Over the past 15 years, the name Chetan Bhagat has become synonymous with popular English fiction in India. While the author has many haters — be it the elites of the literary circuit or the internet trolls — thousands of his ardent fans and supporters are easily numbered. Over the years, Bhagat has also managed to become one of the most relevant voices in the literature resonating with a vast majority of Indian youth.
The author is very aware of this power. He prides himself on making English accessible to young people growing up in tier 2 and tier 3 cities of India. He says it’s partly why he chooses to write about India when he writes non-fiction novels. So far there are three — What Young India Wants, making India great, and the book released this month, India Positive.
India Positive is a collection of essays and columns through which the author discusses the ‘burning problems’ of India – casteism, corruption, education, employment, politics, GST and infrastructure – and offers ‘easy solutions’ to them.
Bhagat spoke to News18.com about his new book, Indian Youth as an Electorate and the State of Popular Literature in Our Country.
Edited excerpts:
When writing non-fiction, why is your subject always related to the country?
I have built up a reputation as an author and my writings allow me to reach a wide audience. So I choose the platform that I need to do more than just entertain people. While I like to entertain people — make people laugh, tell moving stories, and make them happy — I think I can do more for the country. I can use the platform I have to raise certain issues related to the country in a productive and solution-oriented way.
Many of my readers also contribute to your view of national issues. Either they’re not interested in it, or when they try to show interest, they turn on the TV and everyone fights in those debates. So they don’t understand what’s going on. Instead of getting involved in political blame games, they need someone to show them the way forward.
You understand the pulse of the young generation, which is why your novels work so well. How interested do you think today’s youth are in politics?
The youth of this country is not that interested in politics. They are busy with their own lives. Of course, when there are elections, the interest naturally rises, or when something happens in or to the nation, like the Pulwama incident, I think they want to participate in the dialogue. But for the most part, they are not that interested in politics. Some of the young people show an interest in politics, but even to them my advice is that they should not take a permanent side in a democracy.
How hard is it to write about Indian politics without allowing your objectivity to be dominated by your personal preferences?
It is difficult. We all have preferences when it comes to politics, but what I’m trying to say is that preference isn’t fixed forever. You should not be too laconic about one leader, or too critical of another leader. We should be able to criticize the leaders we love and praise the leaders we criticize. Only then will your views gain more credibility and your votes will be taken seriously.
Tell us about your latest book, India Positive?
I deal with everything you hear in the news. The book tells about the last ten years of India, what we did well and what we did not do well. Where should we continue? I talk about things like GST, Kashmir, demonization and elections.
Do you think jobs is one of the main themes in the minds of Indian youth?
Yes, employment is definitely a topic that they pay attention to. Five years ago I could have hired a graduate for 10 thousand and even today I can hire a graduate for 10 thousand. Look at inflation, these are not fair wages. And even such jobs are not easy to find. From agriculture to manufacturing, each sector has its own problems. While some of these problems can be attributed to a particular government and/or lack of policies, some of them are also a global trend where things are changing super fast. I think the youth should anticipate what kind of jobs will be in high demand in the future and learn those skills, be it artificial intelligence or coding.
When you started as a writer, there was no social media. How difficult or easy is it for new authors now trying to make their mark, to navigate these social media channels and gain the kind of popularity you have enjoyed?
I think it’s hard. I don’t think books get that much attention. New authors in particular don’t get that much attention. There is also so much video content on the phone. However, I must add that India is one of those rare countries where there is still some growth. There are literature festivals, new authors are still being added and new stories are being told.
You get a lot of criticism. Does that bother you?
It used to bother me when I was younger, but not anymore. If I see anything valid in the critique, I take it, otherwise I’m pretty sure. Many people who criticize me also lack credibility or authority. They are completely out of touch with India, so I have a feeling that their criticism comes from a place that is not connected to India, and the readers of our country and its literature. So I feel sorry for them that they are so ignorant of what India is all about.
After hit movies like 3 Idiots and 2 States which were based on your books, another criticism that your novels have faced is that you write in such a way that they can be adapted into Bollywood movies. What are your thoughts on that?
I think most people only see movies based on my books that are going to be blockbusters, and they think that’s important to me. But, that’s not the case at all. My books are important to me. I write the book in a way that a reader enjoys the book. If I want to turn a book into a movie, what’s stopping me from doing it? If I want to turn a book into a screenplay, I don’t have to put the screenplay in the book. I can just write it later.
Many youths can relate to you and your writings. Why do you think that is?
The growth for me is in tier 2 and tier 3 cities where people are discovering English. They want to read simple English stories. There are young people in these cities who use my books to learn English and gain confidence in this language. They enter the ‘English world’, which they have been denied until now. My books give them confidence, I think that’s why I have a fan. I always use simple English, and frankly it’s not that easy to be simple.