The Strange Rise of Modern India

New Delhi, Sep 6 (UNI) Emerging India has once again become the subject of high profile foreign journalists writing a new book.

After the best-selling 'The World is Flat' by New York Times journalist Thomas L. Friedman comes 'In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India' by Edward Luce, Washington commentator of the Financial Times, London.

A deep and insightful account of contemporary India, the book was launched last night in the capital and top Indian editors got together at the launch ceremony to discuss it.

ITV president Karan Thapar, Indian Express editor-in-chief Shekhar Gupta, Business Standard editor T N Ninan and CNN-IBN editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai talked about 'In Spite of the Gods', a compelling snapshot of a country undergoing remarkable transformation that will affect the rest of the world.

Luce, a former Delhi-based South Asia bureau chief of FT, narrates his view of the booming India, religious India, its changing economic structure, multi-layered diplomacy, and its changing relations with the U.S, both economic and political.

''The general tendency in India is to look abroad,'' says Luce adding India is ''unaware of how many leverages'' it has with America.

Friedman's book, which too had a launch ceremony in India, was about globalisation, which he sees as beginning in the software super power India.

''Is (Congress president) Sonia Gandhi, after spending 6-7 years in politics, a caterpillar or butterfly?'' was the question from Thapar during the discussion. ''She is the Queen Bee,'' said Sardesai, who criticised Luce for being ''soft'' on the Congress.

Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh was another leader who figured during the panel discussion. Singh believes in system and want to be the part of it, said Sardesai. When Singh flamboyantly talks about being the only Indian (himself) to receive an official invitation for a Hillary Clinton birthday party, he is actually showing that he is a part of the system, that he is noticed, he added.

''Amar Singh represents the 'emerging India' and wants it to be a part of the system, to be noticed by hook or by crook,'' Sardesai said.

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