Implosion  (English, Hardcover, Elliott John)

Flipkart Official Review

There are a lot of books on India, currently doing the rounds. It is almost as if, India has taken centre stage and perhaps rightly so, given the dynamics that it goes through, day on day. John Elliott, with his book, “Implosion” joins the so-called bandwagon of books on India, and yet it is different from the ones you might have read in the past.

“Implosion” is about the boom we have seen as a country, its consequences and also about the downfalls, not to forget red tape and bureaucracy and corruption right at the top of things. Elliott takes a look of the entire spectrum – from history to politics to policies to where the nation is heading or intending to head.

The writing is sharp and witty. There are places you cannot help but guffaw with a very all-knowing nod. The book will only let you know and probably add to what you already do, and yet you will come out of it, a more informed person about the country and the conditions surrounding it.

Description

Since independence in 1947, India has basically muddled through, turning confusion and adversity into varying degrees of success. From his experience and perspective as both a business and political correspondent, John Elliott examines how this came to be. He looks at how corruption has eaten into all aspects of Indian life and questions the decades of rule by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. He explores the impact of liberalization, traces the build-up of social unrest over corruption, rape and exploitation of land, and reflects on the limitations of a hesitant foreign policy and depleted defence forces. At the heart of the problem, he argues, is the quick fix attitude known as jugaad and the laissez faire acceptance of chalta hai that together have eaten into the social and political fabric and heavily influence what India is today. Incisive and ambitious in its attempt to gather together the many strands that make up a controversial India narrative, Implosion is a timely contribution to the debate on nationhood, development, the exercise of power, peoples rights and the changing demographics of a country facing a Tryst with Reality.