Colonial rediscovery of India

The Rediscovery of India is largely on expected lines as the distinguished author tries to
The Rediscovery of India
Author: Meghnad Desai
Publisher: Penguin
Price: Rs 699
The story of British India and of India after Independence has been written by a galaxy of
While the book is largely on expected lines — Desai loves Nehru, is ambivalent towards Indi
According to him, India’s history — at least that which he considers relevant — began with
Hailing the British, he says their arrival in India saved the country from division. Desai
Later on, he hits upon another theory of how Vedic gods were “marginalised.” He says most e
But Desai’s clarity deserts him at times. For instance, he remains unclear on what led to t
The author comes across as a staunch supporter of the British move to promote the English l
While it is true that languages like Sanskrit had been monopolised by a section of the soci
It is ridiculous for Desai to observe that someone like Bhimrao Ambedkar would not have bee
But the author is right about the Portuguese in Goa who went about imposing Portuguese and
Given his endorsement of the British role in “liberating” language, it does not come as a s
The author seeks to dilute the arrogance of the statement by saying Macaulay’s remark was n
Desai says Macaulay’s impact on India was more although he served here for just four years;
He wonders about the “great silence” on the Indian side on the 1857 revolt; the little that
The author says, in those early years the “mutineers” did not have an idea of a “nation”; e
Moreover, one can take on Desai for his claim that the concept of nationhood did not exist.
Again unlike what Desai believes, the “rebels” were not driven by petty personal considerat
Desai discovers a divisive communal element in the politics of Bal Gangadhar Tilak and incl
In any case, the two words are not the exclusive preserve of the Hindus but symbolise a lar
The author makes a rather insensitive statement when he says that Independence came as a “t
The author continues with his generalisation throughout the book. At one point he says the
The author, not known to be Left-inclined, tongue in cheek refers to Left economist Biplab
The author in the course of the book offers little insights into, and nags us to re-visit,