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Price of the Modi Years
Columnist, author and political commentator, Aakar Patel has long been a close observer of the political scenario. In Price of the Modi Years, he seeks to explain the data and facts on India’s performance under Narendra Modi.
Modi’s predecessor as prime minister, Manmohan Singh, had once said that Modi would be a disaster as prime minister. This book shows how. It concedes Modi’s popularity; this is an accounting of the damage he has wrought. It is the history of India since 2014 assessing the damage across the polity from the economy, national security, federalism, foreign relations, legislations and the judiciary to media and civil society.
Our memories are not long, news cycles are transient and incidents are forgotten or misclassified as being only episodic, unless documented, unified and placed together as a record. And therefore this book—a history of these present times.
Modi’s predecessor as prime minister, Manmohan Singh, had once said that Modi would be a disaster as prime minister. This book shows how. It concedes Modi’s popularity; this is an accounting of the damage he has wrought. It is the history of India since 2014 assessing the damage across the polity from the economy, national security, federalism, foreign relations, legislations and the judiciary to media and civil society.
Our memories are not long, news cycles are transient and incidents are forgotten or misclassified as being only episodic, unless documented, unified and placed together as a record. And therefore this book—a history of these present times.
496 pages, Paperback
Published November 14, 2021
109 people are currently reading
1055 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
December 20, 2021
Aakar Patel is a man of detail. He does not write any word lightly. Everything has a source; one he can defend in a court of law. The book is an awe inspiring record of the last seven years. Everyone needs to read this book. As my friend, Chandar said, it is exhausting. But if you are to be a good citizen, then it is important that you be fully informed.
December 15, 2021
Staggering! Patel has put together the most excruciatingly detailed and exhaustive (and exhausting!) compilation of the tragedy of the last 7.5 years! Including every arcane acronym constructed to name government projects, tar political opponents or hector international gatherings to 'align' them with Indian national interests!!! In this age of digital records, where not only the future but also the past is in the making, it is important to have a record of what actually happened once upon a time.
February 12, 2022
This is a librandu bible
March 17, 2022
A magnum opus. Chronicles the disasters of post 2014 India. We have regressed in all conceivable parameters of improvement. And most sadly, the vast majority of population under the cult of Modi are happy with slogans and catchy phrases without holding the government accountable on progress. This book will serve as a relic for the historians of the future when they talk about India's new dark age.
December 8, 2021
A very well documented analysis of Modi's years as India's Prime Minister commencing 2014 and the state of the nation over the next 7 years. It is not a finger-pointing exercise; literally every statement in the book is backed by citations.
A must read. But, tunnel vision might still deter some to see things as they actually are!
A must read. But, tunnel vision might still deter some to see things as they actually are!
December 8, 2021
Good read
Meticulously written with a detailed ensemble of facts. It’s consolidation of lot of events, information and actions of recent years. However would have been nice if the author also covered anything good that happened in these years. Else it ends up looking like a one-sided tirade and tends to appear personal at times. But all in all well written.
Meticulously written with a detailed ensemble of facts. It’s consolidation of lot of events, information and actions of recent years. However would have been nice if the author also covered anything good that happened in these years. Else it ends up looking like a one-sided tirade and tends to appear personal at times. But all in all well written.
May 13, 2022
Thanks to the author to do this vast research and put the facts on paper. I hope atleast the educated and who have access to books will read the book and get the pure facts on Modi and his Modinomics and not just blindly believe in the image he is presenting.
Though I knew about a number of things, but dots get joined in this book. Sad to say, but, giving a very gloomy picture. Are we loosing our democracy? Are we moving towards a fascist regime? The facts had an eerie resemblance to George Orwell's 1984.
The book left me thinking- Today, Muslims are the enemy, who would it be tomorrow?
Though I knew about a number of things, but dots get joined in this book. Sad to say, but, giving a very gloomy picture. Are we loosing our democracy? Are we moving towards a fascist regime? The facts had an eerie resemblance to George Orwell's 1984.
The book left me thinking- Today, Muslims are the enemy, who would it be tomorrow?
