The book ‘The Wild Lotus: My Administrative Days in Mainpuri’ is a non-fiction written by a writer, poet, and illustrator, Kailas Gite. The setting of book is kept in Mainpuri, a district in Uttar Pradesh recounts the two years of incidents and experiences that took place while the narrator of the book was working for the Swachh Bharat Mission there, as a former officer of Maharashtra.
The book revolves around a young Marathi man, Samar, who goes to the Swachh Bharat Mission as a Consultant to the Central Government. But the indifference of the district administration and panchayat administration of Mainpuri towards the Swachh Bharat Mission gives the narrator an extremely striking experience. He was even threatened by the Panchayat Raj officer of Mainpuri due to his dedication and honesty. They were continuously criticizing his work and trying to bring him down so that they could survive the exposure, which had become inevitable in the end.
In short, the book gives insight into the reality of administrative work. The good as well as bad faces of government officials have been highlighted by the author.
The book is written honestly and straightforwardly without any hesitation to present the reality to the reader, which is a key feature of the book.
The writing style is kept simple and lucid so that it can be understood by the readers easily. The first-person perspective of the narrator, makes the audience connect to the story thoroughly. The 22 Venture along with an epilogue gives a coherent ending to the book.