. .Their own accounts or of those who were with them in their final moments.India’s Most Fearless covers fourteen true stories of extraordinary courage and fearlessness, providing a glimpse into the kind of heroism our soldiers display in unthinkably hostile conditions and under grave provocation.

    These belongings absorbed the memory of a time and place, remaining latent and undisturbed for generations. They now speak of their owner's pasts as they emerge as testaments to the struggle, sacrifice, pain and belonging at an unparalleled moment in history. A string of pearls gifted by a maharaja, carried from Dalhousie to Lahore, reveals the grandeur of a life that once was. A notebook of poems, brought from Lahore to Kalyan, shows one woman's determination to pursue the written word despite the turmoil around her. A refugee certificate created in Calcutta evokes in a daughter the feelings of displacement her father had experienced upon leaving Mymensingh zila, now in Bangladesh. Written as a crossover between history and anthropology, Remnants of a Separation is the product of years of passionate research. It is an alternative history of the Partition - the first and only one told through material memory that makes the event tangible even seven decades later.

    At the age of nineteen and a half, attracted by a strange and irresistible urge to go to the Himalayas, he left home. At the Vyasa Cave, beyond the Himalayan shrine of Badrinath, he met his Master and lived with him for three and a half years, wandering freely, the length and breadth of the snow clad Himalayan region. What he learnt from his Master Maheshwarnath Babaji, transformed his consciousness totally. Back in the plains, he, as instructed by his Master, lived a normal life, working for a living, fulfilling his social commitments and at the same time preparing himself to teach all that he had learnt and experienced. At a signal from his Master he entered the teaching phase of his life. Today, he travels all over the world to share his experiences and knowledge. Equally at home in the religious teachings of most major religions, Sri M, born as Mumtaz Ali Khan, says “Go to the core. Theories are of no use.” Sri M is married and has two children. During 2015-16 Sri M undertook the Walk of Hope, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir for 15 months covering a distance of 7500 kms, spreading the message of peace and harmony to restore the nation fit enough to be bequeathed to the future generations. He leads a simple life – teaching and heading the Satsang Foundation, a charitable concern promoting excellence in education. At present he lives in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh, three hours drive from Bangalore. For more information about Sri M, please visit: http://www.satsang-foundation.org For getting your print copy of the book, please visit: http://magentapress.in

    What can a sleepy, idyllic village without even Internet connectivity offer a young man?To make matters worse, Jairaj, Ayan’s domineering father has his own plans and is determined to have his way. Soon, Ayan has to come to terms with the hard realities of life and the blindness of greed as he and Gopal Shanker learn that life can sometimes unravel in unanticipated ways.A young man, whose life lies ahead of him. An old man, whose life is all in the past. And a few months that change everything. A Hundred Little Flames is a charming account of a relationship across generations and also a meditative look at the issues of old people.Preeti Shenoy’s foray into new fictional terrain is an absolute triumph!

    At the same time, Roy makes clear that what millions of Indians need is not merely formal democracy, but liberation from the oppression, shame, and poverty imposed on them by India’s archaic caste system.

    Be it his trademark moustache, stories of his daring escapades or his ruthless massacre of officers, Veerappan continues to fascinate, even thirteen years after his death. Veerappan: Chasing the Brigand is a lucid and incisive account of the rise and fall of India’s most dreaded forest brigand. Chronicled by K. Vijay Kumar, IPS, the man who spearheaded the Tamil Nadu Special Task Force (STF) that planned and executed the dreaded bandit’s encounter, the book relives the various incidents that shaped Veerappan’s life – from his birth in Gopinatham in 1952 to his death in 2004 in a shootout in Padi. It traces his dramatic rise from a small-time poacher and sandalwood smuggler to a brutal fugitive who held three states to ransom for two decades. The ruthless killings and high-profile kidnappings masterminded by Veerappan, including the 108-day ordeal involving Kannada cinema superstar, Dr Rajkumar, are described in fascinating detail. Veerappan: Chasing the Brigand is the most authentic account of the life and times of the dreaded outlaw.

    She faced abandonment by her mother, the formidable constraints placed on her by her family, and the barbs of village elders bound by hundreds of years of oppressive practices and customs that subjugate women. Shilpa is torn between the contrasting lives she leads: one of servitude and injustice experienced by her family; the other of opportunity and empowerment offered by a good education in a school started by a philanthropist.Just when all seems settled, an unforeseen death under mysterious circumstances shatters whatever stability remains in her life. Pulled in opposite directions, and torn between despair and dreams, Shilpa finally makes a choice for her future. Is she strong enough to stand up to the people she loves, and pursue what she wants?At its heart The Elephant Chaser’s Daughter is about hope, when all seems lost. Written with raw honesty and grit, this is a deeply moving memoir of a young girl confronting her ‘untouchable’ status in a caste-based society, and her aspirations for modernity.Reviews so far: Kirkus Review: Shilpa was given the chance to transcend her family history and perhaps her own karma. A deft portrayal of a young woman’s growth and courageous transformation through education.Sir Ken Robinson:Shilpa Raj is a powerful new voice for human dignity and opportunity and against the appalling and demeaning mistreatment of women worldwide. An important and deeply affecting book narrated in a moving and intimate style.Sir Ken Robinson, Author and EducatorSri Vishwanath:The Elephant Chaser’s Daughter unveils the secret of transcendence. Shilpa Raj is the future voice for the poor and deprived, uncovering the diamond in the rubble. Read her.well-known authorVanessa Roth:Shilpa’s story speaks for millions of families in a way that is immediate, intimate and personal. Her book will have a powerful impact on the lives and minds of young people around the world.film director, and winner of Academy AwardMadhu Trehan:Shilpa’s searing, penetrating honesty in the account of her life will change perspectives and impact every reader. It gives hope to the under-privileged and sensitizes the privileged.Editor-in-Chief, Newslaundry.com

    This person is Nathuram Vinayakrao Godse, India’s most hated criminal. Yes …. Nathuram Godse is the very man who assassinated ‘Mahatma’ Gandhi, the ‘Father of the Nation’ on 30th January 1948 as he was walking towards his prayer ground at the Birla House, New Delhi. He was arrested at the scene of the crime and sentenced to death by hanging after a trial that lasted for over a year. Almost seven decades have passed since the ‘Apostle of Peace’ was assassinated but, even today the story of his murder continues to remain one of the most closely guarded secrets in Indian history. Since independence, various political organizations in India have resorted to a total misuse of state machinery to suppress information on the life of Nathuram Godse and have made the people of India believe in fictional cooked up stories based on unfound theories that the murder of the ‘Mahatma’ was an act of religious fanaticism. Through extensive research the author of this book has succeeded in unearthing facts that lay suppressed for almost seven decades and has managed to uncover the truth that the murder of ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ was not an act of religious fanaticism but an act of devout patriotism. This book covers the entire lifespan of Nathuram Godse, from his birth till his death. The motive behind writing this book is neither to denigrate the Mahatma nor to glorify his assassin but to unmask the people of India from the delusion that the ‘Mahatma’ was a victim of religious fanaticism.

    As he sets about reducing her to his idealised version of a kept woman, bullying her out of her life as an academic and writer in the process, she attempts to push back - a resistance he resolves to break with violence and rape. Smart, fierce and courageous When I Hit You is a dissection of what love meant, means and will come to mean when trust is undermined by violence; a brilliant, throat-tightening feminist discourse on battered faces and bruised male egos; and a scathing portrait of traditional wedlock in modern India.

    This illustrated book describes how these multi-disciplinary centers of learning existed in several forms such as forest universities, brick-and-mortar universities and temple universities.It examines the funding for these citadels of learning and their graduation ceremonies. The process by which India's ancient systems of education helped to fuel a knowledge revolution around the world with its manuscripts, forming the basis for monographs and academic papers, is explained with references. The marauding incursions by Muslim invaders, which disrupted the idyllic world of university learning in India, followed by European colonization, which led to further erosion and degeneration of India's traditional learning systems, have been taken up in some detail. Readers will get a snapshot view of India's education system down the ages from ancient to modern times.

    Around the world, people live longer, better lives than in centuries past, in part because of the rapid adoption of latrines and toilets that keep faecal germs away from growing children. India is an exception. Compared to the rest of the world, latrine and toilet adoption in India has been very slow and open defecation remains far too common. This is one reason why infants in India are more likely to die than in neighbouring poorer countries like Bangladesh and Nepal and are more likely to be stunted than children in sub-Saharan Africa. Where India Goes demonstrates that open defecation in India is not the result of poverty but a direct consequence of the caste system, untouchability and ritual purity. Coffey and Spears tell an unsanitized story of an unsanitary subject, with characters spanning the worlds of rural development policy: from mothers and babies living in villages to local government implementers, senior government policymakers and international development professionals. They write of increased funding and ever more unused latrines. This important and timely book calls again for the annihilation of caste and for a fundamental shift in policy perspectives to effect a crucial, much overdue change.

    One impossible choice. Her daughter or her happiness ...When Caroline meets Kamal the attraction is instant. He's enchanting, charismatic and she can't wait to set up a new life with him in India. Both their families are against the union but Caroline is convinced they'll come round, especially when she gives birth to a beautiful daughter, Asha.Asha is an adorable child but Caroline, homesick and beginning to hate the remote Indian village they live in, struggles with motherhood. Kamal is hardly ever there and she feels more and more isolated. In the grips of severe depression, Caroline flees back to America, leaving Asha behind. Ten years later ...Caroline recovered from her illness, is consumed by thoughts of the daughter she abandoned. Desperate to find Asha, she reunites with Kamal, intent on tracking her down. Will they ever be able to find their lost daughter? If they have any chance, they must confront the painful truths of the past and a terrible secret that has been kept for many years, until now.

    That one day, I will be standing outside an auditorium, a packed house a-a-a-auditorium. People there would be waiting to hear me speak. They would be chanting my name. We love R-R-R-Rohit, We love Rohit," he said, looking into her mesmerizing eyes.After seventeen years, Sherly was standing in his house, holding a copy of his first novel in one hand, and her wedding invitation card in the other. She was getting married in four days. Join Rohit in his journey as he sets off to conquer the greatest obstacle of his life, and how on the way he finds out that his childhood dream was the thread connecting everything happening to him in his life. Will he lose her on this journey of his lifetime?

    Aravamudan narrates the gripping story of the people who built India s space research programme and how they did it from the rocket engineers who laid the foundation to the savvy young engineers who keep Indian spaceships flying today. It is the tale of an Indian organisation that defied international bans and embargos, worked with laughably meagre resources, evolved its own technology and grew into a major space power. Today, ISRO creates, builds and launches gigantic rockets which carry the complex spacecraft that form the neural network not just of our own country but those of other countries too.This is a made-in-India story like no other.

