Description
Decades after the hopeful promises of independence, Tavleen Singh’s “India’s Broken Tryst” paints a searing portrait of a nation struggling to fulfill its potential. Far from Nehru’s vision of a tryst with destiny, millions in villages and cities grapple with the bare necessities – survival, not soaring dreams. Children languish in illiteracy, women lack basic sanitation, and men find themselves trapped in joblessness and apathy. The vibrant spirit of India’s past seems stifled by a suffocating bureaucracy, where initiative is choked by the state’s overbearing presence.
Through interwoven narratives of marginalized lives, Singh exposes the cracks in the Indian dream. We meet Surekha, a pavement dweller haunted by hunger, Ali, an idli vendor crushed by corrupt officials, and Sahib and Sardar, young boys criminalized for begging. Even within affluent apartments, the lives of nameless domestic workers highlight the stark inequalities that mar modern India.
Singh’s unflinching analysis goes beyond mere criticism, however. She delves into the historical and political forces that have shaped this reality, questioning why a nation teeming with potential remains mired in such profound challenges. Can India’s dream ever stretch beyond basic needs, she asks, towards a future of dignity, opportunity, and a rekindled sense of belonging?
“India’s Broken Tryst” is a call to reckoning, a powerful indictment of the failings that have kept India from realizing its true potential. It is a poignant reminder that freedom is not merely an independence day speech, but an ongoing struggle for a more just and equitable future.
Mayank Gupta (Verified Purchase)
I was very eager to read it having already read Durbar. However to my disappointment, its not as good as Durbar. Tavleen focuses too much on realities of India like poverty which made me think that perhaps she has written this book on India’s Elites than anyone else. While she was generous about Sonia Gandhi in her book Durbar, here she has mentioned how vicious Sonia can get from forcing tax raids on her to asking Indian Express to fire her. She also blows the lid of Indian media and exposes how some of the most notable journalists in India where nothing more than cheerleaders of Sonia Gandhi.