The End of Karma

"How India's youth are trading fatalism and karma for free will and higher expectations, by a former New York Times New Delhi bureau chief who interweaves data, first-hand accounts and archival research to great effect." Best Books of 2016, The Economist

This "remarkable new book" (The Observer) is an exploration of the new India through the lens of young people from different worlds: a woman who becomes a Maoist rebel; a brother charged for the murder of his sister who had married the "wrong" man; and a woman who opposes her family and hopes to become a police officer. They are making new demands on India's democracy for equality of opportunity, dignity for girls and civil liberties. Somini Sengupta spotlights these stories of ordinary people, weaving together a portrait of a country in turmoil.