    Rajan took charge as Governor of the Reserve Bank of India in September 2013, the rupee was in free fall, inflation was high, India had a large current account deficit and India’s exchange reserves were falling. As measure after measure failed to stabilize markets, speculators sensed a full-blown crisis and labelled India one of the Fragile Five economies. Rajan’s response was to go all out, not just to tackle the crisis of confidence, but also to send a strong message about the strength of India’s institutions and the country’s ongoing programme of reform. He outlined a vision that went beyond the immediate crisis to focus on long-term growth and stability, thus restoring investor confidence. Boldness and farsightedness would be characteristic of the decisions he took in the ensuing three years.Rajan’s commentary and speeches in I Do What I Do convey what it was like to be at the helm of the central bank in those turbulent but exciting times. Whether on dosanomics or on debt relief, Rajan explains economic concepts in a readily accessible way. Equally, he addresses key issues that are not in any banking manual but essential to growth: the need for tolerance and respect to assure India’s economic progress, for instance, or the connection between political freedom and prosperity. I Do What I Do offers a front-row view into the thinking of one of the world’s most respected economists, one whose commitment to India’s progress shines through in the essays and speeches here. It also brings home what every RBI Governor discovers for himself when he sits down at his desk on the 18th floor: the rupee stops here. Right here!

    He reluctantly makes friends with Bilal, a boy who lives in the orphanage run by the local mosque. Together, they embark on clandestine adventures while his ailing father-whose last wish is to die listening to the sea he has grown up by and written books about-rediscovers people from his childhood by accident. But his father's death unsettles the boy's life again, and he finds himself grappling with altogether unexpected challenges.Lyrical and haunting, sharply funny and achingly sad, The Small-town Sea is a masterful tale of love, friendship and family from one of our most compelling storytellers.

    But Ruttie was just sixteen and her outraged father forbade the match. But when Ruttie turned eighteen, they married and Bombay society, its riches and sophistication notwithstanding, was scandalized. Everyone sided with the Petits and Ruttie and Jinnah were ostracized. It was an unlikely union that few thought would last. But Jinnah, in his undemonstrative, reserved way was unmistakably devoted to his beautiful, wayward child-bride—as proud of her fashionable dressing as he was of her intelligence, her wide reading and her fierce commitment to the nationalist struggle. Ruttie, on her part, worshipped him and could tease and cajole the famously unbending Jinnah, whom so many people found intimidating and distant. But as the tumultuous political events increasingly absorbed him, Ruttie felt isolated and alone, cut off from her family, friends and community. The unremitting effort of submitting her personality to Jinnah’s, his frequent coldness, his preoccupation with politics and the law, took its toll. Ruttie died at twenty-nine, leaving her daughter, Dina and her inconsolable husband, who never married again. Sheela Reddy, well-known journalist and former books editor of Outlook magazine, uses never-before-seen personal letters of Ruttie and her close friends as well as accounts left by contemporaries and friends to portray this marriage that convulsed Indian society, with a sympathetic, discerning eye. A product of intensive and meticulous research in Delhi, Bombay and Karachi and based on first-person accounts and sources, Reddy brings the solitary, misunderstood Jinnah and the lonely, wistful Ruttie to life. A must-read for all those interested in politics, history and the power of an unforgettable love story.

    He has travelled widely in rural India and done fieldwork of a kind that few economists have attempted. This has enabled him to make invaluable contributions not only to public debates on economic and social policy but also to our knowledge of the actual state of the country.Drèze’s insights on India’s “unfashionable” issues – hunger, poverty, inequality, corruption, and conflict – are all on display here and offer a unique perspective on the evolution of social policy over roughly the past two decades. Historic legislations and initiatives of the period, relating for instance to the right to food and the right to work, are all scrutinised and explained, as are the fierce debates that often accompanied them.“Jholawala” has become a disparaging term for activists in the business media. This book affirms the learning value of collective action combined with sound economic analysis. In his detailed Introduction, Drèze persuasively argues for an approach to development economics where research and action become inseparably interconnected.This is a book as much for economists as for every reading citizen.

    It is being systematically used to create a historical grand narrative, which is ethically and factually incorrect. Sophisticated propaganda techniques are employed to create this artifice. This book is an effort to highlight this academic fraud. It is a result of research spread over more than 6 years. Facts are the guiding lights for the books and not any ideology.

    Kabir wonders what life would be to build on his own. Sandy drops out of college to work on the next big startup idea. Ramy inspires millions of his generation on his travel blog - On the Open Road. On the Open Road - Three Lives. Five Cities. One Startup, revolves around the lives of these restless and dreamy 20-somethings as they battle their inner demons and the societal taboos to live life on their terms. It is an emotional journey of following one’s heart. The journey entails undying friendship, love and loss, happiness and depression, fear and conquest, dreaming and achieving. Will they be able to embark on the hard yet empowering journey to startup a company? Or succumb to the hardships on their road to freedom?

    Embark on a journey of an ordinary lad from Palampur who went on to become a legendary warrior before he turned twenty-five. With access to first-hand accounts from his family, friends and comrades, the author takes you through the various dimensions of Captain Batra’s life. What made a young man of twenty, ditch a highly-paid job with the merchant navy? What made Captain Batra the daredevil commando he was? What were his aspirations and dreams? Who were his closest people and what did he do to show the love he had for his soulmate? Why was he called The Shershah of Kargil? What made him say Yeh Dil Maange More at 17000 feet? And what was the impact he had on the nation at a time when things looked bleak? Read The Shershah of Kargil to know about this hero and much more.

    Can a populous country like India 'afford' to protect wildlife? Is there space for wildlife in a land-scarce, densely populated country, and can wild animals and people coexist, or is the relationship inevitably confrontational? Is conservation and protecting the flora and fauna a hindrance to the growth agenda? Is development inimical to ecological security? The Vanishing explores such burning issues that confront wildlife conservation today.

    She was the first Western woman to become a Tibetan Buddhist nun--but that pioneering ordination was really just one in a life full of revolutionary acts. Freda Bedi (1911-1977) broke the rules of gender, race, and religion--in many cases before it was thought that the rules were ready to be challenged. She was at various times a force in the struggle for Indian independence, spiritual seeker, scholar, professor, journalist, author, social worker, wife, and mother of four children. She counted among her friends, colleagues, and teachers Mohandas Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and many others. She was a woman of spiritual focus and compassion who was also not without contradictions. Vicki Mackenzie gives a nuanced view of Bedi and of the forces that shaped and motivated this complex and compelling figure.

    The candidness of the author’s voice, the gentle humour of fleeting narrative and the fragility of diary entries, photographs, collages and sketches will make My Daughters’ Mum resonate with every reader.

    Jain gives a contents-wise overview of the controversy. It hardly touches upon the street riots and political campaigns but focuses on the documentary and archaeological evidence and the scholarly debate about these. The book carries plenty of photographs of the artefacts found at the site. With only 160 pages and a pleasant layout, it ought to reach the larger public and henceforth serve as the definitive guide to what the stake of the whole affair was.

    Gokhale provides the most intimate and sweeping account yet of Team Narendra Modi's approach to national security and foreign policy initiatives. Drawing on internal memos, as yet classified information, meeting notes and hundreds of hours of interviews with key players in the national security team, Gokhale brings alive inside stories of decision-making at the highest levels in the government. Painstakingly researched, the book details hitherto unknown aspects of the planning and execution of the surgical strikes, revamping of New Delhi's policy towards China and Pakistan, India's renewed global policy focus on Middle East, Prime Minister Modi's attempt to leverage the Indian diaspora worldwide and his attention to smallest of details besides focusing on some small but far-reaching steps taken to secure India in every possible way -on land, space, cyber and maritime domains.

    Abhinav Chandrachud suggests that colonial-era restrictions on free speech, like sedition, obscenity, contempt of court, defamation and hate speech, were not merely retained but also strengthened in independent India. Authoritative and compelling, this book offers lucid and cogent arguments that have not been advanced substantially before by any of the leading thinkers on the right of free speech in India.

    Set in the once-fabled land of Kashmir, Behold, I Shine moves beyond male voices and focuses, instead, on what the struggle means for the Valley’s women and children—those whose husbands remain untraceable; whose mothers are half-widows; those who have confronted the wrath of ‘Ikhwanis’, or the scrutiny of men in uniform, and what it means to stand up to it all.This book also brings to focus the resilience of the Valley’s women and children—of activists like Parveena Ahangar and Anjum Zamrud Habib, who, after debilitating losses, start human rights organizations; of ordinary homemakers like Munawara who have taken on the judiciary; and of a young generation of thinkers like Uzma Falak and Essar Batool who foreground the interaction of gender, politics and religion, and won’t let Kashmir forget.Stitching together their narratives, Behold, I Shine not only memorializes women’s voices—thus far forgotten, unwritten, suppressed or sidelined—but also celebrates the mighty spirit of the Valley.

    The sheer scale of the killings exceeded the combined civilian death tolls of other conflicts such as Tiananmen Square and 9/11. In Delhi alone 3,000 people were killed. Thirty-three years on, the full extent of what took place has yet to be fully acknowledged.Based on victim testimonies and official accounts, this book exposes how the largest mass crime against humanity in India’s modern history was perpetrated by politicians and covered up with the help of the police, judiciary and media.A book that posits fundamental questions, it will shake you to the core.

    Whether it’s infrastructure, primary education, agriculture, manufacturing and industry, banking, taxation, employment, labour or welfare, Kaul holds the mirror up to modern Indian governments ever since Independence. And it’s not a pretty image to behold. He delves deep and covers a lot of ground in making the case for an India that does not deserve the government that it has, an ambitious government with a questionable track record and one which Indians have quietly accepted till date. But things may be reaching a tipping point now, and Kaul convincingly makes the case that the government needs to totally reform itself before it leads India to disaster. India’s Big Government is a must read for anyone who has an interest in India’s, and therefore their own, future.

    It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishes the structure, procedures, powers and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles and the duties of citizens. Note- As modified up to the 1st December, 2007

    41 in the world, the highest-ranked singles tennis player from India in over three decades.Disowned by the Indian tennis establishment and hounded by a controversy-seeking media, Shankar is exhausted after years chasing an elusive, possibly futile dream. This may well be his last year on the professional tennis circuit, his last trip to the hallowed grass of the All England Club.Then he starts winning. Round by round, as he first survives, then discovers his best game, Shankar has to deal with the media frenzy, the increased weight of his own expectations and changed equations with coach, family and past relationships. Will this lead him to victory?

