Ideas are fleeting in nature, considered by many as a kind of potential energy that dissipates in quick time. It is a common perception that unless ideas root and grow, these wither and lose relevance. Yet these are rarely in short supply, as everybody has ideas! Either pricked by a curious moment or triggered by a news event, ideas erupt in fertile minds without any regard for time and place. Unless ideas are allowed to mature like wine, this fleeting energy does not catch much attention. If this is what ideas may mean then why should a compilation of newspaper columns as a book of ideas catch any attention? In his foreword to India in the Age of Ideas, economist Bibek Debroy sets aside this dilemma by arguing that other than pandering the writer’s ego the idea of packing ‘ideas’ in a book may remain somewhat questionable. So be it!
Written over a decade and more, there are some sixty-six short pieces packaged together to take the reader on a roller-coaster ride through history and culture, urban designs, and economics. Several of the pieces are set in the past and therefore dated, whereas the more recent ones reflect contemporary concerns and hence relevant. While the author claims to have addressed diverse issues from an inter-disciplinary perspective, using a Complex Adaptive System lens, the narrative is a linear response to evolving situations. It couldn’t have been different as the basic premise is rooted in providing quick response to current challenges.
Many of the issues raised are simple and relatable. Who would not agree that the Indian history must be rewritten by properly revisiting the primary evidence? Isn’t the issue of legitimacy of ruling elite at the core of the current crises in democratic governance? Can the country afford to discount the role of new middle class as a harbinger of cultural transformation? These and others issues need a nuanced understanding rather than a quick fix. Given his academic and administrative background, however, solutionism remains core concern for Sanjeev Sanyal.
India in the Age of Ideas misses out on assessing complexities of interactions between human psychology, cultural norms, and social behaviour in addressing contemporary social, economic, cultural, and political challenges the society is currently grappling with. While the author holds up a mirror to the historical contradictions, cognitive dissonances, and governance deficit, how must collusion course between them be resolved has remained largely unaddressed?
Although there is a limit to which meanings can be layered into newspaper columns, many pieces written over the years are reflective and engaging. In an easy to read style, Sanyal shares some of his off-the-cup concerns. While agreeing with the author on the need for relocating the Independence Day celebrations across different parts of the country, I may suggest similar attention to other events of national importance. Similarly, there is merit in author’s laying emphasis on debates based on evidence than on ideologies and personalities.
By deliberately avoiding an updation of the articles, Sanyal has not only taken the readers for granted but has weakened his own arguments at several places. The author’s assertion that quick response to a situation is more important than a meticulous plan seems preposterous. And for a book of ideas, inclusion of such unsubstantiated ideas is surely not a good idea. There are quite a few repetitions and contradictions that have gone unnoticed in the compilation.
India in the Age of Ideas should be more valuable to the author, as he may not need to preserve newspaper clippings of his articles anymore. Given that it is a compilation of old articles, the book seems over-priced. However, this genre of book publishing has value provided the information is updated and the arguments substantiated into a coherent narrative.
India In The Age Of Ideas
by Sanjeev Sanyal
Westland, New Delhi
Extent: 318, Price: Rs 699.
First published in the Hindustan Times, dated May 11, 2019.
Thank you Dr Sharma. Will avoid this one!
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