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OFf
the shelf
Tatya: A
legendary hero
Reviewed by V. N. Datta
Tatya Tope’s Operation Red
Lotus
by Prag Tope.
Rupa.
Pages 893. Rs 595.
THIS
is an extraordinary book, an unusual and different one in tone and
method from the general run of studies published on what the
historians have called the Sepoy Mutiny, revolt, rebellion, or the War
of Indian Independence.
Events
that changed the course of history
Reviewed by Belu
Maheshwari
A Tale of Two Revolts: India
1857 and the American Civil War
by Rajmohan Gandhi.
Penguin.
Pages 402. Rs 599.
FROM
the oeuvre of Rajmohan Gandhi, this book tells the tale of two events
of perennial interest in history. Both were mired in blood and gore,
and were contemporaneous separated only by a few years. The written
word is the source material. Letters, poems, diaries, and newspaper
reports by the British and Americans have been used to authenticate
the events.
Exploring
linguistic philosophy
Reviewed by Ashok Vohra
Bhartrhari: Language, Thought
and Reality
Ed. Mithilesh Chaturvedi.
Motilal Banarsidas.
Pages xxv+615. Rs 1,595.
IN
his Philosophy of History, Hegel mistakenly believed
that "Hindoo principles" are polar in character. Because of
their polarity which vacillates between "pure self-renouncing
ideality, and that (phenomenal) variety which goes to the opposite
extreme of sensuousness, it is evident that nothing but abstract
thought and imagination can be developed".
Many
shades of life
Reviewed by Ashok Kumar Yadav
You Say it’s not True
by Harsh Desai.
Full Circle.
Pages 64. Rs 125.
THIS
book, an anthology of 47 short poems, derives its title You Say
it’s not True from a poem with the identical name. The book
deals with a variety of themes as diverse as Mumbai, night, love,
friends, marriage, prayers, and so on.
Power
of yoga
Reviewed by Jagpreet
Luthra
Sanatan Kriya: 51
Miracles … and a Haunting
by Yogi Ashwini.
Dhyan Foundation.
Pages 180. Rs 500.
In
our ensnarement with the inventions of modern science and technology
that promise to erase the boundaries of time and space, have we
forgotten that there are no boundaries except those that we create
with our limited five senses? That there is a limitless world of gyan
that can only be experienced by the grace of the guru is something
even we, in India, have forgotten.
SHORT TAKES
Colonialism and caste chronicles
Reviewed by Randeep Wadehra
In Pursuit of Ambedkar
by Bhagwan Das (translation: Isha).
Navayana.
Pages 87. Rs 175.
Tête-à-tête
On an
eternal journey
Nonika Singh
DREAMS
remain for the rest of your life. Art would die if dreams were to
disappear". So, at 73, internationally acclaimed artist Gulam
Mohammed Sheikh not only continues to dream but also breathes new life
into his dreams, translating them into powerful works.
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