India In Slow Motion

by Mark Tully

Mark Tully is incomparable. No one has a greater understanding of the passions, the contradictions, the humour, the tragedy and the staggering resilience that constitute India. In his long awaited new book, he delves further than ever before into this country of one billion people. Covering subjects as diverse as Hindu extremism, bonded child labour, Sufi mysticism, the crisis in agriculture, the persistence of political corruption and the problem of Kashmir, he paints a picture of India at once poignant, funny, startling and deeply humane.

Genres: India, Nonfiction, Travel, Indian Literature, Politics, History

Paperback

First published November 7, 2002

About the author

Sir William Mark Tully was the Chief of Bureau for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in New Delhi for 22 years. Schooled in England, he stayed mostly in India covering all major incidents in South Asia during his tenure. He was made an Officer of The Order of the British Empire in 1985 and was awarded the Padma Shree in 1992, a rare distinction for a non-Indian. He was knighted in the 2002 New Year Honours. In 2005 he received the Padma Bhushan.

Reviews

[Daren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is arranged as a series of individual essays, followed by a conclusion.
Published in 2002, now almost two decades ago, and is a snapshot of Tully's thoughts at the time, but some chapters have aged better than others. For those unfamiliar with Mark Tully and wife Gillian, they are the closest thing to India Experts you can find. Tully was bureau chief of the BBC in Delhi for 20 years, and was awarded a KBE. In 1994 he resigned, but retains a full network of contacts in India, and uses these to investigate the topics of his essays.

The over-riding theme of all the essays is 'what is effecting India, preventing it from advancing full on' (I guess like China). The answer to that question is basically corruption, politics and religious hostilities.

The first, is a little dry, but sees Tully in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, the traditional home of Rama in 1992 as a supposed peaceful announcement ends in rioting and the destruction of a mosque. The mosque is on the site of a Hindu Temple, and the announcement was just to be a symbolic start to this process. The chapter covers Tully's return to Ayodhya seven years later to take part in the Panch Kosi Parikramer festival - where pilgrims walk around the boundaries of what they believe was Rama's city. Tully meets various people and talk politics and Rama.

The second chapter discussed the child labour issues of carpet weaving in Mirzapur (near Varanasi). Foreign importers of carpets from here have banded under the Rugmark brand which promises child-labour free carpets - a promise it cannot deliver on, and seems to thrive on statistics it cannot validate. Tully visits their spokesperson, some looms, some government inspectors and some other exporters who refuse to join up with the Rugmark brand.

Next up is an inevitable chapter on government corruption. From 'top to tail' as it is described. The first part is about a sting to capture evidence of corruption in the purchasing of military hardware, where a journalist poses as an arms dealer and bribes his way up the foodchain of military purchasing and films each step of the way as these officials accept money for opening the next door. This results in a couple of high profile resignations when the story breaks, but one is reinstated almost immediately, and more importantly, the governments investigation is more focused on the media company who set up the sting, and prosecuting them and their backers (the income tax investigators were set loose) to discourage further investigative journalism. The second part of this article is following the work of Aruna Roy and her MKSS, which started at the bottom, taking to task corrupt minor officials and local government officials. Hopefully things have improved int the 18 years since this was written, but that may be hopeful thinking.

Following that, a chapter on religion in Goa. Not in my wheelhouse, so i will steer clear of even summarising that one.

Hyderabad, and its IT revolution, and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is the subject of the next essay. Tully spends a day travelling by helicopter from meeting to meeting and at the end has a short interview with him. He outlines his vision, and how he achieved what he had at that time. Tully then goes on to interview his opponent, and some recent defectors from his party. Naidu was able to pull off somewhat of a coup to set up an IT enclave in Hyderabad, getting Microsoft to set up a R&D headquarters, as well as other IT learning institutes.

Next a chapter on the Tablighis, a Sufi Islamic missionary movement. I am not much clearer having read it how it interacts with and differs from other aspects, so won't elaborate on this one.

