Book review of the Month

Is Asian geopolitics becoming increasingly complex? Since its independence in 1947, what has been India’s approach to its shifting environment? In spite of having been a leader of the Nonaligned Movement during the Cold War, has India been largely an after-thought for global leaders? What is the significance of India’s current status as a counterweight […]

Easterine Kire, the prize-winning Indian novelist from Nagaland, has provided us a lovely collection of short stories through The Rain-Maiden and the Bear-Man, accompanied by beautiful colour illustrations by graphic artist Sunandini Banerjee. The title-story concerns a man who, though blessed with the love of the beautiful Rain-Maiden, is captive to the sadly common male

It is a man from that eastern extreme of our country who is the subject of this biography. His story is outstanding evidence, if any is needed, that India has a talent for ignoring its best sons and daughters. How can it be that such incredible achievements as those of Shri Toy remain unknown, unrecognised

With agents, sub-agents, double agents, and intrigues within the system – The Khalistan Conspiracy reads like a thriller. Yet it throws light on highly-current questions, such as: should today’s protesting farmers be dubbed as Khalistanis? How astute has India been historically in dealing with farmers? With Sikhs? Further, was it the Indian Government which actually

Bharara describes this book as a treatise on “the rule of law, and faith in the rule of law”. Such a treatise is desperately needed in India today. Why? Because, as is the case with most non-Reformation cultures, our culture is inherently against the spirit of the Rule of Law. Most Indians understand neither the

Justice Rajindar Sachar will be most-remembered for having Chaired a committee constituted by the Government of India to document the social and economic condition of Muslims in India. The committee’s report documented their poor condition in devastating detail and included a host of suggestions about the sorts of initiatives that ought to be taken to

The strange title of The Brass Notebook is a nod to Doris Lessing’s The Golden Notebook, and that (in my view, quite inappropriately!) suggests a comparison of the author’s life to brass vessels which were used in Indian kitchens. Was my generation the last to see such vessels in our kitchens, or do such vessels

Who is Fauja Singh? Someone who started as a weakling in childhood, learning to walk only when he was 5 years old, but who went on to become the oldest person to complete a marathon. He broke many records in the process – including, repeatedly, his own. Finally, he became the first 100-year old to