' Organisation To Cancel Sai Deepak's Talk On UCC, Event Witnesses Huge Crowd |url=https://www.verdictum.in/news/uniform-civil-code-all-india-lawyers-association-for-justice-1492654 |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=www.verdictum.in |language=en}}</ref>

Deepak has participated in multiple debates, the prominent ones being with [[Saurabh Kirpal]] on same sex marriage;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Menon |first=Vandana |date=2023-07-20 |title=Can Parliament be trusted with LGBTQ rights? Star lawyers Sai Deepak, Saurabh Kirpal debate |url=https://theprint.in/feature/around-town/can-parliament-be-trusted-with-lgbtq-rights-star-lawyers-sai-deepak-saurabh-kirpal-debate/1676638/ |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref> with [[S. Y. Quraishi]] and [[Manish Tewari]] on the Uniform Civil Code;<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-08-06 |title=Debate without draft Uniform Civil Code is a non-issue, says ex-CEC S.Y. Quraishi |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/debate-without-draft-uniform-civil-code-is-a-non-issue-says-ex-cec-sy-quraishi/article67164351.ece |access-date=2024-02-14 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> with [[Shashi Tharoor]] on decoloniality;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kabilan |first=Kannalmozhi |date=2021-09-11 |title=The reality of the nationalism debate |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2021/Sep/11/the-reality-of-thenationalism-debate-2357071.html |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> and with AG Krishna Menon and [[Sanjay Nirupam]] on nationalism.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Decolonising India: Is Bharat trying to reinvent itself? |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/decolonising-india-bharat-attempts-to-reinvent-debate-authors-mumbai-conclave-2293403-2022-11-04 |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref> In 2021, during the launch of [[Shashi Tharoor|Shashi Tharoor's]] book <nowiki>''The Battle of Belonging'', Deepak participated in a public discussion with Tharoor, distinguishing between nationalism and patriotism. Rebutting Tharoor'</nowiki>s critiques, Deepak also argued that the common understanding of "[[Hindu nationalism]]" offers a "truncated view" of the identity. So instead, he advocated for the broader framework of 'Hindu ([[Dharma|Dharmic]]) civilisationalism.' To emphasize that the Hindu civilizational identity transcends modern political boundaries and 20th-century politics, Deepak stated that he was prepared to completely discard [[Vinayak Damodar Savarkar|V.D. Savarkar]] as its sole defining figurehead, even arguing that it is a grave injustice to the society to reduce an ancient civilization to a single individual used as a straw man.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reporter |first=Staff |date=2021-09-10 |title=‘Patriot dies for the country, nationalist kills for the State’ |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/patriot-dies-for-the-country-nationalist-kills-for-the-state/article36392956.ece |access-date=2026-04-20 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Deepak is also a frequent orator, having spoken at multiple universities, as well as at literature and cultural festivals.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-18 |title=Those in power must be held accountable |url=https://starofmysore.com/those-in-power-must-be-held-accountable/ |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=Star of Mysore |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Publications==
===Books===
* ''India That Is Bharat: Coloniality, Civilisation, Constitution''. [[New Delhi]]: [[Bloomsbury Publishing|Bloomsbury]]. 2021. {{ISBN|978-93-5435-249-2}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sen |first=Anandaroop |date=2023-05-04 |title=J Sai Deepak's India that is Bharat: Coloniality, Civilisation, Constitution . Bloomsbury 2021 |journal=Social Dynamics |language=en |volume=49 |issue=2 |pages=376–385 |doi=10.1080/02533952.2023.2236899 |issn=0253-3952|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Valluvan |first1=Sivamohan |last2=Kapoor |first2=Nisha |date=June 2023 |title=Sociology after the postcolonial: Response to Julian Go's 'thinking against empire' |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1468-4446.12995 |journal=The British Journal of Sociology |language=en |volume=74 |issue=3 |pages=310–323 |doi=10.1111/1468-4446.12995 |issn=0007-1315|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dann |first=Philipp |date=2023-12-22 |title=Southern turn, Northern implications: rethinking the meaning of colonial legacies for Comparative Constitutional Studies |url=https://www.elgaronline.com/view/journals/ccs/1/2/article-p174.xml |journal=Comparative Constitutional Studies |language=en |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=174–196 |doi=10.4337/ccs.2023.0016 |issn=2752-9665|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Yadav |first=Yogendra |date=2022-05-06 |title=India needs to challenge colonialism in its own language. But solution isn't Hindu worldview |url=https://theprint.in/opinion/india-needs-to-challenge-colonialism-in-its-own-language-but-solution-isnt-hindu-worldview/944406/ |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref>
* ''India, Bharat and Pakistan: The Constitutional Journey of a Sandwiched Civilisation''. New Delhi: Bloomsbury. 2022. {{ISBN|978-93-5435-301-7}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kumar |first=Utpal |date=2022-09-06 |title=How India, a victim of conflicting colonialities, is coming out of slumber to reboot its tampered mind |url=https://www.firstpost.com/opinion-news-expert-views-news-analysis-firstpost-viewpoint/how-india-a-victim-of-conflicting-colonialities-is-coming-out-of-slumber-to-reboot-its-tampered-mind-11191361.html |access-date=2023-06-12 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Yadav |first=Yogendra |date=2022-05-06 |title=India needs to challenge colonialism in its own language. But solution isn't Hindu worldview |url=https://theprint.in/opinion/india-needs-to-challenge-colonialism-in-its-own-language-but-solution-isnt-hindu-worldview/944406/ |access-date=2023-06-12 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|2754825320}} |title=Re-Discovering Bharat |newspaper=Star of Mysore |date=16 December 2022 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Swapan Dasgupta]]
* [[Rajiv Malhotra]]
* [[Sanjeev Sanyal]]
* [[Bibek Debroy]]
* [[Vikram Sampath]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book | last= Sen| first= Anandaroop | title=Intellectual Decolonisation: Critical Perspectives | publisher=Routledge | publication-place=London | date=1 August 2024 | isbn=978-1-003-51784-9 | doi=10.4324/9781003517849 | page=|chapter=Decoloniality and right-wing nationalism in India: the case of J Sai Deepak|chapter-url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003517849-13/decoloniality-right-wing-nationalism-india-case-sai-deepak-anandaroop-sen|editor-first=George|editor-last= Hull}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|J. Sai Deepak}}

* [https://spicyip.com/author/j-sai-deepak Deepak's articles at SpicyIP]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Deepak, J. Sai}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:Supreme Court of India lawyers]]
[[Category:Anna University alumni]]
[[Category:People from Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:Indian male bloggers]]
[[Category:Indian columnists]]
[[Category:1985 births]]
[[Category:Hindutva]]
[[Category:IIT Kharagpur alumni]]
[[Category:Intellectual property lawyers]]

J. Sai Deepak - Revision history

RickWoods111 at 22:54, 6 May 2026