Shattered Lands
by William Dalrymple
(Sent on 2nd Jan)
On 12th December, we gathered to discuss the first half of “Shattered Lands” by Sam Dalyrmple. The book is easy to read (although the content difficult to stomach), and in a burst of enthusiasm to start a new book in the new year, we did an early poll to select “Guns, Gods and Missionaries” as the next book to read. But “Shattered Lands” is a book to read, assimilate and discuss the puzzle over. For a decision of partition that appeared to have been made because British rule ran out of steam, why did things turn out the manic, bloody way that it did? Why has it stuck in such a fierce way, even though so many people lost their lives, possessions, dignity and peace of mind? What does this story point us to what is to come?
We propose to meet on 21 January to wrap up the reading of Shattered Lands. This is the 3rd Wednesday – please keep this as the likely day-week combination for the Masani Reading Group sessions for 2026.
Date: 21 January 2025
Venue: XKDR Forum conference room (#205)
Time: 5:15pm
See you all there; bring your favourite lines!
O ya, and a happy new year to all of us. May we have the luxury of meeting for a couple of hours in a month for discussions on things that isn’t work, but makes us better at it anyway. :-)
(Sent on 20th Dec)
On 12th December, we gathered to discuss the first half of “Shattered Lands” by Sam Dalyrmple. There was consensus on two learnings: a shocked realisation that Aden and Burma was quite an integral part of the Indian ecosystem till as late as 1935, and that everything was structurally separate by 1940. And that the separation of peoples into countries with borders was decided by two handfuls of volatile people. Perhaps it was his intention, but those painted as heros in the existing narrative come across as somewhat peevish and irrational compared to those traditionally considered scheming. But given the massive and unexpected disruption to economic and social orders, there doesn’t seem to be an obvious alternative behaviour. Some lines to remember:
“…Arakan, the diverse and densely forested region that bordered the Indian coastline. Historically, it had been an independent kingdom wedged between separate Burmese and Bangali kingdoms, resulting in an ethnic melting pot of Arakanese Buddhists, Bengali poets, Portuguese pirates, Afghan archers and even renegade ronin samurai from Nagasaki.”
“Jinnah likened politics to a game of chess – slow, methodical and pragmatic.”
“Only the Dalit leader B. R. Ambedkar commented on the irony that the same people who had argued Burma should be separated to establish “Bharat” were now crying that the “unity of India” was being broken.”
The book is easy to read (easily assimilating content, another matter!). Shall we consider wrapping this one up in a reading before year end? :-) Two proposals are (I) a solely in-person reading session on 24th December at 4:30pm, and (II) experiment with a solely online reading session on 31st December at 12noon.
There comes the decision of the next book to start in 2026! Candidates:
1. Gods, guns, and missionaries (author: Manu Pillai)
2. How China became capitalist (author: Ronald Coase and Ning Wang)
3. China’s Future (author: David Shambaugh)
4. The good communist (author: Frank N. Pieke)
Two decisions to send in your votes on!! Please email me with you choices on –
A: : (I) or (II) on the final reading of Shattered Lands, or (III) neither.
B: Which book to read next??
Looking forward to hearing from you.