Open to pre-order, this is a timely book on Bihar and a very important one in the lead up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The author said in a release, ‘Growing up in undivided Bihar, I frequently found myself pondering over the consistent negative portrayal of the state in the news. The explanations I encountered seemed overly simplistic. Bihar stands out as one of the most intricate socio-political states in India, moulded by a multitude of factors. This book offers readers a chance to explore the socio-political landscape of Bihar, delving into the events that have influenced its contemporary state. It sheds light on the reality of navigating through the tumultuous and highly controversial 1990s, a decade that played a defining role in shaping Bihar into what it is today.”

We can therefore, be ready for an incisive account of the systematic erosion of a glorious legacy. A state, which was once at the heart of highly evolved empires that advanced art, scientific and spiritual practices, fell prey to a highly divisive caste system and short-sighted governments in independent India. It tells the story of Bihar’s plunge into an abyss of crime, corruption and economic ruin during the tumultuous decade of the 1990s, often referred to as the ‘Jungle Raj’ years. How did a land, once the cradle of civilisation, devolve into a byword for the worst of India as described by The Economist in 2004?

Deeply researched the book spotlights the unravelling of long-standing Congress governments, the rise of OBC assertion with Lohiaite politics, the JP movement that put the spotlight on young leaders like Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar, Karpoori Thakur’s reservation formula, the rise of Naxal movements and the entry of socialist governments and Lalu Prasad Yadav.

According to Westland Books, Mrityunjay Sharma’s Broken Promises is not just a book about Bihar for Biharis. It is an eye-opening account of a large and socially complex participant in India’s democracy, any shift within which sends ripples across national politics.

Broken Promises: Caste, Crime and Politics in Bihar by Mrityunjay Sharma, an entrepreneur and social activist, promises to be a riveting account of arguably the most controversial era in the post-Independence history of any state in India. Grave mis-governance, flourishing crime syndicates and caste armies, and the centre-staging of formidable bahubalis in politics come under the scanner in this one.