The White Tiger

This fiction novel depicts a collection of letters written by Balram Halwai to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. Through the letters, Balram described the true face of India that he believed the Indian government would fail to mention or sugarcoat when the premier visits the country soon. Balram also described how he started as a lowly-educated kid from the slum and ended as a successful owner of a taxi service company. However, this was not a motivational story to be followed, as Balram’s success was based on deceit, corruption, lies, bribery and murder.

It was no secret that even in the present Indian society, especially in the slums and rural areas, the caste system is still being practiced. Balram, which was said to come from the caste of sweetmakers, only wanted to become a bus conductor with a uniform and a shiny whistle to order passengers around in a bus. Eventually, he became a driver for a wealthy family. His experience from his work and this rich family sparked his desire to break away from the old system and become successful himself, despite the inhuman act he thought he needed to do and the outcome of that act to his family. In the end, he did become rich himself and showed no remorse for his past action.

My first thought after reading this book was how raw and savage the story felt. The main character was transformed from an innocent youngster with the simplest of wishes, affected by the realities of life, the differences between the rich and the poor, the corruption of the family he served, and with the opportunity presented before him, plotted his move to kill his employer who actually showed him some level of affection and respect and whom Balram liked in return, took his money and exploited the corrupted society to his advantage and eventually achieved his riches. And he actually got away with his crime.

I had never read something like this before. Perhaps the experience and feeling was amplified after reading James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small which was a lot more mellow and humorous. But wow, what a story!!