Author Description

An incisive, lyrically written, and deeply-reported account of India's descent into authoritarianism and religious fundamentalism Here is an absorbing and disturbing account of India's transformation into a religious fundamentalist, brutally unequal dystopia, from a novelist described by Pankaj Mishra as “one of the most distinctive writers to have emerged from South Asia in the last two decades.” Originally from a remote town in the northeastern hills of India, Siddhartha Deb crisscrosses the country to explain the rise of Hindu authoritarianism and the fall of Indian democracy. With a journalist's commitment to on-the-ground reportage and a literary writer's sensitivity, Deb describes how prime minister Narendra Modi and his party–a formation explicitly beholden to European fascists–has deftly exploited modern technologies, the media, and market forces to launch a relentless campaign on minorities, women, dissenters, and the poor. Deb narrates Modi's emergence from an obscure paramilitary volunteer to world leader, but he also includes portraits of resistance exemplified by figures like Arundhati Roy, the assassinated journalist Gauri Lankesh, and the group of political prisoners known as the BK 16. This important collection of essays is an unforgettable portrait of the country as it prepares for crucial national elections in 2024.