There is an observation in Edward Luce's book "In Spite
of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India", a comprehensive analysis
of modern India, which goes like: India is a country of palimpsests. In a
palimpsest, many layers keep on piling while the basic layer underneath never
gets destroyed. Likewise, the "glorious" tradition of India continues
to assert its presence in India despite the changing modern values keep
appearing as time moves ahead. This easy/uneasy coexistence of the sacred and
the profane proves that India is a land of contradiction. Luce, a correspondent
for the newspaper "Financial Times" has covered India for many years
and he is married to an Indian girl. So, he is in a position to comment on
modern India. Relying on his on-field observations and on country statistics, he
is objective in his analysis and is not solely confined to Oriental mind frame of
his British predecessors which tries to exoticize the East. Sycophancy, rise of
religious nationalism, inept and corrupt administration, poverty and
mismanagement in villages and cities and appalling condition of child laborers
and myriads of issues present the murky shadows of shining India. Luce comments
that the 21st century belongs to India because of its steady economic progress
and it has to take care of its citizens rather than just catering to the
interests of few chosen. He not only points the problems of India but suggests
some economic remedies as well. India's foreign policy towards small neighbors
including Nepal should not be patronizing but respectful, Luce argues. I cannot
agree more. I liked this book for its unflinching analysis but there are some
unpalatable points like when he cocks a snook at Hindu organizations by
comparing them with fascists and Nazis. However, his jokes like "Cast your
vote to vote your caste", satirizing the caste politics, add charm to the
book. One can correctly declare that India is such a gigantic nation to be
captured in few pages and Luce's ambitious book may fall off the mark. But he
has tried his best.
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