Arvind Adiga’s winning the Booker Prize this year is nothing new to establish the fact that Indians have arrived on the world stage. There have been many others in the past and recent times who through their achievements in various fields have already helped establish this fact quite firmly. There have been the great leaders and the great minds in the past. And in recent times the job has been better done by the more glamorous and colorful ones. Yes, the whole purpose of those “India Parades” in New York City and London is to bring India closer to the western world. Simply put, to make India “known” to the world.
But what India are they presenting to the world anyway? Yes, that question needs to be delved deeper into – What India? Is India represented by those beautiful actresses and dancers and beauty queens, or by the numerous super-rich CEOs and founders of big corporate houses, or by the wonderful tourist spots which is a big source of foreign exchange? This is where the role of Adiga’s Booker winning novel The White Tiger is so important and so different. Its not just another of those achievenments by another of those Indians over which the fame-starved nation can rejoice and over which Mr Adiga can command all the fanfare and media-publicity.
The importance of his achievement lies in presenting the real India to the world. The India which those living on the streets see. The India which those working as drivers and servants of the big people experience. The India which is being eaten up by those from very within. The India which needs to fight many battles against the enemies which are within its own territories.
on Dec 30th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Interesting views Sumit.
But the fact remains who wants to see the real India..why do we expect the foreigners to look at the real India when we dont do it ourselves.
All these views,internet ,communications and every stuff that glamorises the arrival of Indians at the world stage are just a sham for the middle class aspirations who spend their life dreaming about making it big without ever acheiving it.They need a dream to live.Do we care about the real India ??
By the official census India’s population below poverty line is 22% that will amount to about 286 million that is more than the population of most countries of the world.And Indin governments definition of poverty line is a salary below Rs. 300 monthly.Isnt it bullshit.