    While outlining the enormous environmental challenges that India faces today, Narain talks about how corporate lobbies and political interests often scuttle their effective resolution. She recounts some widely reported controversies triggered by research undertaken by her along with her team at the Centre for Science and Environment, such as a report on pesticides in colas, and a study on air pollution in Delhi, and includes a ringside view of global climate change negotiations.Confl icts of Interest also includes an "environmental manifesto", a blueprint for the direction India must take if it is to deal with the exigencies of climate change and environmental degradation.

    It takes an assassination these days for us to sit up, get the full measure of the life and work of a person, and cherish her for it. A late start, in the grisliest sense. Yet, two years before her killing, Gauri Lankesh wrote: “No one knows who will gain materially by Kalburgi’s death. But it is clear that it is the right-wing fascist forces that will gain ideologically when reformist voices such as Basavanna’s and Kalburgi’s are brutally and fatally shut down. Ideas, however, never die.”The prospect of getting her own name on this list did not deter her. A selfish silence that values personal comfort over facing down bullies was never an option. We are left with her ideas, her words—like with Basava and Kalburgi. As a journalist and social activist, Gauri Lankesh (1962–2017) joined the battle against not just Hindutva but all forms of bigotry and obscurantism. As the editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a major political weekly in Kannada, she hosted critical discussions on a range of compelling social, cultural and political issues. Activists from different spheres of social struggle found a ready ally in her.The life and work of Gauri inspire those who still care to speak the truth, especially conveying it to power. Hence this reader compiled by Chandan Gowda, a scholar-translator who had been her friend for over two decades. The Way I See It collects the best of Gauri’s writings translated from Kannada, her work in English, as well as the remembrances of people who knew her well, each in their own way.Says Chandan Gowda, “The book brings together select political and cultural writings of the courageous activist-journalist. Published over the last two decades, these writings, many of which were originally written in Kannada, offer a rich introduction to her varied political commitments and cultural interests. Her political journalism reveals a constant concern for the fate of India’s democracy and an unswerving passion for social justice. Gauri’s essays in the autobiographical mode also illustrate the affection and seriousness she brought to human relationships.”Kavitha Lankesh, whose kind permission made this work possible, says: “Anyone who cherishes and respects India’s diversity will find this book valuable. India belongs not just to the socially privileged classes but to its marginalized sections as well: women, Muslims, Dalits, tribals, among others. If we aspire that our children live to respect the many voices of our country, people like Gauri should be heard.”

    Bolingbroke-Kent proves a great travelling companion - compassionate, spirited and with a sharp eye for human oddity' Benedict Allen, author of Edge of Blue Heaven and  Into the Abyss  'A transformative journey that gripped me from the very first page' Alastair Humphreys, author of The Boy Who Biked the World and Microadventures'Remote, mountainous and forbidding, here shamans still fly through the night, hidden valleys conceal portals to other worlds, yetis leave footprints in the snow, spirits and demons abound, and the gods are appeased by the blood of sacrificed beasts'  A mountainous state clinging to the far north-eastern corner of India, Arunachal Pradesh - meaning 'land of the dawn-lit mountains' - has remained uniquely isolated.  Steeped in myth and mystery, not since pith-helmeted explorers went in search of the fabled 'Falls of the Brahmaputra' has an outsider dared to traverse it. Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent sets out to chronicle this forgotten corner of Asia. Travelling some 2,000 miles she encounters shamans, lamas, hunters, opium farmers, fantastic tribal festivals and little-known stories from the Second World War.  In the process, she discovers a world and a way of living that are on the cusp of changing forever. 'A beautifully written, exciting and revealing book that harks back to a golden age of travel writing' Lois Pryce, author of Revolutionary Ride

    No Path in Darjeeling Is Straight is a memory of his time in the iconic town, and one of the finest works of Indian non-fiction in recent years.Parimal evocatively describes his arrival, through drizzle and impenetrable fog, at a place that was at odds with the grand picture of it he had painted for himself. And his first night there was spent sleepless in a ramshackle hotel above a butcher's shop. Yet, as he tramped its roads and winding footpaths, Darjeeling grew on him. He sought out its history: a land of incomparable beauty originally inhabited by the Lepchas and other tribes; the British who took it for themselves in the mid-1800s so they could remember home; the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway--once a vital artery, now a quaint toy train--built in 1881; and the vast tea gardens with which the British replaced verdant forests to produce the fabled Orange Pekoe.In the enmeshed lives of his neighbours--of various castes, tribes, religions and cultures--lived at the measured pace of a small town, Parimal discovered a richly cosmopolitan society which endured even under threat from cynical politics and haphazard urbanization. He also found new friends: Benson, a colleague whose death from AIDS showed him the dark underbelly of the hill station; Pratap and Newton, whose homes and lives reflected the irreconcilable pulls of tradition and upward mobility; and Julia and Hemant, with whom he trekked the forests of the Singalila mountains in search of a vanished Lepcha village and a salamander long thought extinct.With empathy, and in shimmering prose, No Path in Darjeeling Is Straight effortlessly merges travel, history, literature, memory, politics and the pleasures of ennui into an unforgettable portrait of a place and its people.

    But Britain’s partitioning of Afghanistan will rank asthe greatest crime of the nineteenth century. That arbitrary line which Mortimer Durand drewin 1893 on a small piece of paper continues to bleed Afghanistan and hound the world. Alas,this story remained untold until now.Written in an inimitable style, Durand’s Curse is the result of deep research. Fascinating detailsfrom long-buried archives of history reveal for the first time a tale of intrigue and deceit againstAfghanistan. First the British and then Pakistan had taken away territory that originally belongedto Afghanistan. But the divided Pathan families refuse to accept this division even now and for thelast century and over, there has been a struggle to rub out the cursed line drawn across the sand.Rajiv Dogra brings alive the wars, the tragedies and the Afghan anger against injustice in thisheart-wrenching account of Afghanistan’s misfortunes. This is an absolutely riveting story of theIndian sub-continent's history told by an important writer of our generation.

    While PIL cases are usually politically analysed solely in terms of their effects, whether beneficial or disastrous, this book locates the political challenges that PIL poses in its very process, arguing that its fundamentally protean nature stems from its mimicry of ideas of popular justice. It examines PIL as part of a larger trend towards legal informalism in post-Emergency India. Casting a critical eye over these institutional reforms that aimed to adapt the colonial legal inheritance to 'Indian realities', this book looks at the challenges posed by self-consciously culturalist juridical innovations like PIL to ideas of fairness in adjudication, as well as democratic politics.

    Over the next few months, sections of the television, print and social media turned the country into a choric chamber of hate, riveting national attention. The proliferating ‘charges’ produced great political and intellectual disquiet in the JNU community of students and teachers. As a creative response, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association organized a teach-in for a month between 17 February and 17 March 2016. The lectures addressed the meanings, histories and experience of nationalism and its unresolved dilemmas, in India and beyond.The teach-in lectures, which were initially intended for members of the JNU community and delivered principally by JNU teachers, soon gained unanticipated audiences across India and in international forums. Reports and translations of the lectures, live streamed on YouTube, made for a reach that echoed well beyond the ‘Freedom Square’, the area in front of JNU’s Administrative Block, which became the space of this intellectual and political occupation. The book, therefore, is both an archive of that historic moment and a tribute to the effort that succeeded in refocusing national attention on the university as the space for sustaining serious, well-historicized and critical thought.

    The Jungle Book is her favourite film and she knows all the lines. She's sure she'll be a superb Shere Khan.But not everyone thinks so. Her classmate Rajat is always making fun of her stammer. Her English teacher thinks its risky to let her get on stage and her principal seems to agree. The more anxious Manya gets, the worse her stammer becomes. Will Manya lose her dream role? Can she overcome her fears and learn to roar?This book was a winner in the Children First writing competition, organised by Parag, an initiative of Tata Trusts and Duckbill Books

    He is Chomp, the caterpillar. Chomp is not like Hop at all. While Hop likes to explore the world around him, and to play in the grass, Chomp only eats. But Hop doesn’t mind because Chomp is a good listener. He visits him often and tells him all about his day.One day, Chomp stops eating. And then he disappears!Hop and Chomp: A Caterpillar Story is a simple story children will relate to, while learning about the life cycle of a butterfly. It is also about friendship, and about accepting differences. Both boys and girls will enjoy the book. The illustrations are hand-drawn and will appeal to young readers.For ages 3–7.

    Everywhere she goes, she encounters questions and secrets. Not to mention the Shadows a bunch of drop-dead gorgeous students who she realizes will do anything to keep their youth and beauty. Even kill. Maya wants no part in this sinister adventure. She would much rather be shopping for shoes, munching brownies and shedding her geeky image. But the teenager soon finds that she doesn't have a choice. Only Maya can see the Shadows for what they really are. Only she can unravel the trail of clues laid long ago by a dead priest. Which is why both the forces of good and evil need her so badly. Unsure about whom she can trust and believe, Maya launches into a clue hunt across Mumbai and in that process, learns about love, friendship and growing up.

    All people, it is believed, are created unequal, born into a hierarchy of status and dignity, and endowed not with universal but particular rights and duties. This has greatly amplified the unfairness of accidents of birth in shaping one’s lot in life. Despite a long history of resistance, such inequalities have thrived and mutated, including under European rule, modernity, and markets. Starting with the deeply moving stories of three writers, Arora explores the origins, persistence, and textures of inequalities rooted in the lottery of birth in India—of caste, class, gender, language, region, religion, and more—and their intersections in daily life. Blending scholarly rigor with moral intelligence, these essays engage with the Bhagavad Gita; the legacies of Ambedkar and Gandhi; Indian modernity, democracy, and nationalism; linguistic hierarchies; reservations; violence against women; identity politics; and much else that today weighs on Indian minds.

    Sapna can see the future and saves thousands of people around the world every year through her record-breaking, popular show ‘Lucky People’. The show had given Sapna’s life a meaning and gives her the courage to sleep every night, where death and blood await her in her dreams. Even though the world is at her feet, the power costs Sapna her personal life. Thousands of prayers that come her way every year are her only solace, her only reason to live. When a blinding hatred leads to a desperate act of revenge, a single misuse of her great power triggers a reversal of her fortunes. Now she must decide the path she has to take to preserve her unique gift and her fame, even if it turns her into a murderer on the brink of insanity.

