A Situation in New Delhi

novel by Sahgal

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July 16, 2026

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Nayantara Sahgal's novel, A Situation in New Delhi (1977), explores the personal crises of India's elite against a backdrop of political upheaval. The novel contrasts the idealism of India's early independence with the moral decline that followed the era of Jawaharlal Nehru. Sahgal, who is related to prominent Indian political figures like Nehru and Indira Gandhi, often sets her fictional stories of personal conflict within the context of Indian political crises. Her work, including A Situation in New Delhi, delves into themes of civil disorder, corruption, and oppression, while also detailing internal family conflicts.1

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Nayantara Sahgal
…that is particularly evident in A Situation in New Delhi (1977) recurs in such Sahgal novels as Rich like Us (1985), which confronts civil disorder, corruption, and oppression while detailing the internal conflicts in a businessman’s family. Three of Sahgal’s later novels—Plans for Departure (1985), Mistaken Identity (1988), and Lesser…
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…that is particularly evident in A Situation in New Delhi (1977) recurs in such Sahgal novels as Rich like Us (1985), which confronts civil disorder, corruption, and oppression while detailing the internal conflicts in a businessman’s family. Three of Sahgal’s later novels—Plans for Departure (1985), Mistaken Identity (1988), and Lesser…
Read More