In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India
by Edward Luce
Little, Brown, HK$300 Paul French
Sir Thomas Roe, an early English visitor to Delhi in 1615, declared: 'Religions infinite; laws none. In that confusion what can be expected?' Actually, rather a lot, both then and now. Roe himself had high hopes of India and the trade prospects it could offer. Indeed, he was willing to drink himself stupid regularly with the Great Mogul, Jahangir, in order to secure the rights of the English factory at Surat.
Former Financial Times South Asia bureau chief Edward Luce seems to suggest that India today remains a land of infinite religions and weak laws, but is clearly one of which we can expect a significant amount in the future. But of what? Luce provides a fair and detailed balancing of the scales and comes down on the optimistic side.
Balance is, of course, what India is rather good at: balancing thriving democracy against occasional authoritarian tendencies; persistently high illiteracy rates with being an advanced nuclear power; a plethora of interests (religious, caste, business and machine politics) with the greater good of the nation. Luce argues that the vibrancy of India's democracy will outweigh any constraints that religion, caste or corrupt politicians can throw up.
