Gandhi was 20th century’s most acclaimed political thinker-practioner of nonviolence. His method of nonviolence, however, was under trial during the ferocity of Partition. Why was it so? Gandhi: The End of Nonviolence explores this crisis in depth.
Putting Gandhi center stage in significant political events ranging from the Khilafat Movement (1919-1922) to Partition (1946-1947), Manash Firaq Bhattacharjee critically engages with some of the key figures who had a stake on the Hindu-Muslim question: Maulana Mohamad Ali, Muhammad Iqbal, the Arya Samajists, B.R. Ambedkar, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
The tragic repercussions of Jinnah’s declaration of ‘Direct Action Day’ on 16th August 1946 leads Manash to ask probing questions on the persistent malady in our political history: How does communal politics descend into genocide? What is the psychology of communal violence? Attentively reading the exceptional witness accounts of Pyarelal, Nirmal Kumar Bose and Manu Gandhi, Manash throws light on the many shades of Gandhi’s epic peace mission as he walks (often barefoot) through the devastated neighbourhoods of Noakhali, Bihar, Calcutta and Delhi, offering courage and healing wounds.
Combining poetic flair, diligent research and argumentative rigour, this one-of-a-kind book reminds us why Gandhi is part of our ethical conscience and transforms our understanding of the human condition.
“I’ve found that there is always some beauty left?in nature, sunshine, freedom, in yourself; these can all help you.”
Anne begins her diary entries at the age of thirteen in June 1942, recording all her experiences until August 1944. All people have the right to freedom, but Anne wasn’t sure that idea included her. During WWII, Anne and her family were forced to go into hiding like many other Jews.
Vivid snippets of two years of living in an annexe, without seeing the sun, are journalled by Anne. From their bones dwindling to her emotional growth all is reflected in her writings. She writes of her passion for literature and art, her desire to travel, the struggles of family ties in hiding: showing her incredible emotional resilience.
How does she keep her spirits alive through imagination, hold onto the hopes of free life, when they weren’t allowed to bring attention to themselves?
“Nothing in the world is harder than speaking the truth and nothing easier than flattery.”
What happens when paramount self-belief leads to self-destruction. Raskolnikov’s is a student who believes he has the responsibility of using evil means to bring good to people; thereby committing murders.
As Raskolnikov is chased by a relentless investigator, his conscience starts to haunt him, tightening the grip of guilt. Amidst this turmoil, only Sonya, a marginalized sex worker, holds the key to his salvation.
Ultimately, Raskolnikov’s path leads him to a profound reckoning. Through suffering and self-realization, Raskolnikov discovers the true nature of happiness and the power of accepting and reciprocating love.
Crime and Punishment stands as a testament to Dostoevsky’s unparalleled ability to explore the depths of the human psyche, the complexities of truth, guilt, and the search for redemption.
Dandi, 1930
All the world’s eyes are on this tiny village by the Arabian Sea, where Mahatma Gandhi will soon break the Salt Law to defy British rule.
Dinu would rather be home in Surat, reading his beloved Sherlock Holmes books. Instead, he finds himself wading through mud, battling angry goats and eating burnt food as the youngest of the student volunteers helping prepare Dandi for Bapu’s arrival.
When a man is found dead and rumours of an angry demon grip the village, Dinu finds himself drawn into the mystery, even as he grapples with dilemmas of his own. But as Dinu and his friends race against time to find the killer, the demon strikes again . . .
The Songs of Freedom series explores the lives of children across India during the struggle for independence.
The job of any river is to flow and as it flows, it nurtures everything around it, everything within it. But when human interference affects this natural flow, it brings floods and droughts, displacement and suffering in its wake.
From melting glaciers to urban flooding, sand mining to dammed rivers, river rights to river interlinking projects, dead rivers to river revival, this book is an attempt to understand India’s rivers through their stories and the narratives of those whose lives are interlaced with the life of rivers.
Deeply steeped in the historical, spiritual, cultural, political, ecological, and economic fabric of our society, these stories are highly relevant in today’s world where the climate crisis is a water crisis. Compelling readers to listen to the river’s gentle yet urgent voice, it’s a must read for all non-fiction lovers and students keen on understanding life in the subcontinent we call home.
Today, mobile connections are so readily accessible that it is perhaps easy to forget the time when only the elite had access to a phone provided by the sole operator: the Government of India. It all changed in the early 1990s as liberalisation stirred the Indian economy out of its decades of complacency.
The Telecom Wars begins its narration from those times, traversing the uncertain early years of the mobile phone industry. It is a vivid portrait of the fierce competition as Tata, Birla, Reliance, and Bharti bid to capture the lion’s share of India’s billion voices. As they did, India’s institutions to regulate and manage the sector also evolved—the ministry separated from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), and state-run operators MTNL and BSNL also joined the fray. Policy makers, entrepreneurs, and bureaucrats worked tirelessly to change India’s cellular topography.
Fast-paced and expertly written, veteran financial journalist Deepali Gupta’s account is both a comprehensive history and a work of great business insight.
Nattukotai Chettiars were the most prominent business community from Tamil region and this book captures their spirit of enterprise that led many of them to seek their fortunes overseas. It’s a story that connects South India, Burma, and South-East Asia across the Bay of Bengal and equally one that spans the British imperial era and that of the modern nation state.
For students of history, business, and for modern entrepreneurs, the book has valuable lessons on the importance of diversifying into promising investment opportunities and gauging the economic winds of change.
This book explores ten traditions of folk music that have long preserved some of the many voices and diverse cultures across India. From the evocative ballads of Kashmir to the soulful rhythms of Bengal, each tradition is shaped by the region where it originated and the challenges and joys of the singers. These traditions are:
The Bidesia of Bihar
The Gathas and Kathas of Rajasthan
The Ladishah Ballads of Kashmir
The Nizami Qawwali of Dilli
The Pandavani of Chhattisgarh
The Kabir Vaani of Kutch
The Janapadas of Karnataka
The Lavani of Maharashtra
The Li of the Chakhesang Nagas
The Bhatiyali of Bengal Mamta Nainy explores the origins of these musical forms, and their evolution in the face of modernity, highlighting their power as a means of collective expression.
बच्चों की सबसे प्रिय पत्रिकाओं में से एक है, जो मनोरंजन और शिक्षा का अनोखा संगम प्रस्तुत करती है। इसमें जानवरों पर आधारित रोचक कहानियाँ, मजेदार गतिविधियाँ और ज्ञानवर्धक लेख शामिल होते हैं। चंपक बच्चों की रचनात्मकता को बढ़ावा देता है और उनकी सोचने-समझने की क्षमता को विकसित करता है। यह पत्रिका हर आयु के बच्चों के लिए आदर्श है, जो उन्हें आनंद और शिक्षा दोनों प्रदान करती है।
बच्चों की सबसे प्रिय पत्रिकाओं में से एक है, जो मनोरंजन और शिक्षा का अनोखा संगम प्रस्तुत करती है। इसमें जानवरों पर आधारित रोचक कहानियाँ, मजेदार गतिविधियाँ और ज्ञानवर्धक लेख शामिल होते हैं। चंपक बच्चों की रचनात्मकता को बढ़ावा देता है और उनकी सोचने-समझने की क्षमता को विकसित करता है। यह पत्रिका हर आयु के बच्चों के लिए आदर्श है, जो उन्हें आनंद और शिक्षा दोनों प्रदान करती है।