January 22, 2022
Price of the Modi Years is really a very special book. Cynics will say "We already know and Bhakts don't care, so what's the point?". But this murderous shitshow had to be documented. The comprehensiveness of this piece of work is mind-boggling. The accuracy too.
I hope this becomes a prosecution exhibit in some court someday in which the last ever trial for sedition will take place against the two main accused.
I hope this becomes a prosecution exhibit in some court someday in which the last ever trial for sedition will take place against the two main accused.
January 17, 2022
If you are not a news hound (or even if you think you are), this book is an essential account of the rot that has set in and accelerated in India over the last few years. Chilling, essential, and very frequently dizzying reading.
March 5, 2025
I think there are parts in the book which could have been skipped and there is scope to add some additional material. However, it's safe to say that there can be no response to the text as a whole. There's no defense against this, there are no loose ends in the entirety of 500 page body.
It has been beautifully crafted. I think the references alone utilise more pages than any right wing text I've read. On top that, it reads very easy. People short on time can read the first and last chapters.
Right wingers, if they could read books, would have been pretty upset with this.
It has been beautifully crafted. I think the references alone utilise more pages than any right wing text I've read. On top that, it reads very easy. People short on time can read the first and last chapters.
Right wingers, if they could read books, would have been pretty upset with this.
August 23, 2023
Garbage 💩💩💩
December 4, 2021
An excellent account and chronology of the gross mismanagement by India's governing party since 2014 on every possible sphere, comprehensively supported by data and media reports. This book should be translated into every Indian language and disseminated far and wide.
June 12, 2024
A brave, detailed description of the assault on India’s institutions, the media, and civic society over the last decade. And gives a little more context to why India pushed back in 2024
October 24, 2024
It's one of the books I found quite challenging to finish, because it's a difficult Pill to swallow that most people can be taken for a ride in the name of religion. In addition, the structure of our society keeps us constantly in the insecure mode, that we will immediately fall if someone offers a one-stop solution for all problems. 5 stars for the depth of research that went into connecting these seemingly disconnected pieces of information and presenting them in a easy to understand prose.
September 9, 2022
Very competently written and makes brilliant use of facts to push forward it's central thesis. However, the book could have done with less cherry-picking of data. Selective objectivity cost it a star.
June 23, 2022
Extremely well documented account of the Indian government since 2014. Simultaneous tragedy and comedy (mostly former). Oddly, the book made me optimistic thanks to the 2nd last chapter.
Aakar Patel is right up there with Snowden, Assange and others; taking on huge personal risk to reveal the insanities of power.
Aakar Patel is right up there with Snowden, Assange and others; taking on huge personal risk to reveal the insanities of power.
April 12, 2026
3.75 to 4 stars out of 5.
Full disclosure, a friend recommended this book be read and judged in tandem with this podcast of his, which is really good: The Seen and the Unseen Episode 270: Aakar Patel is Full of Hope
Second disclosure, I haven't heard the entire podcast yet (sorry!).
I'll get into what I liked and what I didn't like.
To begin with, I tend to like the way Aakar Patel writes. The occasional jabs, his humor, and his ability to make the reader uncomfortable more so - especially with facts. I would argue that 'The Anarchist Cookbook' is far ahead in terms of the quality of writing, but when it comes to the analysis and depth of events being explored, this one is much better. Also because the goal is different.
I like his analysis, the bases he covers, and the topics he covers in this book. Broadly, he looks at the Modi government's performance on many levels: indices, GDP, schemes, harassment of minorities, harassment of civil society, and a lot more. He covers events like the China skirmishes, demonetisation, the pandemic, Make in India, Rafale, and so on. I also like the underlying argument running across the chapters - the reason why things are failing, and yet why Modi's government keeps getting elected again.
There's a chapter that lists many of the mob lynchings by cow-vigilantes. The list went on for more than 5-6 pages, with brief paragraphs. It had me in chills, and for someone who unfortunately was living under a rock, it was a much-needed moment of awareness.
Ultimately, the reason why I gave this book 4 stars instead of my original thought of going with 3-stars was because it solved the purpose I wanted it to - I wanted to know more, and it gave me a lot of starting points. It showed me a wide plethora of topics to read, research, and understand more on, while building a solid narrative.
What I didn't like, and why this book wasn't 5-stars.
