FALLING OVER BACKWARDS An essay against Reservations and against Populism By Arun Shourie Rupa Pp: 378 Price: Rs 495

It's a timely-and scary-reminder of how far we've trodden down the "progressive" path. The book's tagline says it's "an essay against reservations and against judicial populism". And it lives up to that promise on every measure. Arun Shourie begins the volume by quoting Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's letter to the chief ministers in which he makes a strong case against caste- and religion-based reservations. "It has amazed me to learn that even promotions are based sometimes on communal or caste considerations. This way lies not only folly but also disaster. Let us help the backward groups by all means but never at the cost of efficiency. How are we going to build the public sector or indeed any sector with second-rate people?" Shourie quotes India's first Prime Minister as writing. And then goes on to show how Nehru's followers, with active help from a so-called "progressive" judiciary, turned his exhortations-and the Constitutional safeguards against caste and communal quotas-on their heads for narrow political expediency.

The book is replete with examples of Shourie's erudition and grasp over his subject. He quotes extensively from the Constituent Assembly debates and from the Constitution itself to buttress his arguments. Nowhere, he points out, does the Constitution say anything about reserving jobs, seats or any other privileges for any religious, caste or ethnic group. Instead, it repeatedly stresses equality based on non-discrimination. Where caste is mentioned, it is only to prohibit discrimination on its basis. Where it does speak of the underprivileged, it refers to backward classes, women and children, never to caste or religion.

But, he adds, the very basis of the Constitution has been subverted by self-serving politicians, the progressive intelligentsia and the judiciary. He quotes several judgments to support his arguments. Each successive judgment has hammered another nail in the coffin. Result: standards are dismissed as elitist, mediocrity has become the norm, vulgarity is authenticity, intimidation is argument and assault is proof.

We live in extremely partisan times. Almost every political, social or ethnic formation believes in some form of the 'you are either with us or against us' paradigm. This means, unfortunately, that Shourie's logic, sound and learned as they are, will probably be appreciated only by those who see merit in merit. The other half (or is it merely 49.5 per cent) will doubtless dismiss this book as more Manuwadi propaganda. But that, to paraphrase Nehru, will be a folly.

One word of caution for the would-be reader: this is a tome for the serious scholar; but there's a lot in it even for a more casual reader of social commentaries.

THE BACKROOM BRIGADE By Seetha Penguin Portfolio Pp: 212 Price: Rs 375

The Indian BPO industry isn't just an industry. Rather, it's the child of many revolutions. A revolution in information technology, a revolution in the mindset of the Indian salary man, and a revolution in the way the world sees India. From virtually nothing less than a decade ago, BPO has become a $6.3-billion (Rs 28,350-crore) industry, employing 415,000 people. Suddenly, no global company (other than Apple, that is) can hope to be competitive without offshoring work to India. A lot has been written on this brand new phenomenon, but it is to Seetha's credit that she puts it all in one place. Here you'll meet the early BPO pioneers, read about their struggle to a) convince their foreign parent-and only later, customers-to ship work to India, b) overcome a primitive telecom network to get their long-distance business going, and c) create an industry out of hole-in-the-wall outfits. In other words, The Backroom Brigade is an abridged history of India's BPO industry, except that it is much more engagingly written than what a professional historian could have ever managed.