I bought this book on my last visit to Bangalore. An amazing overview of the first part of the last Century following India's struggle for Independence seen with the eyes of a world traveling Journalist who knew all the major players in India.
Considering India's situation today it not only gives the reader a view into the move away from the British Empire, the division of India and Pakistan, the Swaraj (Self rule), Gandhi's and Nehru's influence but also into how western countries were being viewed during Nehru's times.
Now what does this have to do with reflections on a Utopian Society: Trying to understand Nehru and the Congress party's aim for building a secular and non-communal democratic society, which is quite different from the western style democratic approach is interesting. India's role as a non-aligned country during that time and it's friendship (or better say relationship) with the soviet union raised concerns (and resentment) within the western countries. Did Gandhi and later Nehru strive for an Utopia? What becomes clear in this book is that they had differing opinions on how this new independent India should look like.
Definitely worth a read.
About the Author: I tried to look up Durga Das in Wikipedia and Google, did not find much but given the pictures in the book I assume that he played a role as a well regarded Journalist during the first half of the 20th Century.
