Tuesday, 9 May 2017

India Shastra by Shashi Tharoor

                                            The book “India Shastra” is written by an eminent Congress politician and author Shashi Tharoor. The author paints the picture of contemporary India and its state of affairs after recent unprecedented victory of BJP in parliamentary elections in 2014 . This book has 100 essays segregated into 8 chapters touching different aspects of political and personal triumphs in his life though a sizeable part is devoted to trivializing achievements of PM Modi and mocking Natwar Singh(Former External minister and Gandhi family loyalist).
                                              After reading the book, one can’t help but conclude that the landslide victory earned by the BJP in 2014 parliamentary elections (75 crore girlfriend jibe) has disturbed some people immensely and prompted Shashi Tharoor to devote a couple of sections to ridicule Modi in individual capacity and his government . The author can’t keep his political bias in check and indulged in his mischievous narrow one sided commentary to belittle government. The author halfheartedly appreciated some social schemes implemented by incumbent government (Swatchta Abhiyan or Beti Bachao Beti Padhao) as opposing such schemes would have risked readers wrath while going berserk in criticizing other policy decisions .
                                           The fun part is the accusations of continuing with the previous government policies by Modi government . In a democracy, a regime change at center doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning of all the policies of the previous government . He very shrewdly sidestepped the truth, that before implementing policies, they were debated in parliament as it should be and thereafter suitably amended. It would have been stupid to dump schemes merely because UPA governments inept leadership adopted them, the prudent thing was to tinker with wasteful part while implementing rest as taxpayers money isn’t politicians personal fortune.
                                           As a Congress MP and to be in good books of his party also to remain relevant at national scene, it was expected and customary of politicians from their self proclaimed secular front to trade communal charges at Modi government. Author could have spared readers from this mud slinging ‘Cricket’ but then author has the liberty to express himself which he claims is getting stifling under present dispensation . This is a non-fiction book and readable if you can ignore the blabbering and sympathize with pain these rich brats are undergoing as the power slipped out of their hands which they consider their birth right .

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