The Contrasting Political Landscapes of India in Pankaj Mishra’s Temptations of the West

Pankaj Mishra's Temptations of the West has some features that call for it to be identified as a work of travel writing. However, it goes beyond the usual conventions and offers a critical view of the political circumstances in the country. It covers incidents from his student days at Benares which expose him to the vagaries of student politics. His later journey to Allahabad exposes him to the emerging phenomenon of globalisation. At the same time, Allahabad also carried the marks of the colonial past. The place also reveals the presence of corrupt politicians of various hues. They practice a politics based on caste and religion, but their greed for power goes beyond such affiliations. Ayodhya reveals to Mishra a world where myth and history exist side by side. Nagpur offered a combination of grand colonial buildings and modern shopping complexes. Bombay on the other hand highlighted the parallel world of cinema. Mishra travelled further to experience the extremities of politics in Kashmir.