Why tech bros should read more (books)

Why read this story?

Editor's note: When I was 18, I was coerced into reading short stories by Premchand, the author and playwright from the early 20th century and a stalwart of Hindi literature. As a privileged child studying in an English-medium school in post-liberalization urban India, I read these stories with the usual adolescent grumbling. Yet, like thousands of teenagers before me, I ended up enjoying them quite a bit. The portrayal of the dynamics between poverty and selfishness in Kafan, the elitist obliviousness of Shatranj ke Khiladi, the indulgent highs and abyssal lows of Nasha—they introduced me to a range of characters, their inner conflicts, their moral dilemmas and the limitations and possibilities of small-town life that I had never experienced before. At the time I was unfamiliar with rural India, having visited villages only a few times in my life; Premchand’s short stories defined them for me. Only later on in life would I spend time in rural India, which sharpened the perspectives I gained from these stories. As a faculty member at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, I often get called …