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Heroes of the Hidden Lands

by N Dilip Kumar.

Speaking Tiger.

Pages 410.

Rs 599

When work takes police officer Raghu to the misty hills of Arunachal Pradesh, he finds himself confronting a century-old struggle between tradition and modernity. As he implements reforms in the police force — just as he earlier did in Goa and Delhi — he grapples with deep-seated conflicts over tribal identities. Written by a former cop with first-hand knowledge of the area, ‘Heroes of the Hidden Lands’ blends travelogue and fiction.

This Too Is India: Conversations on Diversity and Dissent

Edited by Githa Hariharan.

Westland.

Pages 347.

Rs 599

Githa Hariharan talks to 20 intellectuals, writers and artists, including Romila Thapar, Nayantara Sahgal, Ayesha Kidwai, Bama, Chinnaiah Jangam, Milind Awad, Volga, TM Krishna, among others, about the diversity and dissent that go into shaping the many ideas that make up India. Together, these conversations take on themes such as the ‘glittering aspiration called India’; the annihilation of caste; women holding up many skies; and the real life practice of cultural politics.

Reservation Policy in India: State, Social Justice, and Affirmative Action

by Narender Kumar & Sudhir Kumar Suthar.

Orient BlackSwan.

Pages 144.

Rs 680

Another one in the Orient BlackSwan ‘Policy Studies’ series, this book provides an overview of the reservation policy developed by the government and its underlying philosophy, and traces its history from colonial India to the present day. The authors argue that the objective of the reservation policy is to ensure social justice and representation of marginalised communities and groups in India, economic outcomes being just one aspect of these wider objectives.