Firstly, there is some cherry-picking that happens. There are instances where the author ignores, leaves out, twists, or misses certain statements or facts to arrive at his conclusion. Sometimes, it seemed like the author was making a conclusion based on a long list of assumptions, which I am not sure I subscribed to. It is an occurrence, but it's sporadic and I will still stand by my argument that this book is very well researched, and it does get better as the book goes on.
Second. It is evident that the author does not like citations (LOL, like the rest of us). While each chapter easily has 100+ footnotes in citations and references, there are some places where I really wish he had shared the sources. I mean, if I googled the things being written, I would find them on the internet and they would turn out to be true, but having a reference would have been really nice. This happened a lot with me in the initial chapters, but as the book progressed, it got better.
While I'm talking about the citations, let me also point out this little pet peeve I personally had, given that I frequently have to cite using citation formats: another evidence of the author not liking citations is that there is no format. 😂 Sometimes it's a link, sometimes it's a full citation, sometimes it is just the title and date of the article/video. Again, a purely personal pet peeve, and my rating of the book will not be affected because of it.
I know I'm digressing, but on the topic of pet peeves, I wish he'd stop calling UK/US the "great" West.
Okay, enough with the digression.
Third, and the one event that made me reconsider my 4-star rating for this book. I understand that the author is affiliated with Amnesty which is likely to have influenced his opinion. However, there's a chapter where Patel is discussing laws enacted by the BJP and he talks about the Juvenile Justice Act of 2015, wherein after the Nirbhaya case, it was made so that if a juvenile/minor aged delinquent commits a heinous crime he should/would be tried as adult.
Aakar Patel describes it as:
Respectfully, the use of the word "children" accused of rape and "strong sentiment of vengeance in the media that stepped into polity" was, in my opinion, an inadequate description. It sheds the whole event with a negative connotation, but had any change happened in the law because media was active about one of the issues the author cared about, it would have been lauded in the book. "Children" who commit rape, and especially in the kind of graphic manner in which the accused in this case did, without any sense of regret, also showed that such a specific group of "children" can be mentally mature enough to know consequences of their actions and yet not have regrets. So yes, I disagree with the holier than thou approach he has taken because "children" are concerned.
I get the point that he makes later when he brings in POCSO, in which case two minors in a relationship could be broken apart by their families or someone falsely using POCSO, but it still rubs me the wrong way.
Fourth. I know the author has his own agenda and his own politics, but this is something I noticed in both, the Anarchist Cookbook and Price of the Modi Years - the author gives an unequal amount of attention to minority groups of different kinds. While some consistently get the spotlight in his narration, many other minority groups, often facing similar or worse harassment for a similar set of issues (such as dealing with dead cows, cow carcasses, etc. during the whole vigilantism), get very little discussion time.
The reason why these made me give the review only one less star instead of again, a score of 3.5/5 or something, is because the trade-off between these and the larger point the book makes is worth considering. I know, and you know the author has an agenda, and he's writing from that viewpoint. There are times I don't agree with him, but I nonetheless appreciate that he is writing dissenting work at a time when dissenting is difficult in India. Hence, the 4 stars.
Full disclosure, a friend recommended this book be read and judged in tandem with this podcast of his, which is really good: The Seen and the Unseen Episode 270: Aakar Patel is Full of Hope
Second disclosure, I haven't heard the entire podcast yet (sorry!).
I'll get into what I liked and what I didn't like.
To begin with, I tend to like the way Aakar Patel writes. The occasional jabs, his humor, and his ability to make the reader uncomfortable more so - especially with facts. I would argue that 'The Anarchist Cookbook' is far ahead in terms of the quality of writing, but when it comes to the analysis and depth of events being explored, this one is much better. Also because the goal is different.
I like his analysis, the bases he covers, and the topics he covers in this book. Broadly, he looks at the Modi government's performance on many levels: indices, GDP, schemes, harassment of minorities, harassment of civil society, and a lot more. He covers events like the China skirmishes, demonetisation, the pandemic, Make in India, Rafale, and so on. I also like the underlying argument running across the chapters - the reason why things are failing, and yet why Modi's government keeps getting elected again.
