Saberwal, Satish, 1996, Roots of Crisis, Interpreting, Contemporary Indian Society, New Delhi, Sage Publications, M-32, G.K.-I, New Delhi - 48, Rs. 155/-

The book under review is a reflection of the intellectual understanding and introspection of the author to the various dimensions of social crisis being encountered by the contemporary Indian Society. Even after fifty years of freedom, the Indian Society still continues to be very vulnerable to monstrous social evils like the age-old superstitions, positive discriminations, exploitation and communalism. The concept of Sarvoday, universality and moral perfection is at its diminishing end. The glory of ancient Indian society is fast replaced by the so-called liberalised one of present days. The liberations of crime, corruption, nepotism, narrow mindedness, cast and communal passions have become hallmarks of the new society. The value system is under threat, social mores and norms are fast vanishing, the traditional Indian family is cracking and crumbling into pieces making the degeneration wholesome and complete.
The control mechanisms which operate in the society have failed to deliver services at large. There is a legislative system with little social accountability, justice is either delayed or denied, executive is reckless and self-serving and the common people is at the receiving end.
The author has critically presented a detailed analogy of events, historical perspectives and social variables which contributes to the present stage of degeneration of the society. The author attributes the roots of crisis mostly to the long-term clash and confluence of ideas, institutional forms and patterns of conduct, overlapping strange ‘isms’ and a variety of complex western concepts which entered into everyday Indian vocabulary. The diminishing traditional social institutions, alterations of role and relationship, critical patterns of organisation conflictive social ideals and mushrooming social groupism are few to add to the present day social crisis.
The author in the introductory chapter summerises the existing other chapters which helps in the critical understanding of the central theme of the book. Chapter II of this book sketches the contours of a general ‘crisis’ in contemporary India by citing from various news items and also from memorable personal experiences. The author painstakingly explains the phenomenal precipitation of situations out of trivial happenings and contrary to the expectation. Several examples like scuffle between students and driver, police atrocities on innocent people in a village in Rajasthan, causing deliberate inconveniences to others by a section of people, lack of civic sense by some, forgery and deception in collusion of public authorities, fanning communal tension etc. as mentioned in the book are much worrisome to comprehend and experience.
Chapter III explains the historical evolution of the crisis citing Greek, Roman, English and other European institutions and also throws some light on the Indian scene. The author here is categorical in pointing towards the institutions and societies in terms of mega-society, multiple social codes and the social blanks. The absence of clear social values and norms, non conformity to prevailing modes of conduct and lack of adaptability to social situations and institutions are few which have been referred as social blanks. The Chapter IV and V also presents the issues but referred to medieval political traditions of India and Europe respectively reflecting the corresponding historical evolution of the crisis. Communalism is not only dangerous to any society but also it’s a threat to social fabric of every nation state as shown in Chapter VI. Chapter VII is a vivid example of the breaking down of the old order, emergence of modern ideas, crumbling of traditional social systems and institutions like cast order, temple and kinship which caused the present state of crisis.
The author has presented a synoptic analysis of a vast area of study which is praiseworthy. He has overlooked some important points like congruity of issues, possible remedies and projection of an action plan to contain the steady decline of society which is the central theme of the book. Some extraneous elements have been added which could have been left out, focussing more on the core issues. The essays are rather more theoretical and intellectually blended than analytical and micro-sociological in essence. However, I am of the firm opinion that the book is very interesting and extremely readable so far as the scholars of social sciences are concerned for conceptual clarity and enrichment of knowledge in core social issues.

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