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Scales of social
economics
Humra Quraishi
Muslims In North India — Frozen In The Past
by Syed Iqbal Hasnain.
Har-Anand
Pages 139. Rs 295.
THIS
slim volume written by Syed Iqbal Hasnain who is a professor of
Environment Sciences is not about environment issues but about a
community. As the title suggests, he has focused on the Indian Muslims
living in the northern states. And with that take off, he dwells on
some very relevant issues that confront the community.
Chilling
reminder
Gayatri Rajwade
Piercing the Heart: Unheard
Voices of 26/11
by Simran Sodhi
Rupa & Co. Pages 68. Rs 95.
26/11 Mumbai Attacked
Ed. Harinder Baweja.
Lotus/Roli. Pages 216. Rs 295.
THE
phrase "on hindsight" is used repeatedly by Harinder Baweja
(investigative journalist, editor, Tehelka, and editor of this
book) in the last chapter of 26/11 Mumbai Attacked titled Why
India Will Be Hit Again. This expression is perhaps what defines
26/11 so acutely. In hindsight, the carnage could have been prevented
only if ... .
Womanhood in verse
Deepa Gopala Krishnan
I got to read Kamala Das in
2003, when I had her poems in my Honours course. Then, I, along with
my other classmates, used to literally cringe at the blatant frankness
in her poems, wondering, why were such sexually explicit poems
included in our syllabus? How could she be one of the most famous
writers in Indian English literature?
Pros
and cons of federalism
Harbans Singh
Federalism in India: A Quest
for New Identity
by Dr Sarita.
Regal Publications.
Pages 240. Rs 880.
IN
the none too distant past, a debate on the subject of federalism often
aroused suspicion and led to casting aspersions on the nature of its
proponent’s patriotism. It is a mark of maturity and resilience of
the Indian polity that the staunchest advocates of unitary polity have
come to accept federalism as a "principle of reconciliation
between two divergent tendencies ... and the need for local
autonomy."
Making
things happen
Kavita Soni-Sharma
Paradise in Our Backyard: A
Blueprint for Nepall
by Karna Sakya.
Penguin Books.
Pages 233. Rs 275.
IN
Paradise in Our Backyard, Karna Sakya—conservationist,
entrepreneur and patriot—has compiled some of his thoughts on his
motherland and the problems plaguing it. He has even offered simple
solutions to seemingly complex issues.
A
path less trodden
Jayanti Roy
Unarmed Heroes
Ed. Peace Direct.
Jaico.
Pages 261. Rs 295.
LAST
year the news of Priyanka Gandhi meeting Nalini Sriharan, the only
survivor of the assassins of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was
splashed in the media. Though the details of the meeting were not
divulged, it could be understood that this act was symbolic of coming
to terms with a violent incidence and an approach towards forgiveness
on part of Priyanka.
Tale
of myth and reality
Anita Sethi
The Gathering Night
by Margaret Elphinstone.
Canongate Books.
Pages 480. £12.99.
LOSS
is the driving force behind the narrative of Margaret Elphinstone’s
ambitious new novel. The character whose absent presence exerts the
greatest force is Bakar, who vanishes while out hunting. In
vacillating first-person narratives, the effects of this loss are
chronicled as they ripple through the lives of his mother, sisters,
brother-in-laws, nieces, cousins and aunts.
Prodigal son parable wins hands down
Cahal Milmo and Arifa Akbar
IN
HER 28 years of writing, Marilynne Robinson has been far from
prolific. But the American author’s track record for producing
quality rather than novel won the prestigious Orange Prize. The
66-year-old writer was the "unanimous" choice of the panel
judging the women-only fiction award, presented at a ceremony in
London’s Royal Festival Hall.
The
“green” adventure
WHAT
happens when a photographer and wildlife enthusiast goes on a 14-day
safari to Africa? The answer is a colourful eco-friendly coffee table
book.
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