In ‘2024: India in Free Fall,’ Congressman Sanjay Jha tries to bring to focus the state of India’s democracy and its downslide under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership.
The last ten years in Indian politics have been dominated by the Prime Minister Modi-led BJP government – a government that has been accused of communal and caste bigotry and known for its stricter control over the media and other forms of dissent.
Ahead of the general elections, Jha, who once was a spokesperson for the BJP’s top opponent – the Congress party, addresses urgent issues such as the marginalisation of Muslim minorities, the infringement of citizens’ rights, the clandestine undermining of the judiciary, and the unrestricted growth of crony capitalism, which contributes to aggravated income inequality.
The narrative of the book explores the potential peril of political legitimacy granted to authoritarian populists based on popular mandates. Jha contends that India’s political trajectory has made global headlines due to a perceived crackdown on press freedom, erosion of civil liberties, religious polarization, caste bias, institutional weakening, and demagoguery – posing a threat to the democratic fabric of the world’s largest democracy.
Sanjay Jha is a former spokesperson for the Indian National Congress. With a diverse background in banking and entrepreneurship, he began his political journey in 2004. He is a bestselling author, contributing significantly to Indian politics and media. His notable works include “My Illegitimate Son” (2023), “The Great Unravelling: India After 2014” (2020), and co-authoring “The Superstar Syndrome: The Making of a Champion” (2013), with a new edition of “The Great Unravelling” scheduled for 2024.
As the former managing editor and co-founder of CricketNext.com, Jha played a pivotal role in exposing the Indian Premier League scam. His insights have been featured in major publications like The Times of India, Deccan Herald, and The Indian Express. Jha investigates the questions that must urgently be asked before India goes to the polls, yet again.
Published by HarperCollins India, ‘2024: India in Free Fall‘ by Sanjay Jha will be released on 7 March on SoftCover, ThePrint’s online venue to launch non-fiction books.
Associate publisher Swati Chopra asserts, “In this timely publication, Sanjay Jha employs his distinctive style, sparing no words and holding no punches. With unwavering candor, he emphasizes the urgent need to defend the idea of a secular, democratic India as outlined in the nation’s Constitution.”
The book has garnered praise from Kapil Komireddi, a writer, author of ‘Malevolent Republic: A Short History of the New India.’ “Where so many debase themselves for the tawdry rewards of power, Sanjay Jha stands out as a reason for hope — incorruptible, intrepid, and indefatigable in his defence of our imperilled republic,” he said about the book.