From the corridors of Parliament to Delhi’s hidden durbars and their invisible puppet masters, India’s Power Elite tells the untold story of Indian society
One of India’s most astute political commentators, Sanjaya Baru unveils in his new book India’s Power Elite: Caste, Class and Cultural Revolution the emerging dynamics of the power elites in contemporary India. To be released in April 2021 by Penguin Random House India under the Viking imprint, it is currently available on pre-order across all major e-commerce sites.
Known for his piercing critique, exacting narration and insider’s authenticity, Sanjaya Baru has followed up his hugely successful account of power politics in The Accidental Prime Minister with a new book that dissects the fault lines and power struggles dominating our political, economic and social institutions. Offering us a ringside view of the shifts in power in ‘Lutyens’ Delhi’ and across India, Baru pulls the curtains back on the nerve centres that shape the nation’s destiny. India’s Power Elite is both entertaining and analytical, and a must-read for anyone who wants to understand how the levers of power operate in India today.
Commenting on the book, author Sanjaya Baru says, ‘When The Accidental Prime Minister was published, it was received enthusiastically by readers who felt it offered them an insight into the dynamics of power in Lutyens’ Delhi. However, most members of the “Delhi Durbar” criticized me for doing precisely that—opening a window to the outside after having entered its door. Reflecting on the nature of Indian elites and their power, this book seeks to understand how political change wrought by the decline of the Congress and the rise of the BJP is altering the morphology of the power elite. I examine the dynamics of political, economic and cultural power in contemporary India.’
About the author:
Sanjaya Baru presently teaches at the Indian School of Public Policy. Having been the editor of India’s major financial dailies, he also served as an adviser to the prime minister of India and as secretary general, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. He was director for Geo-Economics and Strategy at the International Institute of Strategic Studies, London, and a member of India’s National Security Advisory Board in 1999–2001.