Daniel Lak is a familiar face to Indian audiences from his many years, and countless reports, as South Asia correspondent for the BBC. His latest book on India is aptly titled India Express, for he describes a country on a move, almost at fast forward. The book is optimistic in its narrative about India but doesn?t hide the many warts. In that sense the book, on the whole, strikes a good balance between over-exuberance and deep pessimism that characterises a lot of the discourse on emerging India.
Not surprisingly, Lak starts his book with a reference to India?s famous IT industry and how it commanded the world?s attention at the turn of the millennium ? remember the feared Y2K bug. The success of IT and names synonymous with it ? Infosys, Wipro, the more generic ?BPO? etc ? crop up at other points in the book. This new, prosperous economy is, of course, juxtaposed with the life of misery lead by India?s poor, particularly in urban slums. The book manages to squeeze in a brief and critical analysis of India?s colonial past, while complimenting India?s democracy and growing decentralisation of political power ? to different political groups from the traditional national parties, and to the states and local authorities from the centre. The problems (and contradictions) of population, under-education, militant Hinduism, the nuclear bomb are other topics Lak covers in this wide ranging book ? analysis nicely coupled with anecdotes from his travels and interactions.
The chapter before the conclusion is where Lak tries to make his big point ? that India can be Asia?s America or the world?s next liberal superpower. One could, conceivably ask questions about America?s liberalism when it comes to exercising its power outside its borders. And indeed questions about whether any superpower can be truly liberal towards others ? India doesn?t have a very impressive record of interventionism in its South Asian neighbourhood. It also doesn?t have anywhere near the military prowess required to be a superpower. Nor is it, with a per capita income of just $1000, rich enough to be considered in that league. Lak acknowledges some of these points but they dilute his case. India would do well enough to retain its liberal core within ? increasingly under threat from radical Islamism and radical hindutva ? in the near future. By venturing into ?superpower? territory, even if tempered by the ?liberal? adjective, Lak over extends his optimism about India?s position in the world, and under-estimates the threats to Indian liberalism from within.
In the final analysis, one can?t help but feel that something is missing from this book. India Express would certainly make great introductory reading for those who need a crash course in India?s political economy and recent history ? in all fairness the Penguin, Canada original is probably written for such an audience. In India, perhaps those who haven?t been completely clued in to the politics and economics of the last two decades may find the book a useful primer. For the knowledgeable reader, this book hasn?t got much to offer in terms of original insight even if some anecdotes from Lak?s extensive travels may be of curious interest.
Still, the book will, on the whole, disappoint the average Indian reader who could have hoped that Lak would offer some original reflections on an India that he knows so well. Lak would also have known that this emerging India has already been much written about, by Indians and foreigners. And that repetition gets boring.