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Under Grey Smoggy Skies: Living Homeless on the Streets of India's Cities
196 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2026
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June 8, 2026
Book Review : Under Grey Smoggy Skies, Author: Harsh Mander
Our stratified society, where a large number of population remain homeless, is the result of neo-liberal model of development. In this growth model individuals are considered responsible for their own well-being while the state withdraws from this responsibility.
The book is a careful curation of the earlier published articles to make readers understand that this inequality has existed from a very long time. It is ironical that being one of the world’s fastest growing and largest economy of the world, state government have failed miserably to bring the homeless in the mainstream of the society. This marginalized section working on abysmally low wage practically runs our daily life yet always remain unrecognized and unprotected by both government and law.
The book presents the grim reality of our sharply polarized society where majority population is completely unaware of the destitutes. Chilling realities such as preference of a homeless young boy to be covered with grime to protect himself from abusers or sleeping near the highways and risking their lungs from the fumes of vehicles just to keep mosquitoes away will shake readers to their core.
It also highlights how a daily bath or defecation or access to restrooms are luxury for them as they have to pay for each of these facilities. The facts about how they prefer to forage food in garbage than to beg, use drugs to bear the harsh seasons or the excruciating pain inflicted by police, choosing to survive on bare minimum food instead of extending their hands for free food will deeply unsettle the readers.
The book subtly makes a point that to change the existing system we have to be essentially in the system. It emphasizes on taking legitimate means and be courageous to advocate for the homeless people.
Author has given practical solutions, which if implemented, can be a huge step towards making their living conditions better. Providing hygienic night shelters, soup kitchens for nutritious food, free health services, affordable hostels for men and women accessible to the area of work, residential schools for children who are often born due to abuse of vulnerable women, identifying willing caretakers for mentally ill or leprosy patients can really help them.
It also draws attention to the enduring spirit of this socially excluded group when they pool their meagre money to feed someone more helpless than them, to provide a blanket or to give a dignified funeral to an abandoned deceased.
The book hits hard and makes us question whether we really live in a democratic country or how we manage to turn away from those who are systematically trapped in the loop of homelessness. It ends with a powerful elegy and will make readers see that how, as society and as citizens, we have failed the homeless in every possible way. It will stay with readers for a very very long time.
I highly recommend the book.
Our stratified society, where a large number of population remain homeless, is the result of neo-liberal model of development. In this growth model individuals are considered responsible for their own well-being while the state withdraws from this responsibility.
The book is a careful curation of the earlier published articles to make readers understand that this inequality has existed from a very long time. It is ironical that being one of the world’s fastest growing and largest economy of the world, state government have failed miserably to bring the homeless in the mainstream of the society. This marginalized section working on abysmally low wage practically runs our daily life yet always remain unrecognized and unprotected by both government and law.
The book presents the grim reality of our sharply polarized society where majority population is completely unaware of the destitutes. Chilling realities such as preference of a homeless young boy to be covered with grime to protect himself from abusers or sleeping near the highways and risking their lungs from the fumes of vehicles just to keep mosquitoes away will shake readers to their core.
It also highlights how a daily bath or defecation or access to restrooms are luxury for them as they have to pay for each of these facilities. The facts about how they prefer to forage food in garbage than to beg, use drugs to bear the harsh seasons or the excruciating pain inflicted by police, choosing to survive on bare minimum food instead of extending their hands for free food will deeply unsettle the readers.
The book subtly makes a point that to change the existing system we have to be essentially in the system. It emphasizes on taking legitimate means and be courageous to advocate for the homeless people.
Author has given practical solutions, which if implemented, can be a huge step towards making their living conditions better. Providing hygienic night shelters, soup kitchens for nutritious food, free health services, affordable hostels for men and women accessible to the area of work, residential schools for children who are often born due to abuse of vulnerable women, identifying willing caretakers for mentally ill or leprosy patients can really help them.
It also draws attention to the enduring spirit of this socially excluded group when they pool their meagre money to feed someone more helpless than them, to provide a blanket or to give a dignified funeral to an abandoned deceased.
The book hits hard and makes us question whether we really live in a democratic country or how we manage to turn away from those who are systematically trapped in the loop of homelessness. It ends with a powerful elegy and will make readers see that how, as society and as citizens, we have failed the homeless in every possible way. It will stay with readers for a very very long time.
I highly recommend the book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review