000			01630nam a22001577a 4500
020			_a9780143065579
082			_a954 _bLAK/M
100			_aLak, Daniel
245			_aMantras of change : reporting India in a time of flux
260			_aNew Delhi _bPenguin _c2005
300			_a251p.
520			_aMantras of Change: Reporting India in a Time of Flux brings to the fore the face of a new India, a country that is in a constant and prolonged state of social and economic ferment, largely driven by the aspirations of people at every level, fuelled by the many forces that are beyond the control of the government or the increasingly powerful private sector. Bullock carts and snake charmers are deliberately set aside as Lak offers a glimpse of life in changing India based on his travels and encounters with people along the way. Witty and provocative, the essays talk about the information technology boom and its impact, the sexual revolution, environmental degradation, the breakdown of family structures and, of course, poverty and caste. In a series of sharply drawn portraits, the book introduces us to a policeman working in death squads, Hindu priests striving to save the environment, HIV-positive women dying a dignified death, old soldiers from the opposite sides of intractable conflicts showing genuine affection for each other, and several sexual advice counsellors. Above all, Mantras of Change is an effort to share with the readers Lak’s idea of India and his love affair with a glorious and perplexing land.
650			_aIndia-history
650			_aIndians -Social life _aIndian society
942			_cBK
999			_c62202 _d62202