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Short
Takes
While writing the earlier book, "India 2020 – A Vision for the New Millennium," in 1998 (co-author Y. S. Rajan), the President had conjured up a "technology vision" for the nation’s all-round development. In this volume, the authors take a look at the impact of technology on various activities — economic as well as social. President Kalam notes there is a perceptible change in the way common folks look at their future life in India. They’ve started believing they can and should live in a fully developed country. Various case studies in this volume examine the impact of technology in developing the country. Even sceptics will, I’m sure, like to go through the book’s contents.
Black Rose & other stories
The 17 stories in this collection, originally written in Gujarati, reassure us that our regional languages’ literature is well and alive. The Black Rose tells the tale of two dark-complexioned sisters who have to face untold indignities in the marriage market. One of them commits suicide while the other decides to take on the male-dominated world by refusing to marry just any male who would deign to say yes. Finally, she feels vindicated when a European photographer describes her as a rare beauty and seeks permission for her picture with a black rose to be exhibited in Paris. Renewal highlights the wasted intellectual prowess of Shivani. She metamorphoses the worldview of Nazareth who is about to become a padre. But, she herself leads an unrewarding life as a housewife. Indubhai’s Disappearance tackles the problem of oversized ego by pitting it against a cockroach! Entertaining stories,
but the publishing standard is unforgivably shoddy. While reading the
volume, one suddenly comes across Hindi text (pp 13 – 28), which,
obviously, belongs to some other book. Ambient Leaves by Prof Mohan Singh ‘Mahir’ (Translation: Dr. Raghbir S. Basi). Five Rivers Publishers Inc., Jalandhar. Pages: 111. Rs. 150 A sonnet is a moment’s monument, / Memorial from the Soul’s eternity /To one dead deathless hour. —-Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828 – 1982), British painter and poet. There is wistfulness in these poems, a touch of melancholy, as expressed in Wild Flower, where the poet wishes for quietude right from his birth to his death. Similarly, Basant articulates the pangs of separation from his spouse. In Laughter, the poet cautions a flower against mirth that "contains death in it" but the flower prefers momentary joy to a sombre wait for the inevitable. The poems have been illustrated by Surjit Kaur. |
Envisioning Empowered
Nation
by Anjali Khandwalla
(Translation: Pradip Khandwalla). Sanbun Publishers, New Delhi. Pages:
152. Rs. 150
