Have just finished reading India Unbound. Great reading overall. Gurcharan Das speaks with the authoritative ease of someone who’s been there, seen that and done that. Unlike some others, Naipaul, for instance, who I believe have no clue what they are talking about. Having never been there, leave alone lived there.
If there is one thing that riles me with the book, it is this : why do all Indian authors (most, if not all) write for a Western audience ? Sometimes, it seems to me that Indian authors go out of their way to conform to Western expectations and stereotypes of India and Indians.
Das too falls into the trap and sets about explaining the simplest of concepts (intuitive to any Indian reader). His language at time is clearly oriented towards the Western reader. India is the largest market for blenders, he says. Sure, but who says “blenders” in India. I blinked for a second too.
This might be a very simplistic example, but my point is larger. Indian authors write with a focus on Western audiences. Why ?
Reminds me of Indian restaurants in the UK (why UK, some upper-end restaurants in India do this too) which have sub-titles for the most basic dishes :
Idli – soft fluffy pancakes made of rice. Sounds yummy, but what are pancakes please ?
Having said this, I repeat, the book is engrossing and makes for excellent reading. For a more detailed review, read me on mouthshut.