There's a chapter that lists many of the mob lynchings by cow-vigilantes. The list went on for more than 5-6 pages, with brief paragraphs. It had me in chills, and for someone who unfortunately was living under a rock, it was a much-needed moment of awareness.
Ultimately, the reason why I gave this book 4 stars instead of my original thought of going with 3-stars was because it solved the purpose I wanted it to - I wanted to know more, and it gave me a lot of starting points. It showed me a wide plethora of topics to read, research, and understand more on, while building a solid narrative.
What I didn't like, and why this book wasn't 5-stars.
Firstly, there is some cherry-picking that happens. There are instances where the author ignores, leaves out, twists, or misses certain statements or facts to arrive at his conclusion. Sometimes, it seemed like the author was making a conclusion based on a long list of assumptions, which I am not sure I subscribed to. It is an occurrence, but it's sporadic and I will still stand by my argument that this book is very well researched, and it does get better as the book goes on.
Second. It is evident that the author does not like citations (LOL, like the rest of us). While each chapter easily has 100+ footnotes in citations and references, there are some places where I really wish he had shared the sources. I mean, if I googled the things being written, I would find them on the internet and they would turn out to be true, but having a reference would have been really nice. This happened a lot with me in the initial chapters, but as the book progressed, it got better.
While I'm talking about the citations, let me also point out this little pet peeve I personally had, given that I frequently have to cite using citation formats: another evidence of the author not liking citations is that there is no format. 😂 Sometimes it's a link, sometimes it's a full citation, sometimes it is just the title and date of the article/video. Again, a purely personal pet peeve, and my rating of the book will not be affected because of it.
I know I'm digressing, but on the topic of pet peeves, I wish he'd stop calling UK/US the "great" West.
Okay, enough with the digression.
Third, and the one event that made me reconsider my 4-star rating for this book. I understand that the author is affiliated with Amnesty which is likely to have influenced his opinion. However, there's a chapter where Patel is discussing laws enacted by the BJP and he talks about the Juvenile Justice Act of 2015, wherein after the Nirbhaya case, it was made so that if a juvenile/minor aged delinquent commits a heinous crime he should/would be tried as adult.
Aakar Patel describes it as:
The idea that children accused of rape should be tried as adults came in the wake of Nirbhaya incident in Delhi, one of whose accused was a minor. This incident produced a strong sentiment of vengeance in the media that stepped into the polity.
Respectfully, the use of the word "children" accused of rape and "strong sentiment of vengeance in the media that stepped into polity" was, in my opinion, an inadequate description. It sheds the whole event with a negative connotation, but had any change happened in the law because media was active about one of the issues the author cared about, it would have been lauded in the book. "Children" who commit rape, and especially in the kind of graphic manner in which the accused in this case did, without any sense of regret, also showed that such a specific group of "children" can be mentally mature enough to know consequences of their actions and yet not have regrets. So yes, I disagree with the holier than thou approach he has taken because "children" are concerned.
I get the point that he makes later when he brings in POCSO, in which case two minors in a relationship could be broken apart by their families or someone falsely using POCSO, but it still rubs me the wrong way.
Fourth. I know the author has his own agenda and his own politics, but this is something I noticed in both, the Anarchist Cookbook and Price of the Modi Years - the author gives an unequal amount of attention to minority groups of different kinds. While some consistently get the spotlight in his narration, many other minority groups, often facing similar or worse harassment for a similar set of issues (such as dealing with dead cows, cow carcasses, etc. during the whole vigilantism), get very little discussion time.
The reason why these made me give the review only one less star instead of again, a score of 3.5/5 or something, is because the trade-off between these and the larger point the book makes is worth considering. I know, and you know the author has an agenda, and he's writing from that viewpoint. There are times I don't agree with him, but I nonetheless appreciate that he is writing dissenting work at a time when dissenting is difficult in India. Hence, the 4 stars.
January 11, 2022
Overall, this is a good and factual book. Aakar Patel has backed his statements with data and appears to have done exhaustive research while writing the book.
It's vital to keep in mind that this book seeks to prove that the Modi years have been detrimental to India's prospects. It is, therefore, one-sided.
