India's Broken Tryst

by Tavleen Singh

An indictment of India's political class by a veteran journalist

Seventy years after Nehru's beautiful midnight speech -- 'Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny...' -- in Indian cities and villages millions survive on less than the bare minimum. Children are not in classrooms, women have nowhere safe to relieve themselves, and jobless men lie around in a daze. In cities, where initiative should flourish, a merciless state looms large over every common endeavour. The civilization that was India, that grand culture, has not found utterance again. Long years after freedom from the British, why do we remain suppressed?In India's Broken Tryst, bestselling author and popular political columnist Tavleen Singh chronicles the damage done. Here is the story of Surekha, who lives on the pavements of Mumbai's landmark Marine Drive with memories of crushing hunger. Of Ali, the idli seller who is forced out of his honest livelihood by cops and corporators. Of Sahib and Sardar, little boys torn from their mother on the criminal charge of begging. Of those nameless servants who do not have access to toilets even as they service the luxury apartments where Singh lives. From the very poor to the very rich, Tavleen Singh catalogues in bold, eviscerating detail the systematic unmaking of our sense of destiny. Can an Indian dream stretch beyond food and water, literacy, toilets, and in some cases just a document of identification? If not, what destiny?

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, India, History

453 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 10, 2016

About the author

Tavleen Singh is the author of three books, Kashmir: A Tragedy of Errors, Lollipop Street: Why India Will Survive Her Politicians and Political and Incorrect. She spends her time between Delhi and Mumbai and writes four weekly political columns, in Hindi for Amar Ujala and Jansatta, and in English for syndication and an exclusive column for the Indian Express.

Reviews

[Preyal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book solely on the basis of the columns written by the journalist turned author Tavleen Singh. I don’t follow politics like a fanatic just as a normal citizen of India does. However, I do read articles to get an insight on the history of major political events and that’s how I stumbled upon her article! She writes well (of course being a journalist writing articles and all that), although this particular book reminded me more of ‘gossip girl’ - Tavleen as the gossip girl columnist and Sonia as Blair Waldorf from upper east side which is Lutyens, Delhi (only, we’re waiting to see the saint side of the latter!).

Now to the parts which I really liked her flow as well as the narrative - her focus point throughout the book remains on how politics shouldn’t be dynasty driven which is mostly the case in India. She justifies this with a series of failed politicians who’ve got the opportunity to serve the people of the country solely based on succession, yet, have basically sucked at the role, the focal point/agenda of entering politics being power, money and an easy celebrity status. Then the piece where she goes on to do a story on schools and hospitals in UP. The dismal conditions of the hospitals and schools despite numerous government programmes and the truth of the country’s status in the hand of bureaucrats was absolutely sad! The chapter on trafficking left me with no words. Then comes her story on the irony of government institutions set up to help kids filing an eviction notice against another locally run institution helping kids. She concludes this chapter again blaming bureaucracy being the curse of the country. This premise is repeated in the book with similar instances which I’m afraid is very much true in our country. A public officer is basically supposed to help the people using his/her position and the country’s resources! In majority cases this doesn’t happen, the officers mostly lack empathy and are used to being kowtowed, the basic motive is earning a decent salary, enjoying the perks of being a government employee and cashing in on the position to ensure maximum returns! She is pretty vocal and clear on this issue, the slothful and inept bureaucrats.

She touches upon various topics albeit almost always ends up bragging about herself and doesn’t forget bashing up her favorite target ‘Sonia’. Not that I have a soft corner for Sonia, most of the things that the author speaks about her are true, the manner and flow in which it has been portrayed in the book is more like a bitching session (name calling like Maharani, apolitical Italian housewife and de factor empress of India) than talking on seriousness of issues with specific instances of her failure! I mean she goes like ‘anonymous person told me blah blah blah!!’ That isn’t what one wants to read! That’s like her journalist rant right there! We read it in her columns! The book mostly seems a collection of important experiences that she had as a journalist and not a book on any particular topic per se.

