This book by the author who is a Reader in sociology at the Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi, spans a range of activities arranged under various heads, ranging from politics to science and the arts. Since political independence is most important before all other forms of independence, the author has documented in detail political independence as it occupies a large part of nation building
The book begins with the midnight of August 14, 1947 since the birth of the Indian nation and covers the next 60 years. Though the British administrators, despite the rising influence of the Congress party had treated with scepticism the political aspirations and freedom from colonial rule, what made an independent India a reality was a number of events, giving rise to new forms of protests as also to new issues to protest against. Despite the seemingly complex contradictions in Indian society due to differences in castes, tribes, languages, religions, of landlords and peasants, the rich and the poor, with demands at wide variances among the divergent groups, all these combined to culminate in the freedom of India, accompanied by its Partition and communal violence.
The book is a good reference material for students of politics and social history as it lists chronologically in brief the events that took place to shape India since the Independence Day and has interesting factoids on various aspects of modern India. It covers the decades in which the Indian sub-continent saw the rise of democracy, its metamorphosis from an economy driven by a self-sufficient one propelled by economic reforms of the 1950s and the concurrent liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation that boosted India'sgrowth rate. It also marks the country'stransition from the era of single party dominance with that of coalition politics.
Covering a wide range of topics from the birth of the Indian dominion, it goes on to give brief points on India'sfirst elections, the Green Revolution, the Five-Year Plans and the infamous Emergency, the beginning of telecommunication in India and the launch of its space and nuclear programme. Though it is undeniable that political events are given importance, also included are other aspects of life that are equally significant socially if not politically as they impact the lives of citizens in a crucial way.
Since there is a paucity of systematic information on various aspects of contemporary India, it is good to find a book that has all major information in one place rather than to draw up on various sources like newspapers and journals or on internet. Moreover, as we know from experience, it is easy to find books written by intellectuals who present their individual views making sweeping generalisations or find serious books backed by research by scholars who fail to cover the whole country but take up only certain areas for specialisation.
Here is an ideal book for use as a ready reckoner and reference material on social history of India.
(Penguin Books, India, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi-110 017.)
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