Being Indian

Being Indian by Pavan K. Varma. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780143033424.

In the 21st century, every sixth human being will be Indian. India is very close to becoming the second largest consumer market in the world, with a buying middle class numbering over half a billion. The Indian economy is already the fourth largest in terms of purchasing power parity. It is in the top ten overall GNP. Yet at least 200 million Indians remain desperately poor. Illiteracy rates are high. Communal violence is widespread; corruption endemic. Brides are still tortured and burnt for dowries; female infanticide is common. The caste system has lost little of its power and none of its brutality. How are we to make sense of these apparently contradictory pictures of India today? And how can we overcome the many misconceptions about India that are fed by western stereotypes and Indians own myths about themselves? Pavan Varma turns a sharply observant gaze on his fellow countrymen to examine what really makes Indians tick. How, for example, does the indifference of most middle-class Indians to the suffering of the poor square with their enthusiasm for parliamentary democracy? How can a people who so supported Mahatma Gandhis strategy of non-violence during the struggle for independence burn young brides for their dowries and beat domestic servants near-death? Why do Indians have a reputation for being spiritual and other-worldly when their traditions so exalt the pursuit of material well-being as a principal goal of life? Drawing on sources as diverse as ancient Sanskrit treatise and Bollywood lyrics, Pavan Varma creates a vivid and compelling portrait of India and its people. "Being Indian" is an essential book for anyone who wishes to understand Indians, and for Indians who wish to understand themselves.