Then there’s her dog and street children (emphasis on 'India being a poor country' as we are repeatedly robbed - first on account of 'colonisation' and then by the 'country’s so-called leaders') Now the emphasis on the street children and their dismal conditions is understandable considering she’s trying to give the reader an insight into the ground realities in the country. This is fine, however, when she describes her role in helping these kids, the glorifying seems back! You don’t have to write about the nice things you do!! As a wise man said - “daaye haath se seva karo toh baaye haath ko pata nai chaley” (let the left hand not know what charity has been done by the right hand!). Another instance was where she speaks about her ancestry ‘Maan Singh’ or about some prince’s wedding she’s attending - no idea why 🤷🏻‍♀ ( unnecessary show off 🙄)

In the chapter about Nehru she describes in detail about the lacking nature of Nehruvian socialism and the fact that although many people saw this, the awe that resonated with the name ‘Nehru’ resulted in deaf governance and mute policies. His poor handling of the Kashmir matter is also touched upon.

The author’s hatred of feudalism and dynasty politics is evident throughout the book! She condemns the kowtowing done by the bureaucrats and officers around the Gandhi family and yet at one point she mentions about an old photograph of Indira Gandhi with reporters (herself) and she keeps it as a memento 🙃!! I mean you hate this attitude of people giving undue importance to this family as rulers of the country and then you keep a photo as a memento to remind you of the first time you saw Indira Gandhi at close quarters !! (Seriously!🤔). Oh and then the maligning starts on how small and frail she (Indira) was compared to how she looked on TV/pictures, then there’s the constant bragging of her relationships with politicians or former prince/princess which contradicts her ideologies, she just can’t stop giving them this constant importance (she complains people see them as rulers and royals, hello so do you!) - 👏🏼 bonus point yea? So time and again we witness her spiteful/braggart side, not witty or funny, just unnecessary details and a sense of contradiction (that's probably her inherent nature, not discounting her observations in the book!) Then she finally gets to the point at hand - Indira Gandhi!! One should read her book, apart from the occasional gossip/bitching, she does give her opinion/insight on politics over a long period, from the 19th century to present day which is properly backed up (if one is interested!!), and mostly her views are logical which gives a glimpse into the history of Indian politics with a proper material.

Her experience as a journalist is very well mentioned in the book, her interactions with the masses and local politicians. The entire part on the change in people of India, their aspirations, opinions, being knowledgeable (thanks to the cell phone revolution!), which lead to the ‘Modi wave’. Most of her observations are on point (although her descriptions of places and unnecessary people make the book lengthy!) in respect of government policies and also religious politics, the fact that education should be given importance is strongly mentioned in her book.

Her intent is potent, and that combined with media as a platform helps her achieve things, and in today’s day and age, I really wonder how many of them really take initiatives or act upon matters using their position in the 'society' for the 'society'.

There are several messages in the book which I do hope the right people take cognizance of and take necessary action to make India a better place than it already is 🙂

[Indrani Sen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is thoroughly enjoyable and well-written. The author does seem a bit biased, but it was good to read her point of view. Learned a few things.

[Umesh Kesavan · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book driven by visceral hatred of a single person- Sonia Gandhi. There is a chapter on the author's puppy and I was worried that the death of the puppy would somehow be attributed to the disastrous "welfarist" politics of Sonia Gandhi.

[Sridhar Tiruchendurai · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written account of Delhi politics from an almost-insider. Makes it easy for an outsider to understand on how the Lutyen's community worked, controlled and almost destoyed this country.

[Srinidhi Ng · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book chronicles the condition of India from Emergency during Indira Gandhi's regime, the democratic feudalism that followed her, Durbar of Rajiv Gandhi and the India ruled by the de-facto PM Sonia Gandhi. Tavleen talks about the lack of vision of successive Gandhi governments and the failed socialist policies which have kept the people poor.
The last few chapters that chronicle the end of Lutyens' elites and the rise of Narendra Modi are particularly interesting and relevant even today.

[Aparna]

An interesting account of how dynastic politics has come a long way..

[Divita Mathur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative but her egotism is unbearable.

