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New
light on old problem
Shastri Ramachandaran
Maoist Insurgency in
Nepal. The Challenge and the Response
by S D Muni. Rupa & Co in association with Observer Research
Foundation.
Pages 134. Rs 195.
This
tract is more than a useful
addition to the clutch of books on the subject. It breaks new ground in
one more than one respect. The author does not conceal his sympathy for
the Maoists and makes a strong case, howsoever debatable, for talking to
them – not only to end the unremitting spiral of violence that has
besieged the Himalayan kingdom for over seven years – but also to draw
them in to legitimate politics.
A playful
reinvention
Shelley Walia
Marx in Soho
by Howard Zinn.
South End Press, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Pages 77. $ 12.
It
is the second coming. If
Christ could not make it, Marx has, and he is back in Soho, not of
London, but of New York. The spectre of Marx haunts us again in the play
by historian/activist Howard Zinn. Marx is resurrected so that he can
speak to the contemporary audience in Soho, urging them "to get off
their asses" and remember that to be radical is to "simply
grasp the root of the problem and the problem is us."
Petri-dish
terrorism
Jayanti Roy
Bio-Weapons: The Genie in the
Bottle
by Ajey Lele.
Lancer Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi.
Pages 190. Rs 595.
The
threat of using biological
organisms to cause casualties to the enemy or bio warfare burst upon the
world as a terrorising reality with the anthrax attacks in the US
immediately after 9/11. A whole series of anthrax events shockingly
highlighted the unpreparedness of the most advanced country in the world
in curbing a bio-weapon attack and the 1ack of know1edge of the general
masses about bio-terrorism. It can be due to the fact that the
bio-defence programme has always been dominated by the nuclear and
chemical defence projects.
Bittersweet
hope for secularism
G.S. Cheema
Will Secular India Survive?
edited by Mushirul Hasan.
ImprintOne, Gurgaon. Pages 399.
This
book was received shortly
before the recent parliamentary elections. The timing of its publication
and its provocative title seemed to have the then forthcoming polls in
view, hence the reviewer decided to await the results. Against all
expectations, the BJP and its allies lost, and secular India appears to
have survived, at least for the time being.
Eternal
truth for a new age
B. S. Thaur
Sayings of Guru Nanak
by Harnam Singh Shan. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar.
Pages 636. Rs 701.
Who would
not, with a pulsating pen and a bit of religious awakening, like to
write or say something about the bani of Guru Nanak, founder of
the Sikh religion. Already much has been written on the subject and it
will be an ongoing exercise for scholars and writers to explore this
"Infinite".
Peep
into urban life
Kamaldeep Kaur Toor
The Matchbox
by Ashapurna Debi. Translated by Monabi Mitra.
Rupa and Co. New Delhi.
Pages 147. Rs 195.
This
compilation of short stories
delineates the stark reality of urban lower middle class families whose
life is made up of one deprivation after another. The author describes
their pitiable lives shorn of any contentment, unable to cope with the
daily life, which is a constant struggle against insurmountable odds.
Punjabi
review
Verses
for the beloved
Shalini Rawat
Mehakde Pal
by Sukhdev Singh Grewal. Chetna Prakashan.
Pages 104. Rs 100.
"If
ghazals burst forth from turbulent hearts/ knowing Persian is not
a must.." Writing ghazals
in Punjabi can, indeed, be a daunting task, as there seem to be more
writers than readers for the genre in this tongue. Sukhdev Singh Grewal,
however, is convinced that he has found his Muse.
Feast
for an emperor
Samra Rahman
Nuskha-e-Shahjahani: Pulaos from the Royal Kitchen of Shah Jahan
translated by Salma Husain.
Rupa & Co., New Delhi.
Pages 71. Rs 395.
Pulaos
have a long and fascinating history. In Ain-e-Akbari (1602),
there is a mention of Keema Pulao. That there was also a
bewildering variety of pulaos is evident from the writings of
British traveller Sir Thomas Herbert. He wrote in 1638: "The feast
begins; it was compounded of a hundred sorts of pelo.
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Short
takes
Optimum
output
Randeep Wadehra
Performance
Management and Appraisal Systems
by TV Rao. Response Books, N. Delhi. Pages 330. Rs 350.
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Corporate wars
Strategic Management
by Biswanath Ghosh. Sterling. Pages 423. Rs 190.
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Do it now
The On-time On-target Manager
by Ken Blanchard & Steve Gottry. HarperCollins.
Pages 126. Rs 125.
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