Dr parakala prabhakar biography meaning
A Straight Arrow in a Crooked Time: Reviewing The Crooked Timber of New India by Parakala Prabhakar
Hyderabad based intellectual and analyst Parakala Prabhakar has given a gift to Indians and India watchers in his new book, The Crooked Timber of New India. It is a gift for many reasons – honesty, lucidity, and non-didactic exposition. Many previous reviewers have sung praises- and I am no different; here, I’ll add to the fandom but will also point out areas of divergence. This is exactly, I imagine, what Prabhakar would want.
In a series of 22 essays (an introduction and epilogue in addition), the author sets out to dismantle the PR edifice created by the BJP, Modi, and his acolytes. He does so with aplomb- never requiring complex language or recondite information. Certainly, he refers to a variety of data sets and provides complex arguments, but he does so in a logical, sensible, accessible, and convincing way. In this, he differs from many who likely share similar views- especially those housed in academia.
The essays are at once distinct and interconnected. Covering topics like the Modi government’s response to Covid, the death of Stan Swamy, the parlous state of Indian varsities, Indian unemployment, the sale of PSUs, and the rise of state repression, he weaves a contrarian narrative. He carefully demolishes the arguments proffered by a large section of the Indian elite and NRIs that Modi has done wonders for all aspects of Indian life. He takes the government to task for its need to “eventize” everything it does, even the quotidian and failures.
The author is an independent thinker with a stunning command of data. He is clear to point out that Modi-support is not monolithic; different elements of society cheer-lead for him for different reasons and some just go along for the ride, cynically or otherwise. He displays both an academician’s knowledge but also a demotic touch. In this respect, he reminds me of the eminent journalist P. Sainath. Dr Parakala Prabhakar is a leading political economist and social critic. He has openly stated in his book ' The Crooked Timber Of New India' that he sees it his duty as a citizen of India to point out the wrongs committed by the Modi regime. In this interview with Mathrubhumi, Dr Parakala explains why he considers the Hindutva forces fundamentally antithetic to the Indian republic.'' We may soon hear the dog whistles from the ramparts of the Red Fort,'' cautions Dr Prabhakar. Excerpts from the interview: You are making it crystal clear in the introduction to your book that you are fulfilling your commitment to the constitution , your adherence to the founding principles of the Republic by writing this book, which is a scathing critique of the Modi regime. Let me quote from the book: '' Mine is an unabashedly critical voice. It is , unrepentantly, a dissenting note.'' What led you to take on the Modi regime so boldly and forthrightly? You see, when you go to a doctor, he would examine you and tell you straight away what is wrong with you. If you have a cardiac problem he will tell you that directly. He won't tell you that your liver is good, your kidney is good etc, etc. He will simply tell you the diagnosis. I think we should also do the same. We are political and social diagnosticians. We must tell the society what is wrong. The economy has gone into a bad shape in spite of the propaganda put out by the government in the social media. They have claimed that they have achieved 7.2% growth and that India is the fastest growing economy in the world. We have to unpack this. During the pandemic the economy really got battered. The economy was already suffering from the demonetisation. The Pandemic worsened the scenario.Any growth from that low base any small achievement will look big. So, we have to place this 7.2% growth against this backdrop.What do Indian economist and political commentator (born 1959) Parakala Prabhakar (born 2 January 1959) is an Indian economist and political commentator. He served as communication advisor in the Government of Andhra Pradesh from July 2014 to June 2018. For several years, he presented current affairs discussion programme on Telugu television channels, such as Pratidhwani on ETV2 and Namaste Andhra Pradesh on NTV. He was formerly a spokesperson of Praja Rajyam Party. He is the husband of Nirmala Sitharaman, union Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs. He is also the author of the book The Crooked Timber of New India - Essays on a Republic in Crisis. Prabhakar was born in a prominent Telugu-speaking family in Narsapuram, Andhra Pradesh. He belongs to Congress members' family. His mother, Parakala Kalikamba, was a Member of Legislative Assembly in Andhra Pradesh, while his father, Parakala Seshavatharam, was a long-time legislator from Narasapuram and served in three successive cabinets in the state of Andhra Pradesh in the 1970s and early 1980s. Prabhakar graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from the Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada. He then did his Master of Arts (M.A.) and Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He later studied at the London School of Economics and was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in economics from University of London in 1991. Prabhakar married Nirmala Sitharaman in 1986, who became the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of the Government of India in Narendra Modi's cabinet. They have a daughter. He was one of the founding members of the Praja Rajyam Party and was appointed as a spokesperson of the party. However, in April 2009, he quit the party, a few months before the state election, citing disagreements with the par .We must save our Republic: Dr Parakala Prabhakar
Parakala Prabhakar
Early life and education
Political career