The book contains thirteen essays on different subject matters like economics, culture, society, policy, justice, gender identity and equality etc. Most of the essays were published in the 'The Little Magazine' over the last fifteen years. During the fifteen years, the world and India itself faced increasing injustice, intolerance, inequality and violence along with some positive progress, and Sen writes as a witness to those times.
Reading the book feels like embarking on a journey as the writer has nicely presented his childhood nostalgia and octogenarian experience simultaneously. His nostalgic tone is in the memoir-essay, On Nalanda University, the oldest university in the world. Sen had visited the university at the age of 11 with his father and had 'wondered whether that great university could ever come to life again.' After around 70 years he was appointed as the chair of the Nalanda Mentor Group for the revival of the university.
After its revival, he was appointed the chancellor of the university and did his best to give it new life. He served as the chancellor up until the Narendra Modi led government was formed. Sen in this essay has freely described his role in reviving the university. However, in the latter days, he faced excessive political pressure from the Modi-led government whereupon he resigned from the post. Here he criticizes the political pressure exerted on the educational institutions and universities.
He also questions the image of Modi as "a reincarnation of God" and doubts his abilities to lead a secular country. He says, "The universities in Europe, going back many hundreds of years, have been helped to become academically excellent through governmental respect for their autonomy." However in India and Nepal where overwhelming political influence is the only decisive factor, this seems impossible.
As an octogenarian thinker and campaigner, Sen argues for welfare economy and social choice. He expects equal distribution of natural resources and development of tools to enhance the way of life, particularly that of disadvantaged and deprived groups. He says that India has more hungry people – including hungry children – than any other country in the world, but what is most astonishing is how little attention this has received. In most of the essays, Sen talks about how only the healthy, wealthy, and educated people can prosper the nation and maintain sustainable development.
Another essay "The smallness thrust upon us", talks about the identity conflict in a globalized world. He notes global interactions can be far more extensive than international interactions. He stresses on the empowerment of women, and education for girls as they are essential for social justice, social inclusion, birth control, and harmonizing the society. In some of the essays like India through its calendars, Sen praises Indian history, culture, language and mathematical evolution adding that it shapes the glory of the country. Sen takes Sanskrit language and education as the world's entity and stresses on its revival.
Almost all the essays have reasonable explanations and there is a balanced approach to the issues he takes up. The justified arguments make it almost impossible for the readers to argue any further. As a prominent thinker and welfare economist, Sen examines all the issues through the perspectives of a philanthropist and liberal democrat. As a philanthropist, he loves humanity and argues about fulfilling basic human needs. As a liberal democrat, he welcomes globalization but wants to ensure personal freedom at the same time.
As a professor of economics and philosophy and the keynote speaker at several universities and international forums across the globe, Sen delivers his ideas in a practical rather than philosophical way. His main concern discussed in the book is to eliminate poverty and acquire prosperity. He stresses on the need of a better public policy and notes that media also has a huge role to play in bringing about economic development and social change.
Along with tackling various issues, Sen pays due respect and examines the role of Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindra Nath Tagore in the essay 'What indifference can Tagore make?' Sen says "I read a lot and like arguing with people", and true to that, these essays read like argumentative conversations.
While addressing several problems we are facing today, Sen writes humorously. He suggests sorting out problems with clear analysis before trying to resolve them. This is the main failure of the policy making process in almost all developing and under developed countries and to resolve such problems, he suggests his welfare economic policy.
The language is simply and lucid and thus nothing is ambiguous. Sen, by his own confession, likes discussing and arguing, which is why reading the book feels like holding a conversation with the writer himself. As the book is a compilation rather than a planned out volume, it lacks some of his most debatable remarks on economics. But that's the only glitch in a pleasurable, and insightful, reading experience.
deependrasanchar@yahoo.com
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