Days and Nights on the Grand Trunk Road: A Review

Pu Li,

I agree that honest criticism is the true litmus to positive change; but this criticism isn`t,in my opinion, very constructive. Do you really agree with him when he says that the future of all indians looks like hell. How honest or constructive is is that?

Thanks for the review. I will try to read this book despite the author`s overall negative impressions. There is nothing wrong with honest criticism.

I also recommend to Chowk readers ``The Grand Trunk Road From the Front Seat`` by Bryan Paul Bach. Clearly, that author also loved his trip (he completed it on four separate visits to the subcontinent) and the subcontinent but nobody would call it ``silly love``.

Despite the provocative by-line, no one seem to have bothered to comment on. May be it is obvious, grant trunk road may not provide adequate cross section to comment on the future of india, let alone the present.

At the height of cold war i met a true capitalist condemning communism, based on his experience in russia, which later turned out to be an overnight stay at moscow due to missed connection, enroute to india. At least this author is more qualified and i agree with him.

The journey seems unique also, because most traditional travel took place West to East historically.

From Alexander to Muhammed bin Qasim to Mahmood Ghaznavi, all travellers came from the West and travelled East.

I dont know about the future, but the present is certainly hell for most Pakistanis and Indians, with religious fanatics, gluttonous landlords, a dysfunctional civil service, mindless mobs, and the like keeping the fires burning. At least the poor ordinary people of the sub-continent will surely all go to heaven when they die since they have already done their time in hell.