Behind the 'new' India

Persistent unemployment has forced people to reluctantly stick to farming

Labouring Lives: Industry and Informality in New India 

Author: Archana Aggarwal

Publisher: LeftWord Books

Pages: 172

Price: Rs 275

Most of the country is in the middle of festivities, and like most Bengalis, I celebrated Durga Puja last week. And like most Bengali households, sharing gifts is as synonymous to the “pujos” as turkey is to Thanksgiving. Among the gifts this reviewer received was a jacket from Zara. What caught my eye was the “Made in India” tag. The price, which matched that of an imported jacket, also caught my eye. To understand why a local product carried an exorbitant global price tag, I considered giving