Snakes and Ladders: Glimpses of Modern India

by Gita Mehta

India is a land of contrasts. It is the world's most populous democracy, but still upholds the caste system. It is a burgeoning economic superpower but one of the poorest nations on earth. It is the home of the world's biggest movie industry after Hollywood as well as to still-practiced religions that are millennia old. As India celebrates fifty years of independence in 1997, the world will want to know, more than ever before, just what India is all about.

As she has proved in three previous books--her wry take on the marketing of the mystic east in Karma Cola; the rich historical saga of Raj; and the beguiling tales of "A River Sutra"--there is no better guide to India's multi-hued mosaic than Gita Mehta. She knows India in all its rich detail--its folkways and history, its culture and politics, its ancient traditions and current concerns. In "Snakes and Ladders," she gives a loving but unflinching assessment of India today, entertaining, informative, and wholly personal.

Combining a topic that will be in the news all year with a high-profile writer known for her sharp tongue and brilliant observations, "Snakes and Ladders" is sure to be one of the most talked-about and reviewed books of 1997.

Genres: India, Nonfiction, History, Essays, Travel, Religion, Indian Literature

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1997

About the author

Gita Mehta (born in 1943) is an Indian writer and was born in Delhi in a well-known Odia family. She is the daughter of Biju Patnaik, an Indian independence activist and a Chief Minister in post-independence Odisha, then known as Orissa. Her younger brother Naveen Patnaik has been the Chief Minister of Odisha since 2000. She completed her education in India and at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

She has produced and/or directed 14 television documentaries for UK, European and US networks. During the years 1970-1971 she was a television war correspondent for the US television network NBC. Her film compilation of the Bangladesh revolution, Dateline Bangladesh, was shown in cinema theatres both in India and abroad.

[...]

Her books have been translated into 21 languages and been on the bestseller lists in Europe, the US and India. The subject of both her fiction and non-fiction is exclusively focused on India: its culture and history, and the Western perception of it. Her works reflect the insight gained through her journalistic and political background.

Gita Mehta divides her time between New York, London and New Delhi.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Kit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read and really liked Mehta's River Sutra. So far, this book is a quick but thoughtful read.

10-19-08: Having finished the book, I have to say that what I liked best, or perhaps remember best, is her defense of the rich heterogeneity of India and the passionate interest that she sees Indians taking in their own political process. Westerners often look for themselves in India and in what they read about the country. Mehta does a good job of criticizing the things that are wrong as she sees it, like the problem of graft and corruption, but she also does a very skillful job of responding to the criticisms and misunderstandings she has heard from Westerners.

She clearly indicates how her own family background and experience have shaped her own views of India's recent history, but she also quotes from both Indian and outside writers as point of departure or further musing. The essays are short and highly personal in tone, but not any less reflective for being so. As the title indicates, Mehta is offering "glimpses of India." The effect is like an ongoing conversation, resumed each time two friends meet. An excellent book to read while traveling or commuting.

[Aashish · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it boring, slow moving, and somewhat irrelevant. It is set up as a series of essays on modern India, and its time since independance, presenting India as a land of vast contrasts- which it surely is. However, I felt like the book only scratched the surface, revealing very little.

[Dipti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was born in India at a time when the 1984 Sikh riots had only just begun; this meant I had missed out on all the drama of the political administration led by Indira Gandhi during that time.

I had first picked up this book in the spring of 2011 because I had felt I had not given a lot of attention to Indian writers. I guess I thought Indian writers probably wouldn’t be able to entice me due to their style of writing being so familiar to me already or so I thought.

Gita Mehta’s writing style was pleasantly penned; Snakes & Ladders is a collection of essays based on a time period when India had just gained its independence but was still ironically fighting to be free. It was written about a time when my country struggled to gain a foot hold and establish itself in the form of its culture, films and folklore we identify it with today for. Never did I once imagine India to be struggling after the British Raj had been defeated; I was naïve to think it must have been a suave ride after the Independence movement and the Indo-Pakistan war of 1947 when the first Prime minister was elected and India was along its merry way to a democratic nation.