[CK · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't find this book as interesting and captivating as Tavleen singh 's previous book 'Durbar' ( highly recommended) .

[Aarti Iyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best political accounts that I have read in recent times. The chronological view of the general elections, how the mindset of people change as 2014 loksabha elections approached is so crisp. Also the way Indias electorate changed after independence, detailing into the progress and the current state of the various states is very interesting and seems real
Written in a very story like manner and relating to everything as she went through makes the book a very good read

[Guruprasad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as Good as Durbar , Book Contains the Anger Tavleen had towards Sonia for closing Lavasa for political vendetta . a good heart person towards street people and slum dwellers . a keen observer of politics and drawing room discussions , one of few people who believed in the Modi Wave before May 2014 in the nation . at some points you will feel self loathing of the author.

[Hrishikesh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing.

[Anuradha Goyal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed review here https://www.anuradhagoyal.com/indias-...

[Tushar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it was a good book, but Durbar was far better.

[Mira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled across this book at a random Harper Collins event I attended in Delhi a few years ago, and had not gotten around to reading it until now. I am not someone who traditionally holds very strong political opinions so I read it with an open mind, but was prepared to be skeptical where necessary.
This is a subjective account - it in no way claims or tries to be an objective historical statement of facts (though facts arguably may also be subjective) - this is personal. It is personal to her life and her experiences, while discussing what is going on in the nation as a whole.

Tavleen Singh writes in a style that is engaging and straightforward - it can actually be quite a fast and easy read. She mixes her interactions with various members of India's political class, and upper echelons of society (Delhi's drawing rooms as she likes to call it) with personal anecdotes of her interactions with India's not so privileged. She speaks about the hypocrisy of India's rich (quite correctly) towards their poor and a system of public services including health, housing and education, that fails our people again and again. It is actually these stories of the people on the streets that I found most fascinating in her account.

She also describes the history of Indian politics from Nehru's arguably dreamy ideals to the fall into dynasty politics and public welfare schemes that do not work. She discusses the Modi wave and what brought it to be. These are things I've often heard spoken about but rarely had the chance to read about, perhaps because I'm usually a fiction junkie and prefer to read about worlds that don't exist :) That said, I am not in a position to judge factual accuracy, and would have to read more before commenting on this portion.

The attacks on Sonia Gandhi can sometimes be grating because one gets the sense that this is a very personal grudge. Perhaps not unwarranted if the potshots she describes are true, but it sometimes undermines the whole thing, as the writing often felt vindictive. Also Singh's disdain for all things Congress can sometimes be a bit much. She is clearly anti socialist and perhaps she is right for what might benefit the masses is a more capitalist approach. She describes the current system as feudalism disguised as democracy - which is fair considering the levels of corruption and under the table dealings prevalent in our current systems.

However, she is notably more careful to criticise the current leadership, and often seems biased towards Modi. It is not to say that she is not correct in her assessment, but since she is so hard on all the other political leaders, one would hope that she would hold Modi to the same questioning and standards. She is not yet as hard on him as she is on the others. Arguably, she wrote this book quite early into his prime ministership, so perhaps that remains to come. I am interested to see her commentary on more recent events. I was relieved to see some acknowledgement of the unsettling force of the Hindutva, because this is something that seems like it could truly hold back India from progress. But there seems to be a slight bias, and perhaps one would need to read her later writing to see how that pans out.

However all in all her description of Indian politics and society in the last decades hits a chord, and helps us breakdown the shift our people has gone through in the years since Nehru's Tryst With Destiny speech. Furthermore, it shows us a mirror to our own hypocrisy. I've noticed some of the reviews pointing out her strong bias against Sonia Gandhi. Though this is accurate, I would say that you should read this anyway. Read this with an open mind, even if you disagree with her opinions. Sometimes it is healthy to read people with whom we don't agree, because there may be some things to consider that we have not yet thought of. I don't think we should be afraid of such writing because there are always things on the opposite side that can teach us, and there are always areas where our own blind spots push us in directions that are not completely objective themselves. Read this because there is a good portion, the stories of the people on the streets, that is not based on any political bent but just a harsh reminder of the realities in our major cities. It has helped me remember to be kinder towards our poor and not as hardened as I find myself becoming. If for nothing else, read it for this.

