Despite the progress made in India in many fields, its overall experience since the advent of independence has been one of defeated hopes, warped institutions and a fractured political life. This collection of over a hundred pieces from Sham Lal’s writings analyze with a new zing the larger forces at work in today’s world and their impact on the course of events in this country. He is at his best when he describes how these forces often cut both ways. Globalization promotes a close-knit world society even as it creates a new international pecking order. Democratization gives subaltern groups a new say in policy making but also splinters national polity and creates a crisis of governance. Liberalization promises faster economic growth at the cost of widening income disparities. The author interacts with many eminent historians, sociologists, economists, political scientists, poets and novelist not just to locate flaws and gaps in their reasoning but to test and correct his own ideas of the processes at work. His lifelong interest in literature and the social sciences has given a sharp analytical edge to this book.
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