From Hindu notions of dirt, South Asia's preference for women leaders to patronage in democratic politics, Dipankar Gupta resolves many of the paradoxes of contemporary India in this book. In the process, he issues a damning indictment of thewestoxicated" elitist Indian middle class, and shows how unmodern the people of this class are in the very areas in which they are considered to be modern. Modernity, argues the author, is not about technology and consumption, as is mistakenly believed in India, but has to do with attitudes, especially those that come into play in our social relations. It is here that the Indian middle class is found severely wanting. Family connections, privileges of caste and status, as well as the willingness to break every law in the book characterize our social relations very deeply. The past clings tenaciously to our present - traditional India thrives in contemporary locales. A brilliant and chilling treatise on the hypocrisy and vanity of the Indian middle class, and its pathetic attempts to cloak its traditional ways in superficial modernity."
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:8172234147
ISBN13:9788172234140
Release Date:September 2014
Publisher:HarperCollins
Length:235 Pages
Weight:0.80 lbs.
Dimensions:0.5" x 5.1" x 7.8"
Recommended
Format: Paperback
Condition: New
$11.51
Save $0.49!
List Price $12.00
On Backorder
If the item is not restocked at the end of 90 days, we will cancel your backorder and issue you a refund.
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.