Status Updates From India: A Portrait

The insinuation that George W Bush was a great reformer has me on my knees.

The last part of the chapter on integration vs multiculturalism is... well... 🤷‍♀️

Finished the second act "Lakshmi" all about the economy. Considering his dismissive attitude towards the Adivasi, and his positive writing of the liberation of India's economy, I am getting a sense of French's personal politics. Will reserve judgement a little longer.

He is mangling so many words.

This seems like a book I should read soon. But not right now.

Second section was on economics and seemed patchy and rehashed. But thankfully a fast read particularly bcoz it is anecdotal.

Had read a book on Lakshmi Mittal earlier, good to read a profile of Airtel's Sunil Mittal and his outsourcing to IBM & co. Love these stories of Indian entrepreneurs making it despite such odds.

Done with the political 1/3rd. Loved the last chapter in the section on hereditary politics and 2009 elections. And it was the only contemporary one.

For a book that criticises hereditary politics, it is strange that a political portrait of a large varied country like India is just the biography of d Nehru/Gandhis and Advani. And that also makes it outdated and too focused on d past. Surprised !

"RSS honeymoon" - The couple go off on a honeymoon holiday with the extended (joint) family. Wow ! So I am a closet Sanghi :P

I am surprised at the strong defense of Jinnah by the author and his placing the blame squarely at non-Muslims for partition. Anyways, am used to weird/inverse interpretations, not found any factual errors and that is enough.

Demasiado interesante! No me puedo despegar c:

Another revision of what all I have already read. Smart writing style though.

'triple talaq’: there had even been debate whether sending the message by email three times constituted a dissolution of the marriage!

lol fest: … while the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran), or DIC(K), is a now defunct faction of the Congress party in Kerala. This is a shame, since 'DIC(K)' is no longer found painted on walls and posters.

In Cochin the royal family included several hundred princesses, and Menon made special provision for them because he thought they resembled 'a rare collection of birds' that would be unlikely to survive if released into the wild.

Absolutely loving this book! Only 60 pages left :(

Fascinating