I guess I was wrong. The author of this book was born in a time when she had seen India under the British Rule and lived through the period to see it sweat blood and to the final 1947 glory only to highlight her experience post-independence about the way she felt during the assassination of Indira Gandhi and the Sikh riots; aggressive in her tone she doesn’t shy away from expressing her opinions about the rampant political corruptions of that time involving Rajiv Gandhi and the role he played in the Sikh’s massacre in 1984. Her detailed personal experiences when narrated about reading Archie comics in Kolkata’s libraries as a little girl and discussing the building of shopping malls highlights the pride she takes in her country even as a child. Her personal encounters with various film makers and poets in that time and the discussion of ancient India paints a beautiful picture of a contemporary India that is heartfelt even today.

Born in a family of freedom fighters, the author’s father was an Indian independence activist and the Chief minister of Orissa while her brother is the present Chief Minister of Odhisa (formerly Orissa). Gita Mehta describes India as a land of numerous cultures, races, religions and languages and while Indians come across as exotic to the world it might come as surprise to know that many Indians look at their fellow mates across the states as exotic too. North Indians would find it exciting to visit the land of Kerala – a friend of ours who just returned from their honeymoon in Kerala described the land as exotic and breathtaking, a place they couldn’t imagine to have been located in their country. For us Kerala is exotic! Shimla is exotic and Mumbai is! (depending on which state you might belong to of course)

This book is a pretty quick read compared to most books I pick up but it’s definitely worth spending more time over researching various topics she hovers over. And if like me, you’ve always wondered about a journey back home to a time you never knew what your country went through then Snakes and Ladders provides a useful insight into the personal political views of the author with a hint of some socio historic spice which is bound to spark your hidden curiosity for the multihued mosaic that is our India.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read, somewhat old now as it was published in 1998, but some interesting insights into things Indian. Interesting perspective from a Westernerised Indian of the time as to India's then problems, economic, social and political. She describes the 1950s as when Nehru dreamt of a self sufficient economy through rapid industrialisation but neglected the needs of rural India. The 60s as seeing gains from the Green Revolution, which were subsequently lost in the 70s due to obsessive centralisation and spiraling farm subsidies. The 80s saw Rajov Ghandi attempt to create a new India by lifting currency restrictions, opening up the economy, deregularising industry and cutting taxes. But this was overtaken by the old political manouverings and his sucessor, V P Singh being more interested in political change than in economic development, and so to the 90s when India's had to use its gold to secure its loans. Prime Minister Rao then begun transforming Indian socialism into a market economy. An interesting retrospective summary of India's recent economic history written as a series of reflective essays with not the occassional jolt of humour which makes Mehta's writing very readable.

[Sally Edsall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some time ago I read a really outstanding piece of fiction about India - "A Fine Balance" by Rohinton Mistry. I am very pleased to have subsequently read this.

It's a collection of very easy to read short essays on Indian politics and society since Indendence (including the author watching Gandhi's funeral pass as a 5 year old).

It covers many of the events forming the basis of A Fine Balance, especially The Emergency period. It also brings things more up to date.

I really like reading it after A Fine Balance - I might not have been so interested, or it might not have meant so much before. In particular, things like references to crowds being herded together for Indira Gandhi's rallies etc - those sorts of events were just so vividly conveyed in Fine Balance.
Mehta delivers information about the vast and fascinating mosaic that is India in bite-sized and very digestible pieces, but she certainly doesn't gloss over the uglier seams in Indian political life.

[Aseem Juneja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Author paints a true picture of India but in the process also makes fun of a great nation. I could not help but remembered all throughout the book how her family (father - Biju Patnaik; brother - Naveen Patnaik) who have ruled Orissa/Odisha (one of the poorest states in India) for last 15+ years and are responsible for the extreme poverty, naxalism and backwardness in Orissa.

Born with a silver spoon in a house that had a convertible car even before India gained independence it's easy to point fingers at what does not work in India but I would have appreciated her disclosure that Author herself belongs to the ruling class of India. The whole flow of this book might have been different then.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

India is a country that fascinates me and I was looking forward to Mehta's book to help me understand more about the country. It does do that but her writing also assumes that you already know a lot about the history of the country, which, I admit, I don't. At times, this makes it frustrating to read. Also, as I know realize the book is 11 years old, I wonder how much of what she writes still holds true today. In any case, part four of the book, which told more about the culture and general life in India, was the most interesting. I'd look to a different source for a history of India as detailed in many of the earlier chapters of the book.

