Did Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s wife, Ruttie, impact the creation of Pakistan? Did she have a posthumous influence on Pakistan’s polity? Does her legacy still affect Indo-Pak relations?
Ruttie Jinnah was a fierce nationalist in her own right and a proactive political companion to her husband. According to Jinnah’s contemporary political leader Sarojini Naidu, Ruttie was the only one with whom he could truly be himself. Much to the dismay of her family and the Parsee community she hailed from, she had a love marriage with Jinnah. However, despite her undisputed influence on him, she remains an understudied figure in history.
This vivid biography-put together over twelve years of research, interviews with historians, family members and lawyers of Jinnah’s descendants, and visits to every place associated with the couple in India, Pakistan and England-provides an incisive look into Ruttie’s life and legacy, bringing forth a novel and fresh understanding of Jinnah and the freedom movement.
Catagory: Non Fiction
non fiction main category
My Shameless Heart
Republic of Hindutva
‘Essential reading’ ~ Shekhar Gupta
‘A handy insight into the activities, reach and influence of the RSS’ ~ Indian Express
‘[Yields] insights for students of Indian democracy’ ~ The Hindu
‘Very insightful and is recommended reading for both critics as well as admirers of the RSS’ ~ Financial Express
AN EXPLOSIVE ACCOUNT OF HOW THE RSS HELPS THE BJP WIN ELECTIONS
The RSS is like the tip of an iceberg, exerting its influence much beyond what is visible. Beginning with the choice of Narendra Modi as the forerunner for the 2014 general election up to the campaign for the 2019 election, RSS cadres have been a formidable force behind the staggering rise of the BJP in national politics.
In this eye-opening, necessary book, Badri Narayan offers an intimate glimpse of how the Sangh and its vast network of educational, cultural and social outfits have been digging deep roots in the Indian psyche. By refashioning its modes of mobilization as well as assimilating Dalits, OBCs, tribals and other marginalized communities, the RSS has made the Hindutva metanarrative appealing to a large section of Indians. During elections, the BJP-instead of wiping out caste from electoral politics-reaps rich political dividends from this social appropriation.
Drawing on extensive field research in the heartland of India and interviews with RSS volunteers, Narayan reveals how a new public is being forged at the grassroots, which will determine the course of Indian democracy.
The Language of History
The Language of History analyses a hitherto overlooked group of histories on Indo-Muslim or Indo-Persian political events, namely a few dozen Sanskrit texts that date from the 1190s until 1721. As soon as Muslim political figures established themselves in northern India in the 1190s-when the Ghurids overthrew the Chauhan kingdom and ruled part of northern India from Delhi-Indian intellectuals wrote about that political development in Sanskrit. Indian men (and at least one woman) produced dozens of Sanskrit texts on Muslim-initiated political events. These works span Delhi Sultanate and Mughal rule, including texts that deal with Deccan sultanates and Muslim-led polities in the subcontinent’s deep south. India’s premodern learned elite only ceased to write on Indo-Muslim political power in Sanskrit when the Mughal Empire began to fracture beyond repair in the early eighteenth century. In other words, Sanskrit writers produced histories of Indo-Persian rule throughout nearly the entire time span of that political experience. This book seeks, for the first time, to collect, analyse, and theorize Sanskrit histories of Muslim-led and, later, as Muslims became an integral part of Indian cultural and political worlds, Indo-Muslim rule as a body of historical materials. This archive lends insight into formulations and expressions of premodern political, social, cultural and religious identities. Given the current political climate in India, where nationalist claims are often grounded on fabricated visions of India’s premodernity, this book also contributes to ongoing debates in the Indian public sphere.
A Passage to India
Among the greatest novels of the twentieth century, A Passage to India is set in pre-Independence India. A compelling portrait of a society in the grip of imperialism, this classic depicts the fate of individuals caught in the great political and cultural conflicts of their age. It begins when Adela and her elderly companion Mrs Moore arrive in the Indian town of Chandrapore, and feel trapped by its insular and prejudiced British community. Determined to explore the ‘real India’, they seek the guidance of the charming and mercurial Dr Aziz. But a mysterious incident occurs while they are exploring the Marabar caves, and the well-respected doctor soon finds himself at the centre of a scandal.
The introduction by Harish Trivedi provides the required scholarly context for the English literature course.
Bare Necessities
Did you know that there will be more plastic than fish in the seas by 2050? Did you know that it takes 20,000 litres of water to make a pair of jeans? Did you know that we have a massive food-wastage problem, and yet millions die of hunger each day?
In this world full of waste, how can you help save the planet?
Bare Necessities is your one-stop guide on how to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle in India. Filled with activities, insights, recipes, tips and how-to guides, it is a must-read for anyone wanting to make a positive change in their life and in the environment.
The Banker Who Crushed His Diamonds
In compliance with the order of the Ld. ADJ, Karkadooma Court passed on 22.12.2021 we have ceased to publish, republish, distribute, and/or sell the title “The Bank Who Crushed his Diamonds: The Yes Bank Story” by Furquan Moharkan. However, we are pursuing remedies in law available to us in this respect
The Rana Cookbook
The Rana name has been synonymous with the history and culture of Nepal for centuries. The beautiful palaces of Nepal were known not only for their glamour and architecture but also for their royal feasts. The recipes of the food served were exclusively with the cooks of the palaces and a lucky few who inherited them from earlier generations. In this exquisite book, for the first time ever, the doors to the palace kitchens are opened and we get a glimpse into the mouthwatering cuisine of the royals. Nepali food is famous for its fresh and light flavours in the staple rice, daals, meat and vegetables. The food of the Ranas, however, is vastly influenced by Indian flavours. While Indian food is renowned for its rich, thick gravies, Nepali cuisine tends to prefer lighter jhols and dry bhutans and kawafs. Though raw materials such as meat and vegetables can easily be found in the Indian kitchen, the style of preparation and spices such as jimbu and timur are unique in their Nepali flavour. With help and inputs from numerous family members, Rohini Rana has collected and documented the recipes precious to each Rana prime minister’s family. Showcasing magnificent food from the palaces, this luxurious and beautifully illustrated cookbook attempts to preserve these recipes for future
generations, and posterity.
Anything Can Be
This book commemorating 40 years of CRY, India’s most trusted NGO, is inspired by a Treasure Trove of dreams.
Dreams woven by children, with their bright smiles and infinite potential, who brave the odds every day. Children who often don’t make it past their 5th birthday. This grim situation has worsened with the Coronavirus pandemic as the loss of livelihoods has deprived underprivileged children of proper nutrition, timely immunisation and healthcare. The first 1000 days of a child’s life are extremely important but never have they been more critical for survival. With this book, we are raising funds that are urgently needed to give every child a healthier start to life.
But what makes this book truly special is that our hope is not ours alone. We believe that it’s shared by each and every one of you – our contributors and our readers. That we are all united in our dreams for children as India’s future. May we come together to help them rise; today and forevermore.
Includes letters of love by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Zia Mody, Sangita Jindal, Hema Malini, Boman Irani, Sameera Reddy and others.
Vikramorvashiyam
The earthly King Pururavas rescues the celestial nymph Urvashi from a demon, and thus begins a majestic love story that brings heaven and earth together. Both are struck with Kama’s arrow in their very first meeting, but each shies away from saying anything because the distance between them seems insurmountable. Even when they do confess their love, magical transformations and heavenly curses keep the lovers apart. Will Pururavas succeed in his quest for Urvashi?
A magnificent drama based on an episode from the Rig Veda, Vikramorvashiyam is filled with dramatic turns of event, music and dance. The scenes, characters and dialogues are at once lively and theatrical as well as sensitive and speculative. Believed to be the second of Kalidasa’s three plays, Vikramorvashiyam is an undisputed classic from ancient Indian literature. A.N.D. Haksar’s brilliant new translation gives contemporary readers an opportunity to savour this delightful tale.