5 Books That Reveal The Harsh Truth About India
Originally published at lmt-lss.com on November 4, 2015.
A few Indian novels carry the truth of the nation.
Indian literature has witnessed many great writers and many incredible books. However, only a few books describe India and reveal the truth concealed beneath the rich culture and heritage of the country. These 5 books expose you to the things that are out of sight, yet around you, in every home, in every society, and in every corner of India. These are books you must read to know the good, the bad, and the ugly side of India.
The God of Small Things — Arundhati Roy
The God of Small Things, a book that discussed India in its entirety, was a revelation to me. The book became such a sensation because of how well Roy captured the chaotic blend of societal evils and integrated them into one brilliant story. The book fascinates, and opens our eyes to see what happens in the Syrian Christian community of Kerala. From caste, gender, colonial impacts, religion to education and societal norms — the book reveals how every single issue that we dismiss as trivial affects human life in India.
Coolie — Mulk Raj Anand
The ‘Coolie’ looks into caste segregation in India, and its pathetic inhumane practices. In spite of caste being a prominent issue till date, most of us aren’t really aware of what’s happening in many places across the country. This novel tells a story that sheds light on the state of the downtrodden. The plot revolves around Munoo, and how he’s exploited by a society that’s driven by norms, class and caste. Most of us who live comfortably in liberated societies, away from the clutches of such issues would be appalled to know the situation of the oppressed. The book covers the after-effects of colonization and the many hierarchies that still exist in the country.
A Fine Balance — Rohinton Mistry
In the name of fiction, Rohinton Mistry reveals what happened in India during the emergency period in his book ‘A Fine Balance’. Written without manipulation or political filters, this book is an attempt to step away from the shrewdly curated and well-fashioned news of the emergency — exposing how brutal and inhumane the whole period was. The novel brings together people from three different classes and how the emergency forced them to survive under one roof. From forceful vasectomies for men in the lower echelons of society — to saddening deaths- ‘A Fine Balance’ reveals the struggles of the poor and deprived during this horrific period in incredible India.
The Inheritance of Loss — Kiran Desai
‘The Inheritance of Loss’ is the story of a young girl living with her Cambridge-educated Anglophile grandfather, and the story of a young Indian man trying to build a career, yet forced to wander from one restaurant to another in the city of New York. Though the novel is focuses on characters who are disheartened and lost, it also plays with India’s worst complications like multiculturalism, economic inequality, fundamentalism and terrorism. Desai’s focus seems to be largely on how Indians have been made weak by the west — a crisis most of the characters share — and is a reality today.
The White Tiger — Aravind Adiga
The debut novel by Aravind Adiga, ‘The White Tiger’, is written in the form of a letter and holds a unique narrative. The story looks into how India is changing because of Americanization, and the growing need of every Indian youth to live like the white man. It shed light on the advent of globalization of India and how the impact has altered the lifestyles of people across the country. Though the cultural boxes are slowly disappearing because of this, it talks of how the nation still has a caste system, and a powerful political and economic exploitation that still dictates the country’s population.