It is, overall, a well-argued book, but one that does become exhausting at the end.
It's vital to keep in mind that this book seeks to prove that the Modi years have been detrimental to India's prospects. It is, therefore, one-sided.
It is, overall, a well-argued book, but one that does become exhausting at the end.
December 20, 2021
Many doubts cleared
January 31, 2022
This is a detailed account of how we have ended up where we are as a nation. More importantly, how it could have been easily avoided.
October 31, 2022
Pure propaganda. Case of creating a narrative. The data is correct but the context is ill provided.
March 19, 2024
Recommended in a podcast I follow, this is the most excited I've been to buy, read and finish a non-fiction book! For the ones who do not realise what grim times we live in, this book serves as an eye opener. And for the rest of us who are sane and vigilant, this book is a guiding light.
Mr. Patel writes about all facets of the supreme dictators' reign as you'd expect him to cover in a title like this - the government's report card on human development indices, governance, economy, jobs, foreign policy, national security, judiciary, media, Make In India, COVID, demonetisation, religious fanaticism etc. The book is flooded with data and examples on all of these, which numb the reader into total submission.
However, no book is perfect and these are the two glaring flaws I noticed -
1. The author is overtly critical and negative of everything the Modi government has done and continues to do. If you're expecting an unbiased, balanced report card, this book may not be it.
2. The book is poorly edited - the numbers and examples are numerous and take away the edge off the pace of reading. A lot of this could have been tucked away in the annexure section or in footnotes. Maybe the author wants us to register the enormity of the damage (as I did) and hence kept all of it in one place. Eg: Pages 14 to 33 list down ALL the human development indices that we are performing very poorly at.
Perhaps the best summary the book can have is the lines the author himself provides in multiple places - "Our memories are not long, news cycles are transient, and incidents are forgotten or misclassified as being only episodic, unless documented, unified and placed together as a record. Hence this book - a history of these present times."
A must read. Read it before you vote.
Mr. Patel writes about all facets of the supreme dictators' reign as you'd expect him to cover in a title like this - the government's report card on human development indices, governance, economy, jobs, foreign policy, national security, judiciary, media, Make In India, COVID, demonetisation, religious fanaticism etc. The book is flooded with data and examples on all of these, which numb the reader into total submission.
However, no book is perfect and these are the two glaring flaws I noticed -
1. The author is overtly critical and negative of everything the Modi government has done and continues to do. If you're expecting an unbiased, balanced report card, this book may not be it.
2. The book is poorly edited - the numbers and examples are numerous and take away the edge off the pace of reading. A lot of this could have been tucked away in the annexure section or in footnotes. Maybe the author wants us to register the enormity of the damage (as I did) and hence kept all of it in one place. Eg: Pages 14 to 33 list down ALL the human development indices that we are performing very poorly at.
Perhaps the best summary the book can have is the lines the author himself provides in multiple places - "Our memories are not long, news cycles are transient, and incidents are forgotten or misclassified as being only episodic, unless documented, unified and placed together as a record. Hence this book - a history of these present times."
A must read. Read it before you vote.
January 31, 2023
This is a very frank and detailed look at "the Modi years" so far in India. The editorial position is quite clear from the introduction chapter: a portrait of a populist authoritarian leader. Modi is presented as dangerous while seeming to operate out of the pages of the well-known fascist playbook: make vague popular promises, control the media, build a cult of personality, avoid accountability, distract, deny, and divide. His strategy of stoking sectarian animosity instead of trying to build cohesion seems at odds with the founding Indian concept of "unity in diversity". This book makes strong use of data and every chapter is followed with a copious bibliography for a factual look at the Modi government's track record behind the propaganda. While there may definitely be some loaded language and editorial slant to the presentation, it is particularly refreshing to read perspectives largely based on verifiable data and not the jaundiced reporting of India's largely 'captured' media, that rarely holds the BJP to account.
January 12, 2025
It’s not the best written book. There are pages and pages of facts which could have been visualised much better! It doesn’t flow very well in some parts. But that didn’t matter!
It’s a brilliant book for anyone looking to get a collective view of facts and reality of Modi government! It has astute observations about his behaviour and answers some of the ‘why’ and ‘so what’ behind the bizarre policies and actions we see unfolding!
