Nuts and coconuts
THE WEEK India|August 18, 2024
A fictional piece on the past, present and uncertain futures of an India where the BJP has long reigned supreme
SHIV VISVANATHAN
Nuts and coconuts

HIS NAME WAS Siddhart Ghosh. In literary circles, he was known as Poltu. Poltu was a well-known name in the sci-fi cabals that served as an opposition to the BJP regime. It was Poltu who vouched for the story I am going to narrate.

It was 2047, the anniversary of the Indian republic now greying quietly. In 2044, the BJP has dismantled some of its history study centres and set up an equivalent ‘futures’ group. People were surprised because the future was an official anathema to the BJP. The future as an idea hinted at the possibility of alternatives and it was the plurality of alternatives that made the BJP uneasy. It was a world full of surprises.

This story is from the August 18, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.

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This story is from the August 18, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.

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