The Great Indian Middle Class

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[An] erudite, thoughtful, perceptive and elegantly written study"-Hindustan Times In this powerful and insightful critique, the author examines the evolution of the Indian middle class during the twentieth century, especially since Independence. He shows us how the middle class, guided by self-interest, is becoming increasingly insensitive to the plight of the underprivileged, and how economic liberalization has only heightened its tendency to withdraw from anything that does not relate directly to its material well-being. An essential read, this fresh edition updated with a new introduction analyses the transformation of the middle class in the decade since 1997 and seeks to reconcile the seemingly dichotomous aspects of our economy and polity.

Book Reviews

"A daring analysis of what is happening [in India] today' —Khushwant Singh.

"An excoriating critique of the Indian middle class. By holding a mirror to our eyes, [Pavan Varma] shows, with perceptive analysis and revealing exposé, what we are really like' —Karan Thapar.

"A lucid book. [The Great Indian Middle Class] traces the origins of this middle class, outlines its golden age, its decline and its degeneration and grapples with its contemporary dilemma. This is not a neutral piece of scholarship. It brings out the harsh truth, offers a critique and hints at what the way out could be' —Yogendra Yadav,

The Hindu "An invaluable source of reference . . . It deals with a phenomenon that is at once inescapably omnipresent and yet enigmatically elusive: The Great Indian Middle Class' —Times of India.

"An honest and courageous account' —Business Standard.

"The book succeeds very well in its project of giving its readers pause to marvel at the shocking callousness of the Indian middle class and deserves to be read for that' —Indian Express.

'''The first popular social history of the class that has shaped (India'''s) recent past and still controls the key to its future. This bookbrings out the harsh truth, offers a critique and hints at what the way out could be.''' —The Hindu .

'''Not only the most outstanding non-fiction book of 1998, it is among the best that have come out of India in the past two decades.''' —The Hindustan Times