[Sowmya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I prefer the passionate narrative style of Arundathi Roy when it comes to India and its issues. Possibly because this book is a collection of essays that were published in different magazines at different times, I didn't find a pattern or connecting piece between them. It is possible that I am growing less fond of essays and moving on towards full-length fiction with strong characters and a gripping plot.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about modern India written by an Indian citizen who has traveled not only throughout India but also the world. She describes the incredible struggles and triumphs India as a nation has gone through since gaining independence from England, and a little bit about customs, traditions, and culture. Probably my biggest realization from this book is how diverse this nation is.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick study of contemporary India, a land of massive contradictions. The author has a way of making India's many challenges into personal and intimately relevant vignettes. Recommended for anyone planning to travel there.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read if you are at all interested in India. Entertaining and highly informative.

[Tuli · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was hardly anything in this book that I didn't read in the newspapers or school history books.Very text bookish.

[Morgan]

Mehta's journalistic style captures the 50 years after Partition in 35 snippets that smack politics and culture together.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

great if travelling to india, otherwise, i'm not sure i'd read it.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

She is a great writer, easy to read. I enjoyed the mix of history of India, her own memoirs, and a native's viewpoint but from the outside looking in, as she doesn't live in India full-time.

[Michaelbatte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative factual book about life in India today - easy and interesting read

[Kimberle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Got bored with this one. She didn't have anything to say that I haven't heard from my friends.

[Kcastro]

front cover with black background.

[Dinakar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting but nothing that will keep you captivated.

[Aravindh Sundaragopalan]

Great book and provides a very pragmatic picture of India. I am in agreement with the author on lot of her viewpoints. Nice Read if you are interested in Indian history,economics and politics.

[KOMET · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gita Mehta offers the reader, through a series of commentaries condensed into chapters, a view into India's idiosyncracies, history, and practices.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is not a large book. It started out very interesting but then got too political for my tastes.

[Jemana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It gives engaging anecdotal vignettes of "recent" Indian history.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps a bit outdated having been published in 1997, but it still offers a fascinating glimpse into the complex religious, cultural, and political influences of India through essay chapters.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insights about life in, and history of, India post British Raj. Enlightening from page 1 all the way through!

[Aaran Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Mehta's writing to be much more thoughtful in its analyses of India as compared to writers like Naipaul, who one may argue earned his fame from Western audiences through reassuring colonial perspectives. Yet this thoughtfulness doesn't necessarily mean her writing is nationalistic. In fact, I found that the most powerful passages in the novel were ones that yearned for a greater India, both believing in it's possibility but recognizing of its state at the moment.

Her analyses are outdated, seemingly proving the many observations she made. On the one hand, Mehta saw the potential in India's population: when this novel was published in 1997, India's literacy rate was at 50%, and today it is 80.9%. On the other, Mehta noted the fragility of India's democracy, which has seen a decline since the Modi administration took office in 2014. If India has changed in the past few decades, what remains constant is its beautiful yet fractured nature.

[Cam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe weird to be reading nearly 30 years after publication, but it was a nice overview of post-independence Indian history and a good reminder of events that I learned in school a long time ago but had forgotten (plus a good bit I was never taught!). I’m sure there are more updated primers (and I clearly have a lot to catch up on since 1997…), but it’s the book I had in front of me, and I sped through it quickly. I enjoyed the casual writing style and infusion of personal experience too, and even though the timeline in the back was very basic, it was very helpful for jogging my memory of high school world studies classes (15ish years ago, aka half my lifetime… ahhh very sobering…)

[Saphira_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

These Essays gave me great glimpses into the history, philosophy, society and culture of India. I really enjoyed learning so much about a country I did not know much about before. The reflections in the texts confronted interesting issues. Sure, since I am not from India, I do not know how many people would agree with her thoughts. But the texts felt really sincere and honest. I enjoyed the read a lot.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

India is known for Mahatma Gandhi and spirituality, but this gave me a better prospective of the modern India since its independence. I had forgotten it's still a young nation when it had been under colonial rule for so long.

[Ashwani Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A broad but shallow look at the fits and starts (or twists and turns, or snakes and ladders) of modern Indian history. Quite dated now and not particularly incisive or unique in its analysis and perspective.

While reading this book, I learned that that the author is the daughter of Biju Patnaik, who rubbed shoulders with Nehru, et al and was a daredevil pilot in the British/Indian Air Force.

Strangely, the author seems to explicitly address the book to a non-Indian audience as if all she has to say is already well known to (or not worth telling) Indians. Kind of an own goal, I think.