    But this myth obscures a troubled and complex heritage: a long struggle to reconcile the ethics of nonviolence with the need to use violence to rule. Upinder Singh documents the dynamic tension between violence and nonviolence in ancient Indian political thought and practice over twelve hundred years.Political Violence in Ancient India looks at representations of kingship and political violence in epics, religious texts, political treatises, plays, poems, inscriptions, and art from 600 BCE to 600 CE. As kings controlled their realms, fought battles, and meted out justice, intellectuals debated the boundary between the force required to sustain power and the excess that led to tyranny and oppression. Duty (dharma) and renunciation were important in this discussion, as were punishment, war, forest tribes, and the royal hunt. Singh reveals a range of perspectives that defy rigid religious categorization. Buddhists, Jainas, and even the pacifist Maurya emperor Ashoka recognized that absolute nonviolence was impossible for kings.By 600 CE religious thinkers, political theorists, and poets had justified and aestheticized political violence to a great extent. Nevertheless, questions, doubt, and dissent remained. These debates are as important for understanding political ideas in the ancient world as for thinking about the problem of political violence in our own time.

    In the northwestern corner of British India, the Chhappaniya famine stalks the desert region of Shekhavati. A despairing shopkeeper turns to his young son and says, ‘This land has nothing to offer us but sand dunes and khejra bushes.’ Soon after, twelve-year-old Harilal Tibrewal, recently married to eleven-year-old Parmeshwari, sets off, alone, for the densely populated plains of Bengal in eastern India—travelling on camelback and by bus, train and boat to arrive in Calcutta, two thousand kilometres away…In his new novel, Sujit Saraf takes readers on an epic journey from Shekhavati in Rajasthan to the Calcutta of the early twentieth century, to Bogra in East Bengal, and to a village in Bihar in newly independent India. A sprawling, compulsively readable narrative, it follows the story of Harilal as he sets up Harilal & Sons, a shop selling jute, cotton, spices, rice, cigarettes and soap, that grows into a large enterprise. It is also the sweeping tale of his two wives and ever-burgeoning family of sons, daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren—the two strands of family and business inextricably fused because a Marwari’s life is defined by what he ‘deals in’. The novel ends in 1972, as eighty-five-year-old Hari lies dying in the great mansion that he built but never actually lived in. Surrounded by his vast family he wonders why he is still so attached to them. Why has he not reached the third stage in life, the stage of detachment, that his schoolmaster had said he would?Spanning seven decades of an era that saw great tumult in India and Bangladesh, Harilal & Sons is a wonderfully evocative, powerful and capacious narrative—overflowing with a profusion of characters, events and places—contained within the singular life of one man who ‘dealt in jute and grain’.

    This evil entered the Maratha domain, and the entire kingdom became anxious. But thankfully there was at least one selfless, determined voice that thundered that such vices will not be tolerated in this land, and the Maratha Empire could continue to hold its head high! The swords drawn to salute the throne, shall offer you the first salute today& hellip; This play portrays the uncompromising principles of justice practiced by Ramshastri. "शास्त्रीबुवा, धन्य तुम्ही. सत्तेच्या लोभापायी आप्तस्वकीयांचे मुडदे पाडावेत, हे मुगलांचं दुव्र्यसन. त्याचा हा कलंक मराठी दौलतीला लागला आणि उभी दौलत मनात कासावीस झाली; पण या भूमीत हे खपवून घेतलं जाणार नाही, असं निर्धारानं बजावणारा एक तरी नि:स्पृह कर्मयोगी निघाला म्हणून या मसनदीची, या उभ्या मराठी दौलतीची आज बूज राहिली. गादीला मुजरा करण्यासाठी म्यानाबाहेर पडलेल्या तलवारी आज मानाचा पहिला मुजरा तुम्हालाच करतील.... रामशास्त्रींच्या परखड न्यायत्वाचे दर्शन घडविणारे नाटक."

    As ACP Agni Mitra investigates into the high-profile murder, he meets Neha Awasthi, with whom Manav broke his engagement to marry Hiya, Neha’s father Deepak Awasthi, who was eyeing business benefits through the alliance, Mayank Kapoor, an alcoholic model and Rituja Bose, the diva who had reigned over Tollywood over the past decade. When two more murders connected with the case make headlines, it’s time for Agni to find answers to perplexing questions and unveil shocking truths. The Colours of Passion breezes through Kolkata’s glamorous world of industrialists, movie stars, models and fashion designers laced with drug addiction and illicit liaisons, with a heart-wrenching tragedy at its core.

    He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, hailed as conscience-keeper of the Mahatma. As an ardent freedom- fighter, as Chief Minister of Madras, as Governor of West Bengal, as Home Minister of India and as the first Indian Governor General of India, he rendered yeoman service to the nation and left an indelible impression on our contemporary life. Rajaji was closely associated with Kulapati Munshiji and he was among the distinguished founder members of the Bhavan. The Bhavan had the privilege of publishing 18 books (see page ii) authored by 'him so far, the copyright of which he gifted to the Bhayan. All of Rajaji's works, especially on Marcus Aurelius, the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads are popular. In Mahabharata and Ramayana he has displayed his inimitable flair for story- telling and the applying moral of stories to the. needs of modern times. In the present book Kural are given selections from the living ver.ses of the immortal Tamil Poet-Saint Tiru-Valluar. The selection are made with the acumen native to Rajaji and are explained in the English which is his own. They are sure to enrich the reader's mind. Rajaji passed away in 1972 at the age of 94.

    Their first meeting ends in a ego clash and when they meet after three month, Prithvi wants to reconcile with her.. Will Prathyaksha agree for the truce ?

    Smith poured her heart out in letters to her parents during the years she and her family lived in India. Honest confessions. Personal fears. Family joys. A mighty God. Her honest descriptions of her walk with Jesus inflame hope for what God can do when ordinary people simply obey His commands. The Smiths moved to India one week before 9/11. Over the course of the next several years, they learned a new language, endured illness, laughed their way through freak accidents, and hungered for fruit from among the lost. When they finally changed their ministry strategies to ones utilized by the apostle Paul and Jesus Himself, the resulting numbers surprised everyone. It all started with an honest evaluation of what it means to obey.

    This ebook presents a collection of all major works of Tagore. A dynamic table of contents allows you to jump directly to the work selected. Tagore's literary reputation is disproportionately influenced very much by regard for his poetry; however, he also wrote novels, essays, short stories, travelogues, dramas, and thousands of songs. The poems of Rabindranath Tagore are among the most haunting and tender in Indian and in world literature, expressing a profound and passionate human yearning. His ceaselessly inventive works deal with such subjects as the interplay between God and the world, the eternal and transient, and with the paradox of an endlessly changing universe that is in tune with unchanging harmonies. Poems such as 'Earth' and 'In the Eyes of a Peacock' present a picture of natural processes unaffected by human concerns, while others, as in 'Recovery 14', convey the poet's bewilderment about his place in the world. Tagore introduced new prose and verse forms and the use of colloquial language into Bengali literature, thereby freeing it from traditional models based on classical Sanskrit. He was highly influential in introducing the best of Indian culture to the West and vice versa, and he is generally regarded as the outstanding creative artist of modern South Asia. RABINDRANATH TAGORE: Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was the youngest son of Debendranath Tagore, a leader of the Brahmo Samaj. He was educated at home and although at seventeen he was sent to England for formal schooling, he did not finish his studies there. In his mature years, in addition to his many-sided literary activities, he managed the family estates, a project which brought him into close touch with common humanity and increased his interest in social reforms. He also started an experimental school at Shantiniketan where he tried his Upanishadic ideals of education. From time to time he participated in the Indian nationalist movement, though in his own non-sentimental and visionary way; and Gandhi, the political father of modern India, was his devoted friend. Tagore was knighted by the ruling British Government in 1915, but within a few years he resigned the honour as a protest against British policies in India. Tagore had early success as a writer in his native Bengal. With his translations of some of his poems he became rapidly known in the West. In fact, his fame attained a luminous height, taking him across continents on lecture tours and tours of friendship. For the world he became the voice of India's spiritual heritage; and for India, especially for Bengal, he became a great living institution. Although, Tagore wrote successfully in all literary genres, he was first of all a poet. Among his fifty and odd volumes of poetry are Manasi (1890) , Sonar Tari (1894) , Gitanjali (1910) , Gitimalya (1914) , and Balaka (1916) . The English renderings of his poetry, which include The Gardener (1913), Fruit-Gathering (1916), and The Fugitive (1921), do not generally correspond to particular volumes in the original Bengali; and in spite of its title, Gitanjali: Song Offerings (1912), the most acclaimed of them, contains poems from other works besides its namesake. Tagore’s major plays are Raja (1910) , Dakghar (1912) , Achalayatan (1912) , Muktadhara (1922) , and Raktakaravi (1926) . He is the author of several volumes of short stories and a number of novels, among them Gora (1910), Ghare-Baire (1916) , and Yogayog (1929) . Besides these, he wrote musical dramas, dance dramas, essays of all types, travel diaries, and two autobiographies, one in his middle

    

    Amidst the dust and grime of Delhi, this man reappears, only to sink back into the obscurity that a teeming metropolitan city offers, even as he grapples with the strange twists and turns of city life. Far away, at the Line of Control, an exchange of fire between the Indian Army and a group of terrorists leaves one man seriously wounded. Stranded and alone atop an icy mountain, he can either die or fight to stay alive. This masterfully crafted tale will take you on a voyage through lives that are divergent, and yet, are interconnected. From the land of chinars, to the pulsating heart of India . . . it will lay bare for you, all the nuances of human emotions, from the darkest of thoughts to, tears, laughter, fear and courage, all indispensable parts of our lives, all inescapable facts of our existence . . .About the Author:Born in Shimla in 1955, Anita Krishan spent twenty-two years of her early life in this pristine Himalayan town, completing her education in 1976 with a Master’s degree in English Literature from Himachal University. Enriching the lives of countless youngsters as an English teacher, Anita has written and directed plays, penned down novels, stories, and poems. She has also spearheaded many initiatives that sensitise the youth to the urgent need to care for and nurture their social and physical environment. Her endeavour to affect a shift in human outlook with her unique perspective towards storytelling is ostensible in her writings. Anita is also a senior columnist with the Indian Economist. She has extensively travelled through the world, observing and absorbing the multiplicity of human ethos and cultures everywhere. At present, she lives in Delhi, NCR, with her family.

