26

Jun

Book Review

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An attempt  to bridge the generation gap

Prof Pradeep Mathur

New Delhi, 26 June 2024

In the known and not so well known history of human existence of 4000 years or so things never changed so drastically as in the second half of the preceding century. Those of us who have been born around the time of India’s independence from British rule have been witness to these changing times. The author of the book is one of this aging generation who has lived and felt the changing life from a small town in the U.P. to the metropolitan world of Delhi.

The author, a senior Govt. servant has a remarkable capacity to observe the social life around him from his highly sensitive mind and a powerful pen to depict it. This is what makes his work so very readable. Going those the book you feel that all that is described is happening only around you.

     No doubt India has changed tremendously in the past 75 years or so and now the present generation of young girls and boys is striving to establish their identity and make a mark in a highly competitive world. The generation to which the author belongs faces the tough task of matching its steps with their children and grandchildren in order to keep pace with this fast-changing world and, on the other, keep looking back at what they inherited by way of rich traditions and family culture from their elders. In between the biggest challenge for them is to decide as to what should they leave for their progeny.

 

The generation of those born around the time India attained freedom is witness to the poor living conditions, underdevelopment, and backwardness of the period around Independence and early years of nation-building and planned development  Can anyone imagine the extent of scarcity and paucity of resources at that point of time? Can anyone measure the level of plight and intensity of pain that our predecessors had to bear? Can anyone of this generation, at this stage, imagine the pathetic state of our country which was cast asunder after the massive tragedy of partition involving mass migration that rendered millions of families homeless and rootless? Do they have any idea about the amount of struggle that went into rehabilitating the uprooted millions?

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Article at a Glance

In the past 75 years, India has undergone a transformation like no other. The author, a senior government servant, has lived through this change, from small-town Uttar Pradesh to metropolitan Delhi. With a keen observer's eye and a powerful pen, he recounts the social life around him, making his work relatable and engaging.

The book is a nostalgic journey, bridging the gap between generations, as the author shares his experiences of growing up in a rapidly changing India. With simplicity and sensitivity, he describes the struggles of the past, the challenges of the present, and the hopes for the future.

The title "The Blessed Curse" reflects the author's perspective on nostalgia, which he sees as both a blessing and a curse. This book is a must-read for people of all ages, offering a unique insight into India's transformation.

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The present generation can at best try to imagine the harsh realities in which their parents and grandparents lived and survived in those challenging days, but cannot feel the reality of their living conditions in the period before the era of globalisation and economic liberalism unless there is someone to tell them based on his personal experiences and thus creating a lasting emotional bond between the three living. The author has very successfully tried to meet this challenge through his latest book.

But why he titled his book as  'The Blessed Curse'? And he has an explanation.

In his own words: Of all the maladies that overtake an aging person, 'Nostalgic Attack' is the one which is quite common and is naturally taken as an inevitable curse to be borne with the gift of utmost rectitude. But it seems equally true that since it comes to a person as a blessing in disguise, it deserves to be treated as 'The Blessed Curse'.

 

The author grew up watching with curious eyes the changing face of the society we live. Suffering from what he calls a nostalgic attack he has attempted to describe the facets of transformation that took place in the country punctuated with anecdotes and episodes in simple language. That makes it a pleasure for people of all ages to read this book.

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What the author has written certainly is not the history. Nor it is fiction. Written with an eye on the coming generations, it is, however, an interesting read for persons of all ages, provided youths are not biased against all that is old, and the aging lot is not averse to all that is modern.

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