In the last few weeks, several events have made me hyper-focused on two things—the inqualities between the rich and poor in the world, but specifically India, especially in the cities and also the violence and anger that are bred by these and other inequalities.
First, I went to see (and was blown away by) Slumdog Millionaire, which is set (mostly) in Mumbai, India, the fifth largest and most impossible to define city in the world.
First, I went to see (and was blown away by) Slumdog Millionaire, which is set (mostly) in Mumbai, India, the fifth largest and most impossible to define city in the world.
Second, the attacks of Nov 26 to Nov 29 in Mumbai caused chaos within both my external and internal worlds. Others have written much more eloquently about this than can I. I recommend reading the following takes on this horrific situation:
- Amitav Ghosh - Defeat or Victory Determined by Response
- Mira Kamdar - A Gash in the Fabric of Mumbai
- Suketu Mehta - What They Hate About Mumbai
- Sandip Roy - Guns and bombs in booming India
- Biju Matthew - As the Fires Die: The Terror of the Aftermath
- Tarun Tejpal - Death Of A Salesman And Other Elite Ironies
Third, I read The White Tiger, this year’s Booker prize winner and justly so.
I’ll write more about The White Tiger soon, but till then, just know that it is a book to be reckoned with, and once it captures your imagination, it will not let go willingly.
When you open the cover, prepare to meet the little discussed and uncomfortable underbelly of India….
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