[deepak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nehru’s speech on the midnight of the Independence that contained the most quoted words, ‘tryst with destiny’, has been seen as the India’s broken tryst. The last seventy years have been wasted by the ruling elite since in these years of independence India has not been able to provide even the basic necessities, water, electricity, education and medical health case, to its citizens. The failure, as the writer notices, is due to faulty public policy of socialism and many misplaced priorities by Nehru and the Congress party. The onus is in entirely on the Nehru-Gandhi family. It has ruled India as if this country were its feudal state. The writer uses the term ‘democratic feudalism’ that encouraged almost a dynastic rule of the country.
The book is anecdotal and with many such anecdotes, which are more or less encountered while in her journalistic exploration, the writer brings forth the sordid state of affairs our country is going through despite many rosy promises made by the political class to transform it into a heaven. These anecdotes reveal what we in India already know and mostly just not notice: abject poverty, malnourishment, migration from villages to cities in search of jobs and livelihood, formation of slums that lack basic urban amenities such as clean drinking water, toilets and electricity, child trafficking for prostitutions, crime for mere subsistence. The list is endless. Add to it lack of good education health care as provided by the government sector. The picture that emerges is dismal. And all this has been going on despite repeated manifestoes of the parties to eradicate poverty.
The failure points to one stark but bitter reality: those who governed and made many policies, there was hardly any connection; they simply did not understand the realities of their country and the policies they thought were promising were in fact ineffective on account of their being framed in drawing rooms and air conditioned offices in New Delhi. She observes: I realized that India’s shameful, horrendous poverty would not disappear as long as this disconnect remained between policy makers and the people for whom they made their policies.
It was Nehruvian vision that proved to be the bane of India on the one hand and perpetuation of this unpractical vision by Nehru-Gandhi family dynasts, on the other. the conception of the state as too much of a welfare state that doles out subsidies without paying any attention to the generation of work and employment; distrust of private enterprise; neglect of primary education; stringent regulations that throttled the business zeal to progress; too much trust on public sector to the extent of treating any private enterprise as swindling or cheating. These Nehruvian policies have been followed blindly by all political rulers including Vajpayee. (Atal Behari Vajpayee was too Nehruvian in his political and economic ideas to change anything when he was prime minister.
With the emergence of Modi on the scene in 2014 promised to be monumental because he swept the polls on the promise of change ‘Parivartan’ which people longed for desperately after being taken for granted by the elite for the alleviation of poverty and economic prosperity. She observes on the emergence of Modi: it is a moment for India that is almost as significant as that moment in 1947 when it shook off colonial rule. It is perhaps more significant because it is a real chance to break the hold of a colonized elite who ruled in the name of the poor but kept most Indians in poverty while doing so. The writer was full of hope like rest of the countrymen on winning of thumping majority by Modi and his party. She had been writing in support of Modi in her column in the Indian Express. It is in very recent days that she has changed into a staunch critic of Modi. This book was published in 2016 when still she was expecting a drastic change to be introduced in Indian economic scene that would introduce radical changes in education, health care and economic policies that would promise jobs to the youth. In this book there are presentiments of things going awry on account of Modi’s mandate stolen by his Hindutva companions. If it happens, she observes, Indian could lose it first real chance to take a new road. If democratic feudalism and decayed socialism held down the political elite that Modi has displaced then an ugly, defunct idea of revivalist Hindutva could become the millstone that prevents him from moving too far on the new road that stretches before him. The fear has come true. In her latest book, Modi Messiahs ? she dwells on the golden opportunities lost by Modi by falling into an entirely irrelevant narrative of Hindu- Muslim, Hindutva, cultural revivalism and cultural nationalism.

[Yash Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tavleen singh at her best
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1) The first thing which i noticed in this book is the bitterness of tavleen towards Sonia Gandhi (The de-facto Prime minister of India from 2004-14),which i feel is not personal as such but more of ideological ,which she portrayed very well in the various chapters of the book.