Facts are hard to come by in India today. One has to follow multiple smaller, mostly online, channels and independent reporters to get a view of reality. And Aakar Patel has done a great job (clearly a lot of hard work) to give us a collective picture of everything that’s wrong with Modi phenomenon!
Would definitely recommend, esp. to any Modi followers out there!
It’s a brilliant book for anyone looking to get a collective view of facts and reality of Modi government! It has astute observations about his behaviour and answers some of the ‘why’ and ‘so what’ behind the bizarre policies and actions we see unfolding!
Facts are hard to come by in India today. One has to follow multiple smaller, mostly online, channels and independent reporters to get a view of reality. And Aakar Patel has done a great job (clearly a lot of hard work) to give us a collective picture of everything that’s wrong with Modi phenomenon!
Would definitely recommend, esp. to any Modi followers out there!
December 13, 2021
Brand vs Product. Did the product deliver?
This book examines where we stand on global indices, peeling each layer meticulously and revealing the truth. Well, the truth is stranger than fiction :)
This book is depressing, but at least it is got to know the truth. What has happened to our country over the last 7 years, and what will happen to it in the next 3 years. Those of you are who are interested in politics are purely academically minded and need some data on where it is that India has come since 2014.
This book examines where we stand on global indices, peeling each layer meticulously and revealing the truth. Well, the truth is stranger than fiction :)
This book is depressing, but at least it is got to know the truth. What has happened to our country over the last 7 years, and what will happen to it in the next 3 years. Those of you are who are interested in politics are purely academically minded and need some data on where it is that India has come since 2014.
March 13, 2023
This really is a sobering read. The issues the book discusses are divisive and clouded in so much noise and obfuscation that it is hard to navigate this space. Yes, the book has a stand/position and is written provocatively but for an intelligent, reasoned and removed assessment of what went wrong and continues to go wrong in India with Modi as PM, this is a good base. The government is stunningly incompetent, and operates in a very different place from what elites in India have been used to engaging with. None of it inspires hope but it helps to clarify thought. The end is scathing.
February 2, 2025
Aakar deftly writes about the utter incompetence of the modi years in stark detail. Incompetence that has destroyed India. I was shocked at how this dispensation has governed India akin to a chicken without its head - things are done because it boosts modi's ego and then they runs away when it comes back to bite him.
It's highly engaging and aakar's writing is passionate and insightful. He writes with empathy and concern but always lets facts do the talking.
it's a decent 8 for me. looking forward to his next book.
It's highly engaging and aakar's writing is passionate and insightful. He writes with empathy and concern but always lets facts do the talking.
it's a decent 8 for me. looking forward to his next book.
April 15, 2025
It is an incisive read with the requisite statistics that expose the current political climate and does it with an unparalleled wit. It is such an essential book on the chasm between the facts and myth in the post-2014 election in India and how the NaMo regime has wrecked havoc in India. The debris of democracy in India sadly lies in front of our eyes more palpably in this term. Aakar's wit is outstanding in certain moments though I wish he had added more of his quips that are there in his tweets.
February 25, 2022
The Price of Modi Years by Aakar Patel – On the basis of figures and charts, the book analyses the policy decisions by Government of India after year- 2014 and its effect. Study and analysis of facts and data has been meticulously depicted written. However, would have been better if the book covered positive results of the policies. We hope that the author takes note of this so that his next publication enlightens on the next steps necessary to take to develop a Five trillion economy for India.
March 17, 2023
Ready wreckoner for the Modi's governance.
I do believe, that having Mr. Modi, whatever his merit, as the Prime Minister, will be a disaster for India.-Dr. Manmohan Singh. With different facts and figures, this book established that, prediction of Dr.MMS as true. Speciality of the book is that it quoted the references for every facts. So no one can claims that authenticity of the facts are ambiguous.
I do believe, that having Mr. Modi, whatever his merit, as the Prime Minister, will be a disaster for India.-Dr. Manmohan Singh. With different facts and figures, this book established that, prediction of Dr.MMS as true. Speciality of the book is that it quoted the references for every facts. So no one can claims that authenticity of the facts are ambiguous.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews