A BOOK BY A WELL-KNOWN JOURNALIST IS BOUND TO AROUSE EXTENSIVE INTEREST AND India Between Dream and Reality COMES IN THIS CATEGORY. IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE AN ASSESSMENT OF PRESENT-DAY INDIA IN RELATION TO ITS ANCIENT AS WELL AS ITS RECENT PAST. THE TASK MAY BE AN EXCITING ONE, BUT IT IS ALSO SOMEWHAT ELUSIVE IF ITS PURPOSE IS, AS IT SEEMS TO BE IN THIS BOOK, TO SHOW HOW THE PRESENT HAS FAILED TO SUSTAIN ITS PAST, FOR EVERY REVOLUTION IS A REVOLT AGAINST THE PAST AND INDIA WHICH HAS A LONG HISTORY HAS SEEN QUITE A FEW. THERE IS NO VALID PREMISE EITHER TO PRAISE THE PAST OR CONDEMN THE PRESENT AND VICE VERSA. THE FALLACY IS RESOLVED WHEN ONE FINISHES READING THE BOOK AND FINDS THAT PRAISING INDIA’S PAST GLORY, THE AUTHOR HAS DRAWN UP AN INDICTMENT OF THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP SINCE INDEPENDENCE.
May-June 1989, volume 13, No 3