India in Slow Motion

Sometimes fiction is nothing as compared to real life. Sometimes, a writer's words do not capture the true essence of his thoughts. Its during times like these that I switch to reading non-fiction. Mark Tully's book; India in slow motion; turned out to be the newest entrant to my book-shelf.

The book is dedicated to all those who are striving for the good of India. It sure mentions a few of them. Mark Tully himself has a great deal of love for this country. Sure, he may look and speak like any another foreigner, his sympathy for this country matches that of any contemporary patriot. Born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and educated in England, Mark Tully was a correspondent for the BBC in South Asia for 25 years. In 2002, he was working as a journalist in New Delhi.

Tully mentions Gillian Wright; his partner in many of his escapades; as co-author. However, the book is written from his own perspective. A book about India! I felt a deep sense of pride as I first read the cover. However, the contents of the book did shake that pride a little.

In the book, India is presented through the eyes of an outsider. A stranger in a strange land. He dwells on the glory of India's heritage and swiftly moves on to the deplorable condition the country is in today. No, he does not focus on the poverty and the down-trodden like another famous foreigner (Danny Boyle, anyone!). He focuses on other serious issues, highlighting how this country hasn't been able to out of its colonial mindset. How red tape and bureaucracy (babudom) are still holding back the potential of the largest democracy in the world.

The purpose of "India in Slow Motion" was not to highlight the problems faced by this country. India is often depicted as a victim of forces too wild to be controlled - of post-colonial malaise, of religious strife, of the caste system, of a corrupt bureaucratic machine. The book argues that change is possible and solutions do exist. It looks at the people who are trying to bring about this change.

The book is in the form of short stories written in the first person. Mark Tully has personally interviewed quite a few soldiers of truth. There is Mathew Samuel - the journalist from Tehelka.com who exposed the corruption in arms procurement in the Defense services. Also, there is Aruna Roy - one of the major proponents of the Right to Information Act. She was the one who got Right to Information implemented in Rajasthan even when the RTI was just a bill in the Parliament.

"India in Slow Motion" securely grasps the essence of the enigma that is India. A Third World country that has all the ingredients to become a Superpower but is hindered by the enemy within. Even if you are not an Indian, this book provides very deep insight and may even force you to re-think any preconceived notions you may have about this country.

In everything he writes, Tully's sympathy for and knowledge of India shines through...He is, indeed, incomparable among foreign observers of that bewildering, maddening, utterly enchanting medley of peoples.
- Geoffrey Moorhouse, The Guardian

PS. Mark Tully did not pay me to write this review. But I do feel that any person who thinks of himself as an Indian should read the book.

Gandhi - the Vision and the Glasses

Congratulations to all my brethren for getting back what was rightfully ours. A certain pair of glasses that were under the hammer at a very big auction. India's prestige has been restored in the International community. Vijay Mallya turned out to be the greatest patriot of 'em all by shelling out a cool $ 1.8 million for the Gandhi Goodies©.

Somehow, I've begun to doubt my own sense of patriotism. My chest just refused to swell with pride when the news was announced. I apologize to Indrajit Hazra for quoting him here with the quote unquoted as he quoted exactly what I had been thinking.

My only question is: If we Indians wanted the Gandhi Goodies © (glasses, slippers, bowl and blood report)so badly, why did we ask the government to get them for us? After all, unlike the Kohinoor diamond and most of the Indian artifacts scattered across various museums around the world, these Gandhi Goodies© weren't stolen property that left an unholy imperialist-hegemonic ooze-trail across continents and time. This was fair and square deal in which the owner of the Gandhi Goodies© had decided to sell them to the highest bidder...No burglaries, no customs rackets, no Tomb Raider sequences, no RSS hanky-panky that we are so familiar with...All legit. So, why couldn't one of us, so keen to suck every Gandhi item scattered across the globe, raise his hand and make a bid at the Antiquorum auction last Tuesday night at New York?

No, you don't have to answer the above question. Not that I expect you to, anyway. What's the big deal with the glasses? I thought Gandhi was about ideology and not idol worship.Frankly, I have come to accept the Great Indian Hypocrisy as a way of life. To think of it, alcohol was the vilest thing according to Gandhi (That's why October 2 is a Dry Day!). Almost six decades after his death, India; his own country; cheered while his belongings were purchased at an auction by India's biggest liquor baron. Another one bites the dust in front of the Great Indian Hypocrisy! May his soul rest in peace.

This one flew right over the KINGFISHER's nest!