“A work of satire, this book takes a long, hard, and bemused look at the mysterious ways of governments, the vagaries of the justice system, the fashionable peccadilloes of society, and the arcane gibberish of social media. Every subject is approached in an analytical manner and with a liberal dose of humour” – Khabar (publication of the Hyderabad Literary Festival, August 2021)
- political culture and current affairs,
- the environment and conservation,
- the bureaucracy and governance,
- legal matters, social issues, societal peccadilloes,
- and anything else that can be lampooned.
The foibles are treated with indulgent banter, the failures with wit and raillery of the highest order.
Avay Shukla is an original voice.
A major discovery
Reviews, Interviews, and Mentions
Swift Goes Democracy| Countercurrents
“never read anything like it… brilliant, hilarious and painfully accurate…. sardonic … satirical, but … infused with a burning passion for the issues that matter in India…unsparing in his insights, and sometimes savage in his critiques (but) … marked by a searing honesty” – Dr. Shashi Tharoor
“Most acerbic” – Col. Ajai Shukla
“Brilliant!” – Prof. Anupam Shukla
“Didn’t laugh so much in a long time” – Yawar
“Turns the mirror on our social reality” – Anonymous
“Eye catching jugglery of words. Superb!” – Anonymous
“Says it like it is, but with finely tuned irony” – Anonmyous
“Your writings are a delight to read and think about” – Anonymous
“Absolutely scintillating!” – Anonmyous
“Simply the best!” – Anonmyous
“I hate what you say, but I find myself forced to return to read the bilge you produce because it is so funny” – Anonymous
“Thoroughly enjoyable” – Raaja Bhasin, author, columnist and historian
A review by P. C. K. Prem is at https://hillpost.in/2022/10/a-bureaucrat-reveals-actualities-awesome-cynicism-and-bruised-truths-book-review/118507/
Here is another full review of the book, by Jowhar Sircar, in The Statesman (Kolkata) on April the 22nd, 2021: https://avayshukla.blogspot.com/2021/05/statesman-review-of-polyticks.html
About the author
Avay Shukla became an “unserious writer” after retiring in December 2010 from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) having reached the dizzying heights of Additional Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh.
His crowning achievement? The establishment of two national parks.
Having fallen in love with Himachal’s mountains and forests, he’s been foolish enough to trek to its remotest regions, documenting the lifestyles of the hardy villagers, as well as the local myths, legends and anecdotal trivia, resulting in his books, The Trails Less Travelled: Trekking the Himachal Himalayas and The Spectre of Choor Dhar: Tales from the Mountains.
He amuses himself with passable bridge and bad golf.
Reviews
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