Why White Tiger got the Man Booker Prize

I will confess beforehand that I haven’t read the book. Though I will buy it today itself and start reading. But the first thing that comes to my mind when I read the excerpts of the book is that it is India Bashing at its best.

What bothers me more than anything is the fact that in all the reviews the “the dark heart” of India aspect has been highlighted.

For years money has been made in art, literature and social work, by selling poor Indians and their hungry kids with their torn clothes, running noses and deprived eyes, running bare-feet on the roads, begging for alms and mercy.

There have been innumerous photographs, paintings that have sold the poverty of India at its best.

And literature pretty much takes the cake, starting with Amartya Sen, Salman Rushdie to name a few noted authors

A particular article in the Telegraph starts of with The White Tiger and then just goes on and on about the details of poverty in India.

Slums and Mumbai have become synonyms. Beggars on the streets of India are a must see for tourists. Hungry-Indian-Kids are words used together more often than not.

I can’t digest this a wee bit, why highlight a certain aspect of a country? And by doing so throw the dignity/ self respect of the people involved (the beggars, slum dwellers) down the drain

Mr. Adiga, to really drill in the poor aspect of India, I refuse to shell out Rs 400 for your book, instead I shall read the pirated version of your book (Rs 100)

Me a party pooper? …

Maybe