Changing India

by Robin Thomson

Throughout the twentieth century, every one of India’s leaders, from Vivekananda to Vajpayee, from Mahatma Gandhi to the Nehru-Gandhis, has been in the business of trying to change India for the better. India is changing, profoundly and inevitably. But in what direction should it go? And who are the agents of change? The politicians, the media, the environmentalists, the technocrats, the religious leaders, the Internet whiz-kids, the missionaries?Here are stories of people who are contributing to India’s transformation. They work at the margins, pushing across frontiers of need. For example, the young parents who have pioneered medical care for children with special needs, the former rock singer who is now working for the environment, the NRI who catalyzed India’s telecom revolution, the village women who have transformed health care in their communities.Their stories offer insights and hope for the future. They also throw light on another key what role does religious conversion have in bringing change? What factors lie behind it? Can it ever be positive? Does it have a place in the modern world?The writer’s reflections on these issues, and the stories of his friends, are fresh and appealing. The issues he raises are significant.“I arrived back in India to work, straight from university. Like everybody else, I wanted to do my bit in the changing India. But I didn’t know how. In the last 35 years I have made a lot of friends and seen their work. I want to share their stories, to learn what kind of contribution can help to transform India.”COMMENTS“Unlike most books written by Westerners about India, Robin Thomson’s sympathetic and gentle book nevertheless goes to the heart of the questions facing our country today.”- Professor Prabhu Guptara“Though this book is bound to raise Hindu eyebrows it is well worth a read since discusses carefully the all important and hotly pursued issue of the day in

Hardcover

Published January 1, 2002

About the author

Robin and Shoko Thomson met when he was travelling to India and she was returning to Japan after studying abroad. They were married and lived in India for over twenty years, teaching and training church and community leaders. After they returned to the UK Robin wrote and taught on cross-cultural understanding and leadership development.

In January 2012 Shoko was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“We had no clue what lay ahead. Later, when the disease really began to bite, we learned the hard way. We had been married over forty years, living in twenty-three homes in India, the UK and Japan, bringing up our two children, sharing our life together. Now we went through discouragement and relentless pressure as her personality changed and she lost her capacity in many areas of life. What kept us going were the love and practical help of family and friends, and the remarkable friendship and support of the carers who visited us, backed up by health and social care professionals. Shoko died of heart failure in 2018.”

“Everybody’s experience of dementia is different. But there are common themes and I thought our story might be helpful to others facing similar experiences – the same pain and pressures, as well as the hope and resources.”

“I wanted to share our story as openly and honestly as possible. It’s quite difficult to convey the sense of bewilderment and sometimes hopelessness that you can feel, as well as the real joys and hopes.”

More at https://www.livingwithalzheimers.life/