Review of 'Dreamers: How Young Indians Are Changing Their World' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Highly recommend. This is a really empathetic read about the lives of many young indians trying to make it or trying to survive in the world, and what makes up their ambitions and their goals, and what they are willing to do. For me, and probably for many many people in my online or offline social circle, this book is a reminder of the bubble you exist in when you've somewhat made it, and are surrounded by similar people of similar privileged backgrounds.
Review of 'Dreamers: How Young Indians Are Changing Their World' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This book is a must-read for anyone curious about India's demographic 'dividend' and the manifestation of the full-blown jobs crisis we are in. Excellent reportage and faithful character portraits interspersed with context on the times we're living in. The choice of following individuals and understanding their stories is the perfect format to understand the desperation and anxiety of the youth in the hinterland.
India's jobs crisis may be viewed as an economic event for analysis, but the manifestation of it - riots, perverse machismo and jingoistic ethno-nationalism - all of that is best understood through a Gender lens. Gendered notions of masculinity in a deeply unequal, caste-driven patriarchal society like India are faultlines our society rests on, precariously. And in times like now, where economic and status anxiety are quite high, the assertion of this masculinity and power will be channeled to 'reclaim' what they believe is rightfully theirs. In …
This book is a must-read for anyone curious about India's demographic 'dividend' and the manifestation of the full-blown jobs crisis we are in. Excellent reportage and faithful character portraits interspersed with context on the times we're living in. The choice of following individuals and understanding their stories is the perfect format to understand the desperation and anxiety of the youth in the hinterland.
India's jobs crisis may be viewed as an economic event for analysis, but the manifestation of it - riots, perverse machismo and jingoistic ethno-nationalism - all of that is best understood through a Gender lens. Gendered notions of masculinity in a deeply unequal, caste-driven patriarchal society like India are faultlines our society rests on, precariously. And in times like now, where economic and status anxiety are quite high, the assertion of this masculinity and power will be channeled to 'reclaim' what they believe is rightfully theirs. In the backdrop of the very overt creation of 'others' by the ruling dispensation, it is inevitable that this assertion of masculinity has led to violence against marginalized entities. The sections on the gau rakshaks and the Bajrang Dal kid who loved beating up couples on Valentine's Day capture this perfectly.
The gendered and political manifestations aside, the book captures so many things wrong with life here - a broken education system, endemic rent-seeking, political corruption, caste calculations, religious chauvinism, and so much more. For someone in my social location, the book makes you appreciate your privilege and reminds you of the bubble you live in.
Highly, highly recommended.
(Arlie Hochschild's 'Strangers in their Own Land' is a good parallel/accompaniment to this book. That book has more insightful analysis - even if it is set in the US - while this one is brave enough to touch on truly challenging topics.)
