3 Review(s)

Ganesha On The Dashboard provides an honest analytical picture of the lives of millions of Indians ruled simultaneously by technological progress and illogical superstition. Summary Of The Book India is fast becoming a global superpower on the fast track to success with its IT Boom and professional human resources. However, no matter how far the nation progresses, superstition still reigns supreme with millions of educated and smart Indians who go out of their way to take the unscientific route to supposed security and harmony. Ganesha On The Dashboard provides an uncompromising picture on this absurd dichotomy. Ganesha On The Dashboard provides examples of superstitious beliefs and how they are detrimental to progress. The title is derived from the average Indian’s strategy in buying a car. The date and time are carefully chosen so as to be auspicious, good luck traditions such as breaking a coconut are meticulously followed. To add the icing to an already traditionally brimming cake, an idol of Ganesha the protector is placed on the dashboard to ensure that every journey will be a safe one. Meanwhile actual safety precautions such as wearing a seatbelt and driving carefully are conveniently overlooked. After all what harm can come when Ganesha is riding along with you in the car? Intelligent and highly educated Indians still overlook scientific temper when it comes to superstitions. Homes are remodeled using huge amount of money in keeping with Vastu guidelines for luck and prosperity, females are not even given the chance to be born as the rate of female infanticide continues to grow and if they are allowed to be born they are inevitably given the short shrift as males are the key to the father’s place in heaven. India may have stepped into the 21st century in terms of technology but definitely not in terms of mindset. Many traditions like intra-gothra marriages, keen adherence to astrology, caste issues and many other such stories are illustrated by way of examples and are critically dissected and laid bare to help readers understand their origins and their current hampering of progress. Ganesha On The Dashboard offers an objective view of the traditions of this complex country. About The Authors V. Raghunathan is a columnist and author. Other books by him include The Corruption Conundrum and Other Paradoxes and Dilemmas, Games Indians Play, and Don’t Sprint The Marathon. Raghunathan was a former President of ING Vysya Bank. He has taught finance and accounting at IIM, Ahmedabad, and has been adjunct professor at University of Bocconi. He writes columns for The Economic Times, and cartoons for Financial Express. He has written close to five hundred articles and papers. M. A. Eswaran was a nuclear physicist. Eswaran worked at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre for most of his career and helped many doctoral students at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. He was an external member of IIT Bombay’s senate and was also a member of the New York Academy of Sciences. He wrote over 100 scientific papers.