    Singh, a professor and father of his friend Daya. But his prowess at gilli is what gets him into big trouble. One day, when he wins against some schoolboys fair and square, the boys are infuriated. As they chase Ram across town, he flings his small sack of money over a factory gate where no one can get it, and disappears into the alleyways. But someone does get the money, Ram discovers when he sneaks back later on to rescue what is his—a strange-ish man on a bike who also seems to be collecting…rocks? Ram follows the man into the jungle, where he finds something unlike anything he’s seen—statues, hundreds of statues…no, thousands of them! Gods and goddesses and buildings, all at half scale. What is this place? And the rock collecting man, Nek, has built them all! When Nek discovers that Ram has followed him, he has no choice but to let the boy stay and earn back the money Nek has spent. How else can he keep him quiet? For his creations lie on land that isn’t technically his to build on. As Ram and Nek hesitantly become friends, Ram learns the true nature of this hidden village in the jungle, as well as the stories of Shiva and Lord Rama, stories of gods and goddesses that in strange ways seem to parallel Ram’s…and Nek’s. Based on the true story of one of India’s most beloved artists and modern day folk heroes, Nek Chand was a real man—a man displaced from his home in the midst of war and conflict; a man who missed his home so terribly he illegally reconstructed his entire village in miniature out of found objects and rock, recreating mosaic statues and sculptures spanning acres of jungle. Though Ram is a fictionalized character, Nek’s artwork is real. Intertwined with mythology and the sociopolitics of India, this is an exquisitely wrought, unexpected, and singular tale about the connection of community and how art can help make us human.

    B R Ambedkar met in London and clashed on the future of India's electoral system. Later in 1932 when the British announced reserved seats for Dalits, Gandhi went on a fast unto death. Ambedkar saved his life by agreeing to the changed terms of representation, which changed the course of electoral system of India.The Gandhi - Ambedkar engagement was only on the electoral system and method of election by separate electorates which Muslims enjoyed till then. Till the partition of India in 1947, the draft Constitution provided reserved seats for minorities and Dalits, which Sardar Patel chose to abolish. The fate of India's electoral system shifted to Ambedkar and Sardar Patel after Gandhi's assassination in 1948. Sardar Patel tried to abolish reserved seats for Dalits also in 1948 only to be thwarted by Ambedkar. Those reserved seats continue.Based on a singular pursuit of tracing the electoral system and methods that define India—the world's largest democracy—this book is the first to document the evolution and account of electoral history of colonial and independent India. Do we know how Sardar Patel and Gandhi used the electoral system to integrate India? Since the first provincial elections in 1937, do we know that double member constituencies existed till 1961, only to be abolished by Jawaharlal Nehru? Do we know that Ambedkar lost his first election in independent India because voters threw away their ballots? If we need women reserved seats, we need to know that we might have to try to double member constituencies. This book tells all.The story of electoral thoughts and ideas of Ambedkar, Gandhi and Patel and Ambedkar's struggle to get a representative electoral system appear for the first time in a book. In India only election results are predicted, analysed and compiled. The electoral method that determines India's every election comes into focus in this book. Can any political party get away without offering tickets to one minority community or Dalits? The history is the answer to the future—through this book.

    Their mission: to transfer funds for a massive terror strike on Mumbai. It is a mission they plan to execute at all costs - even as India's intelligence network begins its intricate manoeuvres to capture and eliminate them. When Judy Brooke, an attaché with the UN Military Observation Group in India and Pakistan, arrives at the remote village of Kandi in Kashmir with her assistant, she has no idea about the nightmare that awaits them. Taken hostage by the insurgents, their only hope of survival is Major Vyom Pokhriyal - Veep to his fellow soldiers - and his trusted Black Dogs, a small team of high-altitude warfare commandos based at the foothills of the rugged Pir Panjal Range.As a dangerous game of cat and mouse begins, at stake are innocent lives, political alliances and a conspiracy that can shake the foundations of the nation...

    The waterway that has nourished more people than any on earth for three millennia is now so polluted with sewage and toxic waste that it has become a menace to human and animal health.Victor Mallet traces the holy river from source to mouth, and from ancient times to the present day, to find that the battle to rescue what is arguably the world's most important river is far from lost. As one Hindu sage told the author in Rishikesh on the banks of the upper Ganges (known to Hindusas the goddess Ganga): If Ganga dies, India dies. If Ganga thrives, India thrives. The lives of 500 million people is no small thing.Drawing on four years of first-hand reporting and detailed historical and scientific research, Mallet delves into the religious, historical, and biological mysteries of the Ganges, and explains how Hindus can simultaneously revere and abuse their national river.Starting at the Himalayan glacier where the Ganges emerges pure and cold from an icy cave known as the Cow's Mouth and ending in the tiger-infested mangrove swamps of the Bay of Bengal, Mallet encounters everyone from the naked holy men who worship the river, to the engineers who divert its watersfor irrigation, the scientists who study its bacteria, and Narendra Modi, the Hindu nationalist prime minister, who says he wants to save India's mother-river for posterity.Can they succeed in saving the river from catastrophe - or is it too late?

    Stepwells are unique to India and from around the 3rd century CE were built throughout the country, particularly in the arid western regions. Excavated several stories underground in order to reach the water table, these cavernous spaces not only provided water all year long but also fulfilled other functions; they offered pilgrims and other travelers a respite from the heat, and became places in which villagers could socialize. Stepwell construction evolved so that, by the 11th century, the wells were amazingly complex feats of architecture and engineering.The journalist Victoria Lautman first encountered stepwells three decades ago and now, a seasoned traveller to India, she has devoted several years to documenting these fascinating but largely unknown edifices before they disappear. Of the thousands of stepwells that proliferated across India, most were abandoned as a result of modernization and the depletion of water tables. Often commissioned by royal or wealthy patrons, the wells vary greatly in scale, layout, materials and shape. Those in what is now Gujarat state also served as subterranean Hindu temples that featured columned pavilions and elaborate stone carvings of deities. Islamic wells were generally less flamboyant, but incorporated arched side niches. Today, few stepwells are in use. The majority have been left to silt up, fill with rubbish and crumble into disrepair. Gradually, however, the Indian government and heritage organizations have come to recognize the need to preserve these architectural wonders. In 2014 India’s best-known stepwell, the Rani ki Vav in Patan, northern Gujarat, became a UNESCO World Heritage site.In her introduction, Lautman discusses why and where the stepwells were built. She reflects on the reasons they became derelict and considers how the appreciation of stepwells is changing with the work of organizations and individuals who aim to protect and restore them. The main part of the book is arranged in a broadly chronological order, with up to six pages devoted to each of c. 80 stepwells, every one unique in design and engineering. The name, location (including GPS coordinates) and approximate date of each well accompany color photographs and a concise commentary by Lautman on the history and architecture of the well and her experience of visiting it. While many of the stepwells are rather decrepit, their magnificent engineering and great beauty cannot fail to impress.

    Written by Pankaj Sekhsaria, one of the islands' best known and most consistent chroniclers of contemporary issues, it features information, insight and perspective related to the environment, wildlife conservation, development and the indigenous communities of these islands. The book provides an important account that is relevant both for the present and the future of these beautiful and fragile but also very volatile island chain. It is both a map of the region as well as a framework for the way forward, and essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of our world. 'In this update of his earlier book on the Andamans, Sekhsaria demonstrates his unwavering commitment to chronicling the life and times of these beautiful but endangered islands. Few environmental journalists in the country have tracked one area so perceptively. This book is a testimony to his dedication.'- Darryl D’monte

    But most of these exclude a large percentage of the human rights violations in India on the mistaken premise that writes violations in India can only take place against "minorities". This report rectifies a key omission in these reports - that of discrimination against and persecution of Hindus in India - and provides a corrective to the one-sided reporting by international organizations.

    As one half of the indivisible entity ‘RadhaKrishna’ she resonates through millions of lives every day. And yet, her songs remain unsung; her stories stay untold. Until now. This book, entitled an eponymous ‘Radha’; is a collection of 101 poems written in the voice of Radha. This book is Radha speaking to her beloved Krishna in poetry, across the ages, in an endless conversation that ebbs and flows and heaves and rests like the rhythm of a vast ocean. Sometimes she is a young girl, sometimes she is an old woman, sometimes she is petulant in her love for her Krishna, sometimes she is unflinching in her courage in letting go of her beloved Krishna. This book is an imagined conversation between 2 of the most evocative characters of all time. Her Krishna is as present in the writing as Radha is, although he never speaks a word. This is not a love story. This is the love story."

    Of an actress who burnt before a shocked audience. Of a dangerous relationship between a married English Women and a native Bengali actor. To help Tony is an effervescent Anglo-India beauty. She's mute. It was the end of innocence and the dawn of a glorious institution.Unearth the secret behind the climb and fall of the greatest theatre in the country, kept hidden for the last 150 years, revealed to you through a schoolboy's adventure. Find out what happens when the boy who talks a lot meets the girl who's born mute- their love tells the story in this epic coming-of-age novel.

    It tells the untold story of the preparation of the electoral roll on the basis of universal adult franchise in the world's largest democracy. Ornit Shani offers a new view of the institutionalisation of democracy in India, and of the way democracy captured the political imagination of its diverse peoples. Turning all adult Indians into voters against the backdrop of the partition of India and Pakistan, and in anticipation of the drawing up of a constitution, was a staggering task. Indians became voters before they were citizens - by the time the constitution came into force in 1950, the abstract notion of universal franchise and electoral democracy were already grounded. Drawing on rich archival materials, Shani shows how the Indian people were a driving force in the making of democratic citizenship as they struggled for their voting rights.

    Zai’s uncle is the famous 'birdman of India' Salim Ali, everyone in her family is a birding expert, and she herself can’t so much as identify the pipit sitting right under her nose.

    - from the story "At Loose Ends" in the collection.Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Panjim, Mumbai - all cities that have transformed themselves in the past couple of decades, changing, in the process, the lives and aspirations of the people inhabiting them. Name, Place, Animal, Thing takes you into the bylanes of these cities to explore them through the eyes of its diverse characters. A tour guide at the historic Golconda Fort in Hyderabad finds himself at a crossroads when his son wants to assist a team of programmers in developing a self-guided tour app that will make his job redundant. A string puppet show at the annual Rann Utsav is an instant hit, but even as the katputli act unfolds onstage, behind the scenes, the puppeteers themselves are subject to the whims of the invisible strings of circumstance, and lives come apart against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of the Rann of Kutch.Two families are on a joint vacation in Goa. But, like the rip tides that can lurk just beyond idyllic beaches, there are strong undercurrents of ego, competitiveness and discord below the surface of holiday camaraderie.An elderly widower sees an answer to his loneliness in the marital discord between his daughter and her husband. A new arrival at school gives two young girls growing up in sheltered middle-class households in Chennai a glimpse of a more dangerous world where people, and even families, are not always what they seem to be. A young introvert, just arrived in Bengaluru to take up a job with an IT firm, finds herself unwittingly drawn into the troubled dynamics of the family in whose home she stays as a paying guest. Populated with ordinary people, familiar locales and everyday situations, this collection of short stories shines a light on the changing face of modern India.

