India Is Broken: A People Betrayed, 1947 to Today Paperback

"India Is Broken: A People Betrayed, 1947 to Today" by Ashoka Mody offers a powerful and provocative re-examination of India's post-independence journey, challenging the prevailing narrative of triumph. Mody argues that despite aspirations of secular democracy and national unity in 1947, successive leaders, beginning with Jawaharlal Nehru, failed to address fundamental economic and social issues like mass education, public health, and job creation, leading to widespread underemployment and a population vulnerable to crisis. The book meticulously chronicles how this neglect, coupled with pervasive corruption, reliance on unregulated finance, and environmentally destructive practices, ultimately paved the way for the erosion of democratic norms and the rise of a violent Hindutva, presenting a sobering account of how India's promise was, in many ways, betrayed.