Next after a number of suicides by farmers with mounting debt, the governments offer to purchase millet and increase the rate paid is examined - due to the bureaucracy and corruption, only a small percentage is purchased, and even then too late in the season, causing farmers to have costs exceeding their income. Bizarrely at the time in India, thirty percent of the population did not have enough to eat, and yet the millet was stockpiled or destroyed. The government even acknowledged that only a mall percentage of the food distributed to the poor ever reached them. Part of Tully's investigation discovered that agricultural colleges were teaching student how to set up and grow crops, but not educating them in having a market to sell to. With everyone growing the same crops, the market is swamped and prices are incredibly low.

The eighth essay is a biography of two brothers political careers. Sant Bux Singh and his younger brother Vishwanath Singh, who would eventually become Prime Minister (for a short tenure). Both men were principled, and too proud to ask each other for favours, and Tully records their respective political fortunes.

The penultimate essay is titled 'The Water Harvesters' and compares one village in Gujarat which has constructed catchment dams to make the most of any rainfall, constructed without government assistance or guidance, with another nearby village who await the government to save them from drought. The media loves a drought story and regularly reports the 'worst drought conditions ever', but these claims are quickly disproved. The village with the dams is ruled and order maintained by a very 'militant' panchayat. the results are of course excellent, with a lot of hard work providing an excellent outcome with the crops, but also almost no crime, and little or no police intervention.

Which brings us to the last of the essays. Entitled Paradise Lost it is of course about Kashmir. This wraps up religion, the India/Pakistan conflict, and politics and the lack of willing to give Kashmir a level of independence.

The conclusion is not really a summary or a conclusion. There is some follow up 'news' of some of the earlier stories, and some very broad aspirations for the future. Strangely unfocused as a conclusion.

While I am quite knowledgeable in the field of Indian politics, and I would have probably steered away from this book if I had known how much it delves into politics, surprisingly it was an easy and enjoyable read.

Not sure how this review became quite so long, sorry for the rambling.

For me 3.5 stars, rounded down.

[Sandhya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost lost interest in this book after reading the first chapter on Ram Janma Bhumi and Hindu politics (The Reinvention of Rama). It seemed like an extension of the stuff one reads in the papers all the time. So I set the book aside and didn’t return to it until very recently.
While flipping through it once again, I happened to see a chapter on 'Creating Cyberabad' - ie Hyderadab in the time of Chandrababu Naidu’s reign. Mark Tully had met with the CM and also interviewed many of his critics who believed his IT revolution was nothing but a sham and that unless he tackled problems at the ground-level, he would fail. That seems very prophetic now.

There are two other chapters that held my attention -One on the carpet industry in Mirzapur and apparent child labour involved in it and another one on Nizammuddin and the Sufi saints.
Then there’s a chapter on the Kashmir valley and Mark Tully also manages an interview with Farukh Abdulla, the then CM who he catches in an extremely irate mood. There’s an interesting chapter here on Water Harvesting projects taken on by some draught prone villages in Gujarat, driven by dynamic and innovative men.

One that I found particularly engaging was the chapter on Tehelka’s expose of corruption in defense deals. Mully meets Joseph –Tehelka’s man who actually carried out the sting operation-- and gets some precious dope.
Chapters like A ‘Tale Of Two Brothers’ that talks about V P Singh and his brother and 'Farmer's Reward' are mildy engaging but nothing exceptional all the same.
Tully and his co-writer Gillian Wright are privy to English breakfasts at their European friend's house in Mirzapur and are generally taken care of by hospitable people anywhere they travel in India, by people only too overwhelmed to have the ex BBC man among them.
Tully takes on the obvious themes on India but digs deep enough to give readers a more indepth perspective on these aspects. For example, most of us know about the farmer's plight in India but Tully goes a little more further in talking to people, exploring matters and looking into possible solutions.
Admirably, Tully is in no haste to make judgments and for most time, merely presents the facts as a balanced observer. Of course when truth stares at him in face, he seldom hesitates from making some strong points. He’s particularly scathing in his criticism of the bureaucracy and corruption that are eating into the country’s progress and posing biggest hurdles in its development.
All the same, there isn’t the same warmth in the writing as say a Shashi Tharoor when he talks on India but neither is there any trace of detached neutrality and pessimism of a V S Naipaul.
Mark Tully demonstrates genuine interest in the well-being of a country that he's reported for more than 25 years and most part, this is a fairly engaging read, even if doesn’t offer anything vastly original or unknown.

http://www.sandyi.blogspot.com/

[Yigal Zur · Rating 4 out of 5]

it is first of all his sympathy to India. second Tully knowledge of india shrines.as a fellow traveler in India for more than 40 years i can just admire the india that he is able to reveal.