2) The book contains various chapters on different topics like - her opinion on Sonia Gandhi , her relationship with Ajit Gulabchand, love and affection for Julie ( pet dog), interactions with the street child of Mumbai which she described very well and the condition in which they live , visit to Pakistan during Afghan jihad, meeting with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, about the tenure of rajiv gandhi and his doon school elite friends, meeting with Narendra Modi after 2002 gujarat riot and before 2014 election, her frequent visits to U.P. and Bihar and her interactions with the local people there and her views on the utmost hypocrisy of the congress party which i quote in my own way :-
'Once someone from nehru-gandhi family farted and because of this the whole room is filled with very bad odour ,but the congressmen and women standing there asked the family which perfume they are using because it smells great'.

3) Though some of the topics which tavleen mentioned in this book is a kind of repetitive of her previous work i.e darbar.

4) The language of the book is easy and the way she described is good.

5) Though some people may find this book as a personal grievance against Nehru Dynasty, but the message which she tried to convey is that political parties in India are now becomes a kind of private Enterprise with the family members are the only shareholders.

6) I will recommend reader you can go for this book and think yourself what kind of democracy is prevailing in this country.

I hope u like the review,thanks for reading ,Jai Hind.

[Sameer · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book came as a gift, I think I lost Tavleen Singh right after Durbar. India's Broken Tryst is a sad tale of hypocrisy and vendetta literature attack. I am amazed how Singh tries to glorify herself by buying some books from the roadside kid and dropping them to a destination or how she treats her maid.. but then knowing her political affiliations what one expects from Singh is not anywhere seen in the book.

One of the sad part of this book is that the author switches from a Kitchen conversation all the way to one of the most powerful lady India has seen. Its funny how the author actually tries to put herself in the rivalry with such a powerful persona.

I think this book deserves a 0 rating, but then I had no choice than reading as an unread book in the shelf is a sin.

If you are going to buy this one or read, maybe you can think again.

[Ute Tonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book I have read from this author and just as the first one “Durbar” I found it an interesting read. Tavleen Singh describes India’s problems and how she things they came into being. Some chapters of the book describe her personal involvement with the poor and how she tries to help them. Most chapter focus on what is wrong with India today. For her the big culprit is the Nehru-Gandhi family and their policy of dynasty. While she is certainly not wrong, her obsession with Sonia Gandhi is slightly annoying and she goes on endlessly about what Sonia Gandhi has all done wrong. A little less droning on about the Gandhi clan and I would have given a full 5 stars. Nevertheless the book is readable and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Maharsh Shah · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like a 3.5 rating for this one. This is the second book of Tavleen Singh I have read this year (after Durbar) and I have to admit I am becoming a fan. Her experiences, observations and genuinely neutral stance on Indian politics is a rarity and I wish more journalists would take the cue. There is no right, no wrong, no personal bias and the commentary is simply what she has seen and observed. Her views also resonate with the common man of this country and are not merely elite conversations held over single malt in fancy drawing rooms. This book is a must read for everyone!

[Aman Desai · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives a view of India from the 70s to the day through an eye of a journalist. Some of the chapters are indeed insightful and revealing. It provides its readers an access into the corridors of power in the national capital and the drawing rooms of the bureaucrats, socialists and the power brokers. Many contemporary details after 2010 are known to anyone who follows politics and watches news regularly. It was fascinating to read about the details of earlier times when Mrs. Gandhi was the Prime Minister of the country followed by her son, Rajiv Gandhi.

[Mohit Bhanvariya · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 for those parts which could have been skipped because while reading the political story of India, I as a reader is less interested in the very minute details of the author and her life. Except of the very few personal instances mentioned, the rest of the book is so nicely written. You will have some real fine reading of the proses aimed towards the Indian Politics. Definitely a worth buy. It was mainly focused till 2014 only and so like a real journalist a brilliant analysis and writing form can be observed throughout.

