Manjul Bajaj rated it

This one is a 3.75 rather than a full 4 in my rating – but that’s because a good bit of the discussion was on subjects like the stock market and corporate governance which fall outside my ken. The book is part treatise part tirade, part diagnosis part diatribe, part analysis part opinion on the state of the nation and why scams and corruption persist despite the large scale public outcry. Dubey builds a strong argument to suggest that the laws, the market and the electoral system are all systematically subverted to serve the interests of the dominant elite in India.

The section of the book I enjoyed most is the last one where the author discusses the cultural alienation of the Indian elite- its separation from its own language, regional and cultural motifs- and then goes on to demonstrate, with examples drawn from the Mahabharata, the foundation of the Indian psyche on the principles of niyati (fate), karma (past actions), dharma (duty) and vivashta (overriding compulsions). According to Dubey the gap between our culture and our laws needs to be bridged before the country can take its own laws seriously.

All in all, a very interesting and original take though there were times when I wished for a less conversational, more considered tone.