[Manu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book written a decade back, and yet, it is still relevant because as the cliche goes 'the more things change, the more they remain the same'. India has changed in many ways, and yet remains the same in many other ways, and that's exactly the theme of this book too. Mark Tully and Gillian Wright have tried to study the various forces that keep India ticking at its unique speed - forces that accelerate and forces that pull it back. Through 10 unique scenarios they have attempted to not just unravel the fundamentals, but even taken a shot at the nuances that define the 'Indian experience'.
The book begins on a day that has left an indelible mark on modern India's psyche and society - 6th December 1992 - the Babri Masjid demolition. The first chapter is about the rise of Hindutva, the role of the BJP, VHP, RSS etc and perspectives of the common people who reside in Ayodhya and the nuances in their approach to religion and gods. The second chapter shifts the premise to carpet making, child labour, and the machinations of organisations, including NGOs to achieve the moral high ground even at the cost of truth.
The next chapter brings in to focus another key episode in India's recent political timeline - the Tehelka tapes against the BJP government, and perspectives right from the horse' mouth - the man who actually carried out the sting operation. From there, the scene shifts to Goa. I enjoyed this as it gave me a lot of information about Goa's history especially in the context of its religion - its origins and influence on society. Chapter 5 is about the revamping of Hyderabad as per Chandrababu Naidu's plan, and while the author does cite him in the conclusion for his focus on governance, on hindsight, the politics didn't really work out. This is a stark look at how the bureaucracy can really play spoilsport.
Sufism is always an interesting subject and this chapter takes a look at the Tablighis, Hazrat Nizamuddin and old Delhi and the wise insights of Maulana Wahiduddin. Another favourite this one was. The next chapter is about a chronic problem in recent times - farmer suicides. The authors do a good job of studying the problem from various angles and citing the good work done by a few people in Karnataka.
'A Tale of Two Brothers' would have to be my favourite - featuring VP Singh and his relatively less famous brother Sant Bux Singh. This one also has a personal connection with the authors as the latter was a friend. This is as much a story of politics as it is about human relationships, and covers a larger timeframe in terms of narrative. Gujarat and Saurashtra in specific is the scene for the next chapter and deals with water scarcity and the efforts made by ingenious local minds and the mostly non-efforts by the government.
What story of India can be complete without Kashmir? This is another excellent job done in giving a full array of perspectives from various concerned parties (excluding the militants of course) and providing great insight on why Kashmir is in its current state.
In their conclusion, the authors have suggested solutions too, but it's probably in India's nature to solve its problems in its own unique way! A great read because of the relatively objective view that is not prescriptive or condemning but mostly empathetic.

[Sajith Kumar · Rating 2 out of 5]

India’s economic growth in the post-independence period was lethargic as compared to other nations who had recently come out of the colonial yoke. The main reason for this laggardness was the highly centralized socialistic planning of the economy adopted by Nehru and his daughter Indira, who between themselves commanded the destiny of the country for almost thirty-seven years until the latter’s assassination in 1984. If the damage was limited to the economy, it would have been easier to cure. But this peculiar, all-encompassing state control spawned a license-quota-permit raj which enabled the government to control even the minutest production parameters of all industrial establishments, including private ones. The entrepreneurs quickly found a way around – bribing the politicians and bureaucrats to turn a blind eye. Probably this might have been the real intention of Nehru and Indira, who both exhibited an elevated level of tolerance to corruption among their cronies. Unfortunately, this disease spread to the body politic of the society as a whole. Corruption and inefficiency in governance became the hurdles to national growth. As the country liberalized its economy in the 1990s and restrictions were relaxed, observers began to question the culture of quid pro quo associated with an illicit relationship between the politician-bureaucrat nexus and the industrialists/contractors. This book is one such exposition of the grave shortcomings observed by Mark Tully on his travels across the country, mainly during the 2000-01 period. The author was a correspondent of the BBC for twenty-five years. He was born in Kolkata, got educated in England and returned to India for a fulfilling career in journalism. As white journalists do in India, Tully soon expanded his contacts among the elite and had grown to be able to exert pressure on veteran politicians to allot party tickets to his friends to contest elections to the national parliament. His colleague and partner, Gillian Wright, has also contributed to the book.

Corruption and inefficiency are the buzzwords of this book. In fact, the second is a corollary of the first. Everywhere he looks, Tully finds bureaucrats and politicians more than willing to oblige torts and facilitators who open their purse strings for their benefit. His criticism embraces all facets of the Indian polity including the judiciary. The book claims that Indian courts all too often provide temporary shelter and sometimes long-term protection to those who have stolen government funds (p.85). This book also demonstrates the increasing clout of the non-governmental organizations (NGO) in the early 2000s. These organizations were usually financed by overseas sources who are not obligated to disclose their true motives or sources of income. We read about NGOs conducting raids against carpet-weaving companies in the State of Uttar Pradesh. Some NGOs, and the author sometimes, seem to desire that an apolitical rebellion well up among the masses which will shake up or shatter the system. The resulting anarchy is no cause of concern for such foreign and some Indian leftist journalists.

The book includes a chapter on religious reforms in Goa which is noted for its refreshingly new perspective while all other chapters are nothing but sterile criticism based on vacuous claims and unilateral assertions without listening to what the other party has to say. Casteism is a bane of the Goan Church. People who converted to Christianity from the upper castes still enjoy supremacy in the church. In villages, they enforce their ‘right’ to carry the cross on Good Friday processions. However, with the relentless influence maintained by the lower castes, the liturgy is changing fast as more charismatic practices find acceptance even among the conservative elite. This has led to a more solid anchoring of the church among the masses. The Portuguese built the great cathedrals to impress Goans with the majesty of a God who lived on high. The church changed and brought God down to earth to survive in independent India. The Portuguese were more interested in enforcing the religion than material progress. When they left Goa – or rather, forced out – there was not even a bridge over the two Goan rivers, the Zuari or Mandovi.

One just wonders at the ignorance or naiveté of the author about the real, down-to-earth situation in India even though he had stayed in the country for many decades. He claims that Indian politicians fear to attempt bureaucratic reforms, because these officials conduct and supervise the elections. This is laughably absurd. Anyone who has at least a superficial familiarity with the way elections are conducted in India knows that it is simply impossible for the officials to sway the results. But this false information perfectly tallies with the preconceptions and prejudices of Tully’s intended western audience. The author identifies three elements in Indian society opposing reforms: politicians, bureaucrats and intellectuals; and rightly surmises that the intellectuals undermine India’s pride in its past. Their contribution to the sense of inferiority which has led so many Indians to expect nothing better of their country than the present corrupt and moribund system of governance is considerable (p.153).

In these days of Covid lockdown, India is worried at the hundreds of instances of the disease caused by a conference of the Tabligh Jamaat held in Delhi in mid-March 2020. It is the first time this organization came under the public glare and the civil society is horrified at their casual disregard for prevention measures and the secrecy associated with its activities. This book includes a very good coverage of them. Even though the author visited their headquarters (Markaz) in Nizamuddin in 2001, he was not allowed to interview any of their top leaders. In the end, he had to be content with meeting a prominent sympathizer to get an idea of how they work. The association was founded by Maulana Ilyas in Nizamuddin itself. The Markaz has no television, radio or newspapers. The sect is run without the benefit of telephone, fax or email. They still use the post card (we must of course be aware that this book was written in 2001). Word of mouth is the way of spreading the message because they believe that if things are published, the motives would not be perfectly pure. Even though Tully is usually slightly incredulous of the people he interviews, he passes no such judgment on the Tabligh and accepts all he is told at face value. However, he remarks that Tablighis were involved in the mass conversion of hundreds of Dalits at Meenakshipuram in Tamil Nadu on 19 February 1981.

The chapter on Kashmir is a glittering example of the press freedom allowed in India as every word of it opposes the country and its policy on Kashmir. Tully is upset that India does not hold a plebiscite there and also at its uncompromising stand on stamping out Islamic terrorism financed, armed and abetted by Pakistan right across the border. Just a few weeks before the author’s visit to the state, terrorists had had a rampage on Jammu railway station killing several innocent passengers on the platform. A clutch of terrorists armed with deadly assault rifles had mowed down the people waiting for the train. But still, Tully’s journalistic heart beats for the human rights of the terrorists! He also casually remarks that the exodus of Hindu Pandits from the Valley was caused by their unnecessary panic. He bases this false conclusion on the testimonies of a few Kashmiris, the very people who drove them out! And he has not bothered to meet any of the Pundits themselves to corroborate the story. To rub salt to the wound, he reiterates the Pakistani viewpoint on Kashmir by declaring that Kashmir is a tragedy caused by Indian secularists, suspicious of religion and religious people and the fear or hatred of Muslims generated by Hindu nationalists (p.280).

The book and its ideas appear to be outdated, written almost two decades ago. The entire text is based on a prejudice, typical of British journalists that nothing good or worthwhile originates in India. Most of the information is biased, obtained from worthless rural teashop chatter or the accusing tales made by the aggrieved party. Objectivity is not one of the author’s strong points. Foreign authors who write on India usually come out with a few clichés characteristic of India such as pot-holed roads, lack of electricity for extended periods, peeling plaster off the walls, clouds of dust (if in villages) or fumes (if in towns) on the roads. All of them find mention in this book too.

This book has lost its relevance by obsolescence and hence recommended only for archivists.

[S.Ach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I feel, that it's a miracle that India is a single country. We, the people of a nation, are so different from each other, not only in the language we communicate or culture we abide by, but also our thoughts and actions. Of course, there are many similarities, but those similarities also prevail across the borders. I don't know what exactly is that binding force that has held this country together, but whatever it is, it has done a pretty good job so far. As much I am perplexed by it, I am proud of it as well.

With a vast manifold historical background, every part of India has a unique tale associated with it. It takes an open-minded and observant traveler to move through various parts of this great country and still have an unbiased, un-extrapolated opinion about the happenstances and oddities. Sir Mark Tully, the award winning English Indian journalist is one of those openminds. His book 'India in Slow Motion' gives that undiluted information about India's progress and disgress in last few years, covering from the religious conflicts centered around Ram Janmabhumi, to high-level corruptions in different government functionaries; from influence of IT in India's economic growth, to the Kashmir conflicts.
Every essay of this book presents a perfect reflection of our own dilapidated, yet shining at parts society.

A good read, evenif not an eye-opening or revolutionary one.

[Ashok Vaishnav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Tully's compassion for India is readily evident in this book.
The authors have selected a wide spectrum of factors that could have impacted the progress of Indian econmoy and society.They have undergone firsthand experience with the situations and protagonists of the situtaion.
In conclusion, they feel that it is the vested nexus of , essentailly, the politicians and bureaucrats, so called the ruling elite, in maitining poor system of governance.Thse are manifested in cumbersome and complex procedures that can entangle any issue.
One may ascribe the need for British Rule to evelove a complex structure to ensure remote control over a vast empire. But the fact is that it was subverted then also for parochial benefits and is now increasingly used to further the interests of the ruling elite.
However, the authors do see hope, mostly by the compulsions of external factors, like the precarious economic condition of 1991 forcing the Ruling Elite to resort of 'liberalising' the controls.
Also, the competitive element of elction politics has brought in 'development' as a key differentiator, which also unwittingly forces few chnages.
Any one of such a change may turn out to be the proverbial 'last straw' that may open the flood gates to wash away the labyrinth of controls.

[Arjun · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the first time in a long while that i have actually felt that i was reading something which was free from bias.

[Jane E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Tully writes so well that it lulls one into believing that he is saying something important - and sometimes he is. As a long time Indian resident and one time BBC bureau chief he has the background and contacts to explore India's undercurrents. Unfortunately, some of the other the pieces are repetitive and caught up in one or other of his catch phrases. For example, the conclusion which is only a few pages uses the phrase "babu-neta raj" at least 20 times. That aside his pieces show the depressing corruption and obstruction that oozes through India life. Even more depressing is that even though the book was written around 2002 very little has changes and some aspects, such as the ugliness of communal politics, are significantly worse. (Purchased at Kitab Khana, Mumbai, India)

[Pankaj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark and his wife Gillian are "old India hands" as the Brit expression from the Raj goes. They understand the nuances of life in India and have brought forth the many individuals and incidents covered in this "dated" book very well. I reread this book after several years. Some things and people never change. Mark and Gillian have honestly recorded on all that they then saw and experienced. Nothing has changed, it would appear!

[Prakash Shenoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written by Hindustani-British journalist Mark Tully during his journalistic investigation of India in the 2000s. His views on India are presented through the lens of a British "Gora Saheb," which at times appear prejudiced and at other times misinformed. India is difficult to fully understand for non-Indians; therefore, we Indians may not agree with some of the conclusions drawn by this Gora Saheb.

[V.K. Dadhich · Rating 2 out of 5]

What made me buy the book - i had heard a lot about the author, so decided to read his work. I was affected by this book so much that i didn't even get past the third chapter

What I liked about the book - the entire set of essays are a classic example of paid journalism, the author isn't even trying to hide the benefactors

Who will I recommend the book to - someone who has patience, the book is indeed dry

What did the book teach me - words pay, and that sometimes you should sit and read through the entirety of the text to get closure; I'll get back to this book later on and i hope my opinion of the book changes. I'll update this post if my opinion does change

Update - my opinion did change with the chapters titled 'a tale of two brothers' and 'water harvesters'. Yet still, the book is heavily outdated

#OBAAT One Book At A Time

[Julian Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through a series of highly readable and entertaining essays and vignettes, the author gives a rather down to earth insight into the many strange workings of Indian Government, society and local bureaucracy.

A thoroughly enjoyable read instantly transporting me to far off climes.

A great book.

[j j · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book essentially summarizes the main issues (political/social/religious) in India. Written by a foreigner who have been staying in India for a long time, the book offers a very unique perspective. Its more like a collection of cover stories about the different topics.

[Sunset · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barring the essay "Altered Altars", the rest of the book was good.

[Mitali Raval · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will say only one thing, I am now going to read all the books on India by Mark Tully. That should be enough for the review.

[Jason · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know it has slow in the title but this took the biscuit. Could have been summed up in “India has many religions and like a bribe”

[Shema · Rating 4 out of 5]

His revelations about India and her problems have a breath of fresh air.

[Avid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Tully is a name that is often taken in my circle of readers. Considering how much I knew about the author, it was a shame I had never read his books. To set that right, I picked up the most easily available book and that turned out to be India in Slow Motion.

Tully is a British journalist who treats India his second home. This book is a collection of his essays and stories when he was in India and covers diverse topics like farmer suicides in Maharashtra to child labour in the north. The story I liked the most is the Tehelka scam that rocked the NDA government. Tully gives us detailed insight into the world of investigative journalism. It is easy for us audience to watch the Tehelka scam unfold and the recorded footage on TV. What goes on behind the scenes is an interesting story in itself. Tully interviews the key man behind the Tehelka scam and reveals us the background story behind the scam. I never realized journalists are risking their lives in earning a breaking news. The story on Indira Gandhi and the making of V.P. Singh was an engaging one for me. I had never known V.P. Singh this close! The story on child labour and farmer suicides tugged at my heart. The theme that runs across the book is that India lacks good governance. Tully picks up many stories to bring across this issue.

It is interesting to see India through Tully’s eyes. What I love about this man is his unbiased view of the country. He is not prejudiced, unlike some foreigners I know, about the pathetic public transport system or the dirty toilets. It does not mean that Tully doesn’t complain. He does complain and rants about the conditions in India, but when he does that, he comes across as one of our own people. You don’t hear a foreigner’s tone, but an Indian’s, which makes all the difference.

[Ashwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Tully has been reporting for BBC in India for more than 20 years. He's been in the thick of everything that has shaped our nation — the Emergency, Indira's and Rajiv's assassinations, the droughts, the floods, the IT wave and the liberalization. Mark Tully and Gillian Wright travelled extensively around India talking to people of all kinds about India's past and present problems for their book India In Slow Motion.

The book is broken into sections, each dealing with a problem facing our country. Some of the subjects of the book are Kashmir, water, farmer suicides, child labour and religion. The travels to far-off places, the interviews with rustic people are delightful and eye opening. In every single aspect, the government and bureaucracy turn out to be impediments. Also, it seems like the state governments have little autonomy, having to depend on the Center for everything. This stands out clearly in the progressive states for whom the Center has just become a roadblock. And even in this bleak landscape, there are people with the spirit to make change. The takeaway for me from the book was the extensive historical origins of each problem that the authors detail. Tully does satirical takes on everything and everyone. For Indians, it might be a bit depressing to go through the book in a single read. I read it over several nights, this was easy since it is broken into independent sections. This is a good thoughtful read.

[Ashok M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book painstakingly, but with remarkable details and quite an incisive eye narrates several aspects of the events from the conemporary Indian History to reach a conclusion that India continues to be in a state of perpetual SLOW MOTION becuase of the very typical way poltics is practiced in the country.
Any thing and every thing that goes into a public domain gets politicised, and every thing politicised gets corrupted.
The authors do not mean corruption in terms of only wrong-doings in the financial terms. In thier view, the blatant myopic points of views on any subject amounts to corruption for someone who has chosen to operate in the domain of public domain.
In thier view, the least that any politician must do is to practice 'good, transperent governance".The Government(s) - in any form - ought to be highly responsive to the needs of the public. The country is o much warped into the old feudal and colonial mindset that the public service is considered to be the vehicle of being served by the public in stead of being in the service of the public. The rest are simply natural derivatives of this mindset.

[Rohit Raman · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book is written by a BBC correspondent who spent a lot of time in India. The book brings out the short comings of indian administration based on his experiences. Problem is instead of going indepth on a single issue the book is a collection of experiences the author had while his stay in India. I personally feel that all the issues that the author writes about, in itself are complex issues worth a book. Therefore the book instead of bringing out the murky details of the shortcoming of Indian administration, only manages to scratch the surface and most of the things that are brought out, any indian will already know.

[Ashfaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Tully is probably the greatest Indian journalist of all times who was at times BBC's sole correspondent for various incidents in India. He has great insights into mostly all the important events in Indian history for around four decades. In this book he touches the core problems faced by this developing giant, he presents an entire picture of several incidents, people and groups who have shaped the development and economic culture of the country. Good read for anyone who is enthused to learn about the recent past's political and cultural events

[Shashi Kiran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Tully takes us through a lot of incidents which we really did not know that is going on or went on in India. We always know things through news channels. Well, here are somethings which we never hear of like, most of us don't what goes on behind carpet making, the people who suffer and how they suffer. Or the real picture of Tehlka.com. Or the Christianity in Goa. This is one book that gives us detailed insight into so many topics that never matters to media!

[Mukul Bhatnagar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Tully is honest, clear, neutral and pertinent. This is the second book of his that I have read. He reaches grassroot levels to investigate and then produces authentic, easy to understand and a neutral write up. I also admire his ability to mingle with people and his affection for India and Indians.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was awesome, but it helps if you have actually gone to India and witnessed the governments absolute lack of governmence to full appreciate how one can love and hate a place so much at one time.

[Dayanand Prabhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the best journalistic writing I have read on India. Tully's Passion and neutrality is Oozing through every page. A very unique view into the monolith legacy that is the Indian Democracy.

[Sheela Lal · Rating 5 out of 5]

i absolutely loved that he dissected smaller state or thematic issues to reflect larger realities about contemporary india. appreciated the narration and contextualization. must must read for anyone with a base understanding of indian politics.

[El Mountain Child · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Tully has an interesting way of telling the whole story. Well, it isn't a story but the truth about India and Indian Legal System, Culture, Bureaucracy, Child Labor and so much more. I think I could understand the system better through the eyes of this journalist called Mark.

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a great read. It echoes a lot of my own take on the country: respectful without letting it off the hook. Recommend it highly.