[Puja · Rating 4 out of 5]

After her "Durbar", this book was sort of a continuation where she talks about the Manmohan Singh regimen, the flaws of the Congress rule, her own experiences of carrying out different stories that changed the shape of the country, once and for all, The Shah Bano case, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this extremely well written book. Who better to narrate political events than a journalist who has been there and done that?

[Ajit Sridharan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written book. What I appreciate is the neutral stance that the authoress has taken. She has pointed out the good and the bad in both, the Congress and the BJP, unlike some of the totally biased articles and books we get to read these days. For someone like me who grew up in the 1980's, this book helped me understand a lot of stuff we saw on the TV when we were kids.

[Harshil Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tavleen Singh knows those who PM Modi calls the Khan Market/Lutyens Gang. She shows the inner working of that group and how they fail to recognise India's and Indian's need for change or parivartan. Another great read after Durbar

Both the books are must reads.

[Daya4goal · Rating 1 out of 5]

At first i want to know why they are unright. so i read the book. so now i can tell they deserve. they are just comfortable journalist enjoying the perks politicians. a lot of toilet mentions also unhappy me.

[Prabhat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as Durbar, still a good read. Tavleen Singh's crusade against phony socialism continues.

[Hetal Bhatia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointed after reading Durbar. The book almost comes across as a personal vendetta against Sonia Gandhi

[Sudarsan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed bag.

[Rajeev · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this book alludes to the famous speech made by Jawaharlal Nehru in the Central Hall of Parliament, the day India gained independence from the British. In that famous address, Nehru talked about India's "tryst with destiny". Tavleen Singh, in her inimitable style has thrown light on the failure of the Indian state, even after 7o years of independence, to provide a reasonable standard of living to its teeming millions, which in a way can only be percieived as a failure of the country to keep the tryst with destiny, about which Nehru had waxed eloquent in 1947. Tavleen Singh, has attributed it to the failure of the ruling elite of this country, who have perpetuated a system of rampant corruption and nepotism and has brought about a system of "feudal democracy", which has only helped in lining the cozy nests of the politicians and netas.
The author talks in detail about the actions taken by the various dispensations that have ruled the country form 90s onwards, and which have failed the Indian people miserably. The advent of crony capatilism that perpetuated a intricate system of corruption has been crisply brought out. She has very intelligently woven into the narrative the pathetic condition of the street children of India, who are the living proof of the failure of the Indian state. Her accounts of the street children of Mumbai are particularly moving.
She finally rounds up her narrative with an excellent account of the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, which saw the complete decimation of the established order of Lutyens Delhi in the form of the Congress party and the phenomenal rise of the BJP, led by Narendra Modi. The account of the election campaigning and the wrong predictions of the poll pundits on the scale of success of Modi has been very crisply covered. She however signs off with a warning note, on the rise of Hindutva agenda, which could have the capability of derailing the developmental agenda of the current dispensation.
The book is a wonderful read, and it gives a birds eyeview on the workings of the government and the disappointments that the country has had to face on account of the corrupt practices of a few.

[Suyash Somvanshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

‌An account of author's personal life along with important political events that she as a leading journalist was fortunate enough to witness. She has also described her meetings with poorest of poor people who despite all the policies and schemes of the government fail to rise from their state of despair. So how a family managed to win the votes from diverse class of people for so long is a question she raises and tries to answer here.
The journey of independent and democratic India that started with the famous speech given by our first prime minister is marked with period of rulers who ruled because they were part of a family.The gossip and discussions in gatherings of elite intellectuals which the author has narrated reflects the obsession of them with the family.
The dynasty politics disguised as democracy is so widespread and so the norm that hardly anyone sees the point in questioning it now. Afterall we the people only elected the representatives. So who to blame? Well , the author here has someone to blame .
She also talks about the failure of socialist model that we so proudly followed in our initial years after the independence and how did that cost us in long run. There is lot of bashing and blaming here which sometimes seems a bit of stretch but is only justified . She ends though in an optimistic note placing her faith in younger generation that is hopefully less colonized than ever with aspirations of middle class and capabilty to see beyond caste, religion and a dynasty that crippled the system. All in all a good read if you don't like Sonia Gandhi :)