January 15, 2005

The Great Indian Middle Class



An insightful look at the historical roots, cultural and social behavior and economic influence of the Indian middle class. Pavan K Varma offers an excellent introduction for anyone with interest in understanding the Indian middle class.

He traces the history of the class, and the strong influence of Gandhi and Nehru's ideology. Further, he offers an explanation of the perceived subsequent ideological decline, and the role of the middle-class in subverting the nation's goals to serve its self-interest. He also explains the hypocrisy common in middle-class behavior - private practice of ritual and casteism while publicly projecting a secular image, relentless pursuit of self-interest while maintaining a belief in social justice and so on.

Varma's book cites several examples, from the Mandal commission recommendations, to the rise of Hindu fundamentalism. It offers insight into corruptness of Indian society, and critical analysis of the role played by the middle-class in the 50 years since independence.

The book is not full of statistics, or rigorous research results. It draws on common examples, probably familiar to most readers, rather than esoteric academic work. It is easy to relate to, even though somewhat simplistic in presenting the analysis. The book falters somewhat in the final chapters, where the author switches from diagnosis to prescription.

Many might disagree with the author's opinions. It is undeniable though, that it presents a hard look at the self-obsessed Indian middle-class.

January 05, 2005

Books read in 2004

I started 2004 with a lofty, unrealistic goal of reading 50 books through the year, knowing at the back of my mind that it was a bit ambitious to plan reading a book a week. I got through only about 17 books (including a couple of partial reads). Upon reflection at the end of the year, I am quite happy with the variety of topics that I read about.

Here's a list of books that I read through the year:

1. Jhumpa Lahiri - The Namesake
2. Gurcharan Das - The Elephant Paradigm
3. Sulakshana Mahajan - "Jag Badalal'e" (Marathi)
4. Sulakshana Mahajan - Arthavyavasthaanche Swabhaav (Marathi translation of Jane Jacobs' "The Nature of Economies")
5. Lawrence Lessig - Free Culture
6. Bhisham Sahni - Tamas
7. W. Somerset Maugham - The Moon and Sixpence
8. Michael Frayn - Copenhagen
9. John Gribbin -  In search of Schrodinger's Cat
10. Chintamani Deshmukh - Homi Jehangir Bhabha
11. Richard Posner - Antitrust Law: An Economic Perspective
12. Laxman Londhe and Chintamani Deshmukh - Devaansi Jive Maarile (Marathi)
13. Guy De Maupassant - Selected short stories
14. Robin Wilson - Four Colors Suffice
15. Peter Drahos with John Braithwaite - Information Feudalism
16. Lawrence Lessig - Code and the Other Laws of Cyberspace
17. Pavan K. Verma - The Great Indian Middle Class