    The country’s periphery, however, is dotted with sleepy towns and desolate villages whose people, simply by having more in common with citizens of neighbouring nations than with their own, have to prove their Indian identity every day.It is these specks on the country’s map that Pradeep Damodaran rediscovers as he travels across India’s borders for a little more than a year, experiencing life in far-flung areas that rarely feature in mainstream conversations. In Borderlands, he recounts his encounters with the war-weary fishermen of Dhanushkodi at the southernmost tip of Tamil Nadu, who live in fear both of the Indian Coast Guard and the Sri Lankan navy; farmers in Hussainiwala, a village on Punjab’s border with Pakistan, who are unwilling to build concrete houses for fear of them being destroyed in an ever looming war; Tamil traders of Moreh, a town straddling the Manipur–Myanmar border, who pay bribes to at least ten different militant organizations so they can safely conduct their business; and ex-servicemen in Campbell Bay who were resettled there three generations ago and have long been forgotten by the mainland.From Minicoy in Lakshadweep to Taki in West Bengal, Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh to Raxaul in Bihar, Damodaran’s compelling narrative reinforces the idea that, in India, a land of contrasts and contradictions, beauty and diversity, conflict comes in many forms.

     In these moving memoirs, she speaks of the influence of her grandfather and father; her early career as a journalist; her coming to political maturity during the horrific violence in Mumbai after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in the winter of 1992-93; her own trajectory as an activist with fellow traveler, Javed; and, of course, her role during and after the post-Godhra violence in Gujarat. This is a stirring, inspiring tale of determination, courage, fortitude and an unshakeable commitment to constitutional principles. ‘Teesta has a distinguished lineage. Her grandfather, Motilal Setalvad, was India’s first Attorney General; his son Atul (Teesta’s father) was a leading Senior Advocate in the Bombay High Court. Each of them gave shape to our constitutional law. But Teesta carved out a separate niche for herself – as a worthy footsoldier of the Constitution.’ — Fali S. Nariman ‘A crusader in the cause of justice and human rights, Teesta’s life is a saga of small and big battles fought by a person with firm conviction and strong determination. She has proved herself more than a match to her detractors and persecutors however high placed they may be.’ — Justice P.B. Sawant ‘Teesta Setalvad is a woman of courage and deep convictions. This book is a testimony to her spirit and grit.’ — Mallika Sarabhai ‘The Gujarat riots produced, at one end, Modi, and at another end, Teesta. The story of her life is necessary reading for those who engage with the Indian sociopolitical system.’ — Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd ‘The scoundrel times in which we live, where the fascists and the powerful rule supreme, hers is the voice of sanity and compassion.’ — Saeed Mirza

    And it’s Ganeshotsav. A sinister killer with a dark and twisted imagination is terrorizing the city with a series of chilling and gruesome murders every day. His victims are the innocent rich and famous. All celebrities or VIPs with one fault in common. The elite Crime Branch sleuths of the Mumbai Police are easily compared with London’s Scotland Yard. But there’s one thing they have never figured out – how to successfully detect crimes committed by psychopathic serial predators like rapists, pedophiles and killers in this city of 20 million. Can these cops prevent the psychopath from committing murder tomorrow when they haven’t yet detected today’s homicide? Moryaa Re! is a compulsively readable and gritty crime thriller with a tight plot that could have been ripped off the headlines. Mumbai, with its glorious festivals, colorful people and capricious monsoon, provides the perfect dark and rain-spattered backdrop for murder.Mark Manuel is a respected Mumbai editor, writer and columnist with over three decades of journalism in leading publications including the Free Press Journal, Bombay Times, Mid-Day, Afternoon and Dainik Bhaskar. He is widely known for his brilliantly penned interviews and contributes frequently to Hindustan Times Brunch and the Huffington Post. He began his career covering crime. And in a tribute to his understanding of this beat, several top cops of the Mumbai Police and its Crime Branch have collaborated with him to make this book possible. Bollywood, the Hindi film industry in Mumbai, has also always been a source of inspiration for his writing. In a statement of admiration for his work, Amitabh Bachchan – India’s greatest actor – has written the foreword to this book.

    Mammals fascinate us, probably because we belong to that order! That’s why, along with expertly researched information about where these animals are found, and how they live, communicate and behave, conservationist and photographer Vivek Menon shares insider notes from his adventures in the wild. Key identification pointers and stunning colour photographs help you recognize different mammals easily, making The Secret Lives of Mammals both a ready reckoner as well as a field guide for animal lovers.

    Ranjitsinh has had an unparalleled role in India s wildlife conservation history. He was the prime architect of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 and of the Central government schemes to assist national parks and sanctuaries. His passion for saving endangered species continues after his retirement, whether in planning the relocation of the Asiatic lion from Gir forest, the reintroduction of the cheetah into the grasslands of central India, or in saving from extinction the Kashmir stag, the Manipur brow-antlered deer and the Great Indian bustard.A Life with Wildlife traces the course of wildlife from the princely and British era to the present and shows how wildlife conservation in India has always emanated from the upper echelons of power. The book reveals the challenges of conservation in a democracy like India, and how to counteract them. There is also a candid account of the Bhopal gas tragedy from someone who played a pivotal role in its aftermath, never revealed before. This delightful first-hand account is in its essence the history of nature conservation in India during its most tumultuous period, by a person who was part of it and contributed to it.

    Apart from superior military power, close coordination between the political leadership and the military and the ability to take quick decisions, China has potent anti-satellite and cyber warfare capabilities. Even more shockingly, regardless of popular opinion, India today is not even in a position to win a war against Pakistan. This has nothing to do with Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. It is because while India has been focused on building military force (troops and materiel needed to wage war) Pakistan has built military power (learning how to optimally utilize its military force). In this lies the difference between losing and winning. Far from being the strong Asian power of its perception, India could find itself extremely vulnerable to the hostility of its powerful neighbors. In Dragon On Our Doorstep, Pravin Sawhney and Ghazala Wahab analyse the geopolitics of the region and the military strategies of the three Asian countries to tell us exactly why India is in this precarious position and how it can transform itself through deft strategy into a leading power.The most populous countries and fastest growing economies in the world—India and China—have cultural and economic relations that date back to the second century bc. But over the years, despite the many treaties and agreements between the two nations, border clashes (including the disastrous 1962 war) and disagreements over Tibet and Jammu and Kashmir have complicated the relationship. For decades China kept a low profile. However, since 2008, when it was recognized as an economic power, China has become assertive. Today, this Himalayan balancing act of power is clearly tilted towards China, in whose view there is room for only one power in Asia. In this rise, Pakistan has emerged as China’s most trusted and crucial partner. The partnership between China and Pakistan, whether in terms of military interoperability (ability to operate as one in combat), or geostrategic design (which is unfolding through the wide-sweeping One Belt One Road project), has serious implications for India. The best that India can do is try and manage the relationship so that the dragon’s rise is not at the cost of India.

    It has a story so pure which would immerse you in love like never before, a story about a dreamer who comes face to face with his dreams one night, another about a dad who shared his journey of bringing a life into this world, one about an insignificant event that changed the author's life, and many more.A pleasant and inspiring read!About the Author:Hailing from Chandigarh, having studied from St. John's High School (Batch '99), graduating in Electronics from PEC (Batch '06), and having served the software industry for over a decade, Amit Sareen decided to unsettle and follow his passions - write, inspire, and awaken people to follow their dreams. So now, he is an author, editor, and motivator. His blogs are an inspiration for budding authors, writers, and even keen readers. If you can't catch him reading or writing, he must be traveling. Born and brought up in Chandigarh, he loves to spend time with his family.

    But slowly, they are silenced by the laws of blasphemy. Because in most religions, asking questions is an insult to God. Customs replace questions. Fear of blasphemy replaces the quest for truth. When you are surrounded with blasphemies and fear, Hinduism comes for the rescue. You may not question your God. But Hindu God invites you to question Her. Talk to Her. Mock Her. And even reject Her. There is no blasphemy. Reject if you don't get answers. Accept if you like it. In religions, you are slaves of God. In Hinduism, you are a child of God. In religions, you fear hell and do 'good' out of fear. In Hinduism, you love Mother God and do good out of love. Hinduism is all about holding Supreme's hands and talk, love, laugh, question, joke and walk together. When you get tired, the mother picks you up in her arms and walks. When you get stuck, mother rescues. This book deals with 170+ questions that every religion tried to answer but failed. And you would know why they failed. Because it’s not about finding answers, It’s about finding mother's lap where all questions vanish...

    Events, anecdotes and personalities drive its narrative to illustrate the cocktail of hostility, nationalism and nostalgia that defines every facet of the relationship. It looks at the main events through the eyes and words of actual players and contemporary observers to illustrates how, both in India and in Pakistan, these past events are seen through radically different prisms, how history keeps resurfacing and has a resonance that cannot be avoided to this day. Apart from political, military and security issues, The People Next Door evokes other perspectives: divided families, peacemakers, war mongers, contrarian thinkers, intellectual and cultural associations, unwavering friendships, the footprint of Bollywood, cricket and literature: all of which are intrinsic parts of this most tangled of relationships.

    Difficult, right? We don’t have time to stand and stare. To recollect and ruminate. Words from the Hills offers a novel perspective to look at ‘time’ and ‘schedule’—forthcoming and bygone—in a unique way. An illustrated biographical work developed around the life, works and philosophy of Ruskin Bond, in this planner we propose to catch those moments of pure joy. From the falling of leaves from deodar trees; moments of love and loss; the journey from innocence to awareness; buzzing dragonflies; to stained and torn pages of forgotten notebooks, this planner (of 12/16 months), perhaps the first of its kind, will open a new window to our understanding of self-preservation and remembrance.

    

    Tigers don’t have names either. But then T-Cub is a very special tiger cub and he wants to tell you his story. It’s about his life in a forest in India, and his animal friends (and foes) including monkeys, peacocks and elephants.T-Cub is naughty, curious, lovable and brave (and sometimes scared too!). He is living the good life of a wild tiger—prowling the forest, loved by his Ma, teased by his sister. He is learning the ways of the jungle, to hunt, to be a tiger… And then one day his mother vanishes, and T-Cub learns another lesson—it isn’t easy being a tiger.Illustrated by Maya Ramaswamy.

    This book clearly and systematically explains all the essential interpretive concepts of Jaimini and illustrates these profusely using the birth charts of well-known personalities. Included is an original translation and commentary of that portion of the Upadesha Sutras wherein Sage Jaimini outlines these foundational principles. The author shares the methods taught to him by the legendary Indian astrologer, K.N. Rao, for predicting such events as career rise, marriage, and child birth. A must read for those interested in the Jaimini system!

    When she does get it, she works hard. And then she hears that a company wants to make a coal mine in their village – the enormous black pit that will eat up all their lands, like it has in the next village.

    In this magisterial book, Saran discerns the threads that tie together his experiences as a diplomat.In his book, part memoir and part thesis on India’s international relations since Independence, Shyam Saran discerns the threads that tie together his experiences as a diplomat. Using the prism of Kautilya’s Arthashastra and other ancient treatises on statecraft, Saran shows the historical sources of India’s worldview. He looks at India’s neighbourhood and the changing wider world through this lens and arrives at fascinating conclusions — the claims that the world is hurtling towards Chinese unipolarity are overblown; international borders are becoming irrelevant as climate change and cyber terror bypass them; and India shouldn’t hold its breath for a resolution to its border disputes with China and Pakistan in the foreseeable future. The book also takes the reader behind the closed doors — from Barack Obama popping by a tense developing-country strategy meeting at the Copenhagen climate change summit to the private celebratory dinner thrown by then US President George W. Bush for then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the success of the nuclear deal.Praise For The Book - ‘Part history, part memoir, How India Sees the World is an illuminating and at times controversial insight into the thinking of one of India’s great diplomats and civil servants. A vigorous defender of India’s national interests, Shyam Saran offers us a unique and candid view of policy deliberations at the highest levels of the Indian government. He rightly argues for a deeper understanding of China and the historic factors which inform and shape its strategic behaviour today. Moreover, Ambassador Saran provides a timely overview of the contemporary challenges facing global politics, including but not limited to cyberspace, climate change and outer space. This is a strong contribution from a fine strategic thinker’ – *Kevin Rudd, former prime minister of Australia*‘As an insightful, acute and erudite description of the well-springs of Indian foreign policy, Shyam Saran’s How India Sees the World is unmatched. Drawing on his deep experience in crucial positions and his undoubted intellectual gifts, this book is required reading for anyone interested in India’s role in the world, and the future of Asia and the world. His familiarity with traditional Indian statecraft, and his focus on China - a country he is familiar with and has studied for over forty years - makes for fascinating and thought-provoking reading. A must read and an essential addition to any library on modern India’ – *Shivshankar Menon, former national security advisor of India*

    CONTENTS:Introduction, Gahana Karmano Gatihi,The Law of Karma (Action),Distinct Features of the Law of Karma,Paradox in Law,Ignorance of Law is no Excuse,What is Karma,Kriyaman Karma,Sanchit Karma,Prarabdha Karma,Once caught in Karma, never try to escape,Let Rascals rejoice now,Prarabdha (Destiny) is irrevocable and unavoidable,Method of performing Kriyaman Karma,You get only that much which, is destined to you,Then why make any Purushartha(present new efforts) at all,Prarabdha and Purushartha are not against each other,Where to apply Purushartha and where to rely on Prarabdha only,Freedom of Action- No freedom to escape reaction, No subtraction of sinful deeds from pious deeds ,Body is necessary instrument for enjoyingor suffering the fruits (effects) of Karma, Then when shall we get Moksha,How to control Kriyaman Karmas ?Can we stop performing them at all,Which Kriyaman Karmas do"" notaccumulate as Sanchit,Actions performed in childhood,immatured minor age, Actions performed under unconscious,insane and intoxicated state of mind, Actions performed in other than human life,Actions performed without any bias in mind due to attachment (RAGA) or aversion,(DWESHA), likes or dislikes etcActions performed without any ego of doing-doer,myActions performed with unselfish, benevolent motive for the good and welfare of the society at large,devotion unto God ex(NISHKAM KARMA),The intellect follows one's past actions,You must face your Prarabdha,How far Purushartha helps in facing PrarabdhaHow far the stars, planets and demigods can help in facing Prarabdha,How far Astrology can help in facing Prarabdha,How far chanting the name of God (Ramnamjap) helps in facing Prarabdha,How far God himself helps in facing Prarabdha,If you must sin - publicize it all over When youact selflessly - do it unannounced and stealingly,How to exhaust Sanchit Karma, What is Gnan (Knowledge) andGnanagni (Fire of Knowledge),Only to know (Knowledge) is enough;No action necessary

    The first of its kind, this book interrogates that simplistic yet powerful geopolitical narrative and asks what truly drives India's Afghanistan policy.Based on an extensive repertoire of hitherto untapped primary sources including official memoranda, diplomatic correspondence, and a series of interviews with key political actors, My Enemy's Enemy provides a comprehensive analysis of India's strategy debates and foreign policymaking processes vis-a-vis Afghanistan, from the last decade of the Cold War to the 1990s Afghan civil war and the more recent US-led war on terror. It demonstrates that Indian presence in Afghanistan has been guided primarily by an enduring vision for the region that requires a stable balance of power across the Durand Line."

    Their favourite is to rape young society women in their homes. The rogues make a competition out of it. The more girls the regiment savages, the more different ways they do it, the greater their merriment and cheers for the winning regiment.But the victims go through hell. They can't tell anyone, not even their mothers and suffer the shame. Their families suffer too. Banker Bryce Ackerman loses the love of his life to the scoundrels, but he won't leave it alone. Bryce follows the thugs to India, where two of the marauding regiments are posted. Trying to run the rapists to ground, he learns their treachery is deadly and their evil courage more monstrous than he expected. Along the way, he must confront his own sexuality. Is he a gentleman always, or is he too a predator?Life in the British Raj in Colonial India heighten all his senses, good and bad, as he chases down the brutal and dark side of manhood, as he tries to bring Justice to places where Justice had been absent.For those worried about the rapes read Sharon's 5 star reviewJust received a great review at https://quick-book-review.blogspot.co...A Wickedness UnforgivenAs gloomy as the reality is, sexual violence is one of those things that have persisted throughout the ages and across all cultures in the world. It is, quite sadly, one of the few factors that unite all of our races and ethnicities together. While some of us may have the fortune of living in a place on Earth where such crimes are rather uncommon, there are countless people out there who aren't nearly as lucky, especially those living in countries with absurd disparities between the poor and the powerful. What's even worse, these acts are committed by the last person you would expect just as often as they are by the most obvious suspects. Rape is an insidious and damnable crime in every respect, one that merits punishment at all costs, something our hero, Bryce Ackerman, discovers in his life-changing journey in Bittersweet by p.d.r. lindsay.Without spoiling anything, the story takes place during the early 1870s in the British Raj, a period when the British Crown ruled on the Indian subcontinent. We are introduced to the afore-mentioned Bryce Ackerman, a banker, who finds himself on a most noble mission: avenge the dishonour inflicted upon his fiancee, Aimee. Once slated to marry, their plans fell through when Aimee had been brutally raped by some so-called noble British soldiers. Upon learning and receiving confirmation that these men were predators in a very disgusting competition with each other (Aimee wasn't their only victim), Bryce decides to track them down by his own means and bring death to the one who commanded them. Needless to say, it's a task much easier said than done: to accuse influential and highly-reputed men of such sinister crimes is a most dangerous task, one that puts Bryce on a collision course with some truly powerful and ruthless villains.An Eye-Opening Window Into Another CultureThere are a few things to discuss about the book, but first I would like to direct the attention towards the author's ability to recreate a world from the past and suck us deeply into it. A lot of effort and research was quite obviously put into the creation of the setting, with all the noises, sights, sounds and smells painting vivid and unforgettable pictures of 1870s India. The descriptions are quite deep and even touch on the atmospheres and mentalities that permeated through the air in those times, and while I can't exactly check them for accuracy, they feel absolutely genuine and help you become immersed as if you're a part of the world, rather than being a mere observer.This world-building turns out to be quite useful in helping us understand the characters, what they are going through, what fears and desires manipulate their whims, and by what customs and standards they are measuring their actions.A Cast with some SparkSpeaking of the characters, the story is populated by a fair amount of them, with there being a central core of supporting characters around Bryce, opposite to them we have the villainous soldiers, as well as plenty of others who come and go as the plot progresses. The narration is told from Bryce's perspective, and so we are privy to his most personal, intimate and innermost thoughts. As things unfold he turns out to be quite a clever and capable thinker, a man who wrestles with inner turmoil as much as anyone else out there. His delivery is often simple, concise, and to the point, making the story quite easy to follow.On the other hand, the villains are everything we need our bad guys to be. They are deceitful, prey on the young and weak, get away scot-free because of their status in society, and basically show no remorse in what they are doing, even convincing themselves they are actually in the right. In other words, there are no doubts about who you should be rooting for and it doesn't take much motivation to see them as the devil incarnate. There is a slight reproach to make however, and it's that there are a few sequences in which the villains' dialogue feels slightly dry and perhaps a bit unnatural, but those instances aren't prominent enough to become a real problem.A Story that Sticks with YouLooking at the plot itself, I have no problem in characterizing it as one of those stories that will stay with you for a long time to come. You'll find yourself thinking about the events, mulling them over in your head, wondering what the messages, implications and consequences might be. While a few of the chapters and passages are on the slower and tamer side, much of the novel is about the evil that men do under the shadows of wealth and privilege. It's the kind of tale where things don't always work out, and just like in life, a happy ending is anything but guaranteed. There are a few truly jolting moments and twists that really keep you hooked in and increasingly worried for the fates of the heroes, all leading up to a memorable and satisfying conclusion.As you might have gathered from the rest of the review, the story is full of very dark and heavy themes, touching on rape and dangerous kinds of lust. The author wrote it with a certain free-flowing honesty where ugly truths are addressed as they truly are, rather than sugar-coated with euphemisms. While the messages in regards to basic human decency might seem like common sense to many of us, I assure you there are still countless people in the world who have yet to learn them (though unfortunately, I find it doubtful they'll seek this book out). p.d.r. lindsay doesn't shy away from sharing her opinions and points of view on the matter, and they are definitely deserving of some pondering.The Final VerdictLooking at everything from A to Z, Bittersweet is a book that definitely deserves some more recognition. It has a truly fascinating and enthralling world, interesting and memorable characters, a story that entertains you with its twists but also makes you contemplate on some of the darker aspects of the human condition, namely lust, violence and power. The premise is delivered in a unique way that really makes the novel stand out from its counterparts, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a top-notch historical drama seasoned with mystery and vengeance.

    Perfect for family reading and sharing. Come together with Amar Chitra Katha!

    Funny, adventurous, smart and mischievous, these are children from all parts of India. They speak different languages, eat all kinds of food, live in homes that look totally unlike each other—yet you will find a bit of yourself in each one of them.Relish these stories and relive your childhood with your kids.

    Too young to understand the repercussions of this act of brutality, Muthu knows only that her two older sisters are given special treatment while she is forced to sell rotis on the dusty roadside, dreaming of escape. When the family find themselves destitute and living by the side of the railway station, Muthu is sold to The Great Raman Circus of Chennai. Her father convinces her that this is the only way to help free her family from poverty, and in her innocence Muthu imagines that with her extraordinary contortionist abilities she will become a star, just like all her Bollywood idols. Muthu’s hopes for glamour and excitement are short lived, as she is transported into a world of misery and abuse. After several years of enslavement, she plans her escape with her friend Gloria, convinced that they can make it on their own in Mumbai, the City of Dreams. Will Muthu succeed in making her name as the Elastic Girl or will her dreams turn into a nightmare? This poignant tale draws attention to the plight of child performers in India, and on the horrors of child trafficking, but as Muthu tries to make sense of her existence, readers will discover the true strength of the “Elastic Girl.”

    The district of Lahul Spiti is in Himachal Pradesh and is contiguous to the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir and Tibet. The beautiful and arid mountains of the Himalayan desert, the monasteries, and unique Buddhist heritage gives it the name of 'Little Tibet' and it is one of the most beautiful areas in India. Join us as we explore the Hindustan-Tibet road, Spiti valley, Kunzum pass and Lahul and have loads of adventures and misadventures on the way on our Royal Enfields. The funniest and most enjoyable ride story you will ever read! (unless it is the story of our earlier ride of course)

    They are also sceptical and reflective, tempering and enhancing the glowing flame. Riptides of Tamil hide beneath or within her honed English, for those who can hear and see.'-- David ShulmanSita in a forest, loved and left behind, looks towards the night sky and sees Lucifer's fall from grace. Inanna enters the underworld, holding her heart before her like a torch. It is not easy to bear the weight of light; wilderness takes time to turn into sanctuary.These are poems of exile, resurrection, impossible love, lasting redemption -- and, above all else, the many meanings of grace.

    In The Parrots of Desire, the modern reader, to whom the anthology is dedicated, will find a wealth of Indian erotic writing—beyond the famously unbridled passages of the Kama Sutra and Koka Shastra. There is, for instance, the extract ‘Why does sex exist?’ recreated from the 3,000-year-old Rig Veda; the work of the Tamil Sangam poets, whose contemporary finesse belies their antiquity; Bhakti poets Antal and Mahadeviyakka, who describe women’s fantasies of men (whether human or godly); short stories by Kamala Das that have been out of print for decades; excerpts from the work of contemporary writers like Mridula Garg and Ginu Kamani and much more.Whether it is the trepidation of the first time or the delirium and delicious rapture of subsequent ones, the anguish of being abandoned or the ennui of steadfast fidelity; passion, jealousy, suspicion, bitterness or even regret— every aspect of the experience of erotic love, timeless and universal, is manifest in these pages. What emerges from the dozens of pieces in this volume can be called the ‘core’ of Indian erotica: the notion that the erotic, like the human imagination itself, is powerful, unquenchable, passionate and essential to the best life we should seek to make for ourselves.

    The spirits they entreat are Islamic jinns, and they write out requests as if petitioning the state. At a time when a Hindu right wing government in India is committed to normalizing a view of the past that paints Muslims as oppressors, Anand Vivek Taneja's Jinnealogy provides a fresh vision of religion, identity, and sacrality that runs counter to state-sanctioned history.The ruin, Firoz Shah Kotla, is an unusually democratic religious space, characterized by freewheeling theological conversations, DIY rituals, and the sanctification of animals. Taneja observes the visitors, who come mainly from the Muslim and Dalit neighborhoods of Delhi, and uses their conversations and letters to the jinns as an archive of voices so often silenced. He finds that their veneration of the jinns recalls pre-modern religious traditions in which spiritual experience was inextricably tied to ecological surroundings. In this enchanted space, Taneja encounters a form of popular Islam that is not a relic of bygone days, but a vibrant form of resistance to state repression and post-colonial visions of India.

    In 2016, the BJP centred its strategy for the legislative assembly elections on this historic battle, focusing on issues of illegal migration, constantly invoked in the party's rallies, posters and communication to appeal to the voting public. The historic elections saw the BJP win an overwhelming majority of assembly seats in Assam, where the Congress had been in power for decades. It was a watershed moment that opened the door for the party to the political corridors of the North-east.In this book, Rajat Sethi and Shubhrastha, political campaigners for the BJP in the North-east, take you behind the scenes of the high-octane electoral drama. They outline the political history of the region, provide details of election strategies employed by the party and explain why they resonated with the local people so strongly. The Last Battle of Saraighat looks at Assam as a case study to explain the rise of the BJP in the North-east and throws light on the key political issues of the region.

    From the ICAC of Hong Kong to the Clean Governance of Georgia and from the fight against Foreign Parked Black Money by a US court to the truly consequential None of the Above vote of Colombia, Srijan Pal Singh, trusted advisor and a close associate of Dr. Kalam, analyses case after case, putting forth cogent arguments on the many dimensions of corruption and how it can be systematically weeded out from India.At once fascinating, absorbing, and informative, The Black Tiger is a must-read for those who wish to know how India can become a superpower in the next few years, as envisioned by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.About the Author: Srijan Pal SinghSrijan Pal Singh is a gold medallist MBA holder from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and has worked with the Boston Consulting Group. He is a social entrepreneur who has been involved in studying and evolving sustainable development systems with a thrust on rural areas. From 2009 to 2015, he also worked as an advisor and an officer on special duty to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam on promoting the concept of energy independence and Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA), and co-authored with him three books, Target 3 Billion (2011), Reignited (2015), and Advantage India (2015). He has been named as one of the Global Leaders of Tomorrow by the St. Gallen Leadership Symposium in Switzerland in 2014. He has also co-authored Smart and Human (2015) with GRK Reddy.

    Now at your fingertips. The Mahabharata is the world's longest epic. It contains within it numerous fables, anecdotes and pieces of practical wisdom that make up what we today call Indian culture.Two thousand tales from this ocean of Vedic literature are now being retold for your reading pleasure. Crisp, comprehensive, contextual.In Volume 4 you will find stories such as:- What Really Happened at the Game of Dice- How Kirmira was Slain by Bhimasena- Arjuna'a Battle with Shiva- The Love Story of Nala and Damayanti- Why Agastya Drank up the OceanAnd many more. Whether you're a casual reader of mythology or a die-hard fanatic, this is a must-read.

    Through decades-long research conducted on the ground, living in villages and studying slum communities, he reveals the heartbreaking and eye-opening details of missed opportunities and immense, but untapped, talent which, if honed, can have a significant impact on both growth and equity. From presenting possible solutions to the problems of neediness and inequity to mulling over ways of fixing inequalities of opportunity, The Broken Ladder is a comprehensive account of India’s development strategies. A masterly work grounded in decades of methodical research combined with unusual personal commitment and experience . . . reminiscent of Naipaul’s India: A Million Mutinies Now.— Rakesh Mohan This is not an ordinary book, another one celebrating India’s emergence on the global scene or lamenting about its uneven growth story. This is a serious engagement with some of the most compelling questions confronting the ordinary Indian living in its diverse social and demographic locations. Based on a close observation of ground realities, a “worm's eye view” of someone who besides being an academic of considerable repute has also had the experience of administration and recognizes the critical significance of state policy, the book provides a perspective and a guide to what needs to be done to take a billion plus Indians ahead.— Surinder S. Jodhka

    Nishan Joshi's "My Grandma's Bag of Stories" is delightful and at the same time enjoyable. This book is a collection of 40 moral stories, ideal for young children and those who are 5+ in age. Simple and lucid language of the book, makes reading a pleasure. Each story ends with a powerful message which can be interpreted in various ways and will help you expand the horizons of your mind. This book guides one on the correct path by enlightening with age old morals interlaced with new age stories. I hope you will imbibe the morals and apply them in your day to day life. You can read more moral stories on Nishant’s website: www.nishantindia.com.

    These Indo-Aryans were of European origin (hence white-skinned), and spoke Vedic Sanskrit. They destroyed the indigenous Dravidian civilization, subjugated the natives, and forced them to migrate to India's South. First propounded by Max Müller, the AIT has been regarded as self-evident since the 19th century. The interrelated fields of population genetics, comparative genetics, archaeogenetics, genomics, and genotyping have made it possible to gain an unprecedented insight into the nature of human genetic diversity. These advances in genetics, as well as new archaeological investigations, are transforming our understanding of India'a ancient history. There is now overwhelming scientific evidence that proves that the Aryan Invasion Theory is a myth. It is fiction. It belongs in the Big League of unscientific theories (which some still believe in), alongside creationism, anti-evolutionism, the myth of Noah’s ark, and flat earth theory. Nevertheless, India's history textbooks continue to teach antiquated and unscientific 19th century concepts and ideas well into the 21st century. Indian academia's entrenched ancien régime has a vested interest in ensuring that the Aryan Invasion Theory remains the dominant narrative in India. Read on to find out why.

    The other side of it, Ravana's angle is equally soothing and has abundant lessons to give, just that not many got the opportunity to explore this version. My Name Is Ravana retells episodes from the Ramayana from Jaya's view who came onto the Earth as Ravana. He narrates his experiences on this planet during Threta Yugh and discusses the very purpose of his arrival onto this Earth. The legendary history of Ramayana has been rewritten from Ravana's perspective, not something that has been attempted before.Explore the memories of one of the most ancient documented histories of all time. The book also provides useful information about Ramayana locations to tourists and pilgrims visiting Sri Lanka.ABOUT THE AUTHORSri Bala Sankuratri is an extensive traveller by nature and writer by passion. His articles in various newspapers and his travel show on various domains are popular. His association with Sri Lanka, research on various local legendary memories on the island pertaining to the great book Ramayana and its acknowledgment by the respective government officials inspired the writer to re-ink the legendary history.

    About the book In 2014 Karishma Mehta started Humans of Bombay to capture the untold stories of the millions of people living in the maximum city This book entails a handpicked collection of some of the best stories on the Humans of Bombay Facebook blog as well as several unseen stories Funny insightful quirky and intimate these stories are sure to make your heart melt

    It argues that while the expansion and growth of India's private sector and a vibrant civil society can fill in for some of the shortcomings of the public sector in the foreseeable future, there is a wide range of core functions from regulation to security, from social inclusion to public goods provision, where the State is-and will be-indispensable. The integrity and responsiveness of the Indian state to the multiple challenges facing the country, both internal and external, will fundamentally determine India's future. The contributions to this volume critically assess different institutions and frameworks-civil services, presidency, judiciary, Parliament, Election Commission, financial and federal institutions, audits and accountability framework, and institutions of local governance. The editors of the volume demonstrate that fundamental state reform will be a necessary condition for India to realize its potential and fulfill its people's aspirations in the twenty-first century.