Mukul Kesavan

Someone opened the lid of a pressure cooker and Mukul Kesavan just burst out writing. Social commentary in a short article is something he does regularly (he still writes a column for Telegraph, India) and his comfort with mixing wit and sharp observations shines through. You will be done with his short pieces in one sitting - partly because they are short but mostly because they are damn funny.

The two longish pieces in this collection would require a more patient reading. The one on Indian (Congress) Nationalism has a clear goal of correcting school textbook-ish narratives and offering a more plausible account of the Congress years of the anti-colonial movement. Outside of dedicated books on history, this is one of the best such articles I know of.

The second one on "Secular Common Sense" is more of a collection (part rambling) of thoughts without any coherent direction. But, I will count this to his credit. The issues surrounding religion, caste and their role in politics in India are truly complex. Rambling out in the open is certainly an important part of grappling with them.… (meer)