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Slumming India by Gita Dewan Verma is an attempt to make sense of some of the most baffling conflicts surrounding urban slums in the 1990s and early 2000s. In such issues, the maze of allegations and counter-allegations is incredibly deceptive, and even intelligent people are prone to losing track. Verma tries – and arguably succeeds – in untangling the strands and providing the reader with some clarity on the subject. Employing Orwellian satire and Chomskyian matter-of-factness in equal measure, Verma weaves an intricate pattern that explains how, despite more than half a century of planning in India, slums have thrived, feeding on the despair of their residents. Continue reading →