Publish with Us

Follow Penguin

Follow Penguinsters

Follow Penguin Swadesh

© 2020 Penguin India

Glow – An Excerpt

Posted on by Penguin India

Vasudha Rai’s Glow brings back the charm of Indian recipes for beauty and nourishment of your skin. From fruits and vegetables that are readily available to the potent Ayurvedic herbs, this book tells you the ways in which you can get the radiance from within. These remedies help in building strength and immunity, as well as cleanse your skin, body and mind.
Here is an excerpt on vitality from the book:
Vitality
We operate out of two emotions—fear and love. Both sentiments make us truly human. However, they’re the opposite of each other. When we work out of fear, the result is usually weak and lacklustre. But when we do something from a place of love, the results are inspirational.
It’s no different with food.
In today’s world there’s so much misplaced knowledge that we eat out of fear. Will this make me fat? Am I allergic to this? Should I feel guilty after an indulgence? With each bite we become more afraid, and consequently, our bodies shut down, refusing to accept nourishment. even when we treat ourselves, we become overwhelmed with guilt, which prevents us from truly enjoying the moment. You see, it’s not just what you eat that is important but also how you eat it. The more you relish your food, the more it will energize you.
Over the last few decades many trends have come and gone. First, fat was the enemy and now it’s our best friend. Meat was also glorified for a brief moment, while carbs were pilloried for causing weight gain. After writing on health and beauty for many years, the only thing I’ve learnt is that today’s remedy could be tomorrow’s poison. Foods that nourish you greatly could be stigmatized because of new research. And ingredients that were considered poisonous may be celebrated again.
The problem begins when we focus just on the outward manifestation of beauty. When washboard abs become more important than an energized body, we fail in the quest for health. The perpetual obsession with superfoods takes away the pleasure of eating. It separates us from the time-tested knowledge of our ancestors. While traditions have always been relevant, you’ll find that they are more applicable today than ever before. In fact, at a time when we’re bombarded with a new trend every day, ancient, time-tested wisdom is worth our trust.
Vitality is the feeling of freshness, energy and strength. It helps us look forward to the day and handle each task with ease, including the chore of self-care. We need to be strong and energized first, before even thinking about the other aspects of beauty such as clarity and radiance. In this part we’ll focus on the basics that make us robust—oils, grains, unrefined sugars and herbs—ingredients from our kitchens that must be included in our everyday diet.
I’ve included carbs and sugars in this selection because I don’t believe in completely eliminating any food group. While I limit my consumption of wheat, milk and sugar because they cause inflammation, I haven’t removed them entirely from my diet. It’s essential to enjoy everything in moderation. Unless you’re intolerant or allergic to any ingredient, there’s really no reason