I think the quote listed in the preface puts it best.

'Holding this book in your hand, sinking back in your soft armchair, you will say to yourself: perhaps it will amuse me.  And after you have read this story of great misfortunes, you will no doubt dine well, blaming the author for your own insensitivity, accusing him of wild flights of fancy.  But rest assured: this tragedy is not a fiction  All is true.’

On a societal level I believe this to be a great work, not only in it's story arc but because of the fact that it is raw and most openly true. Stories like this unfold in the hundreds during that era of political climate in India.

In a historical context as well a lot of the plotlines in terms of Indira Gandhi ring true as well. You can trace back a lot of terms mentioned in this book if you do a simple google search or watch a doc of her reign. ("The Emergency" & "City Beautifuiction")

It is such a hard read especially for me when I read it back when I was 14, but it really opened my eyes to world. A book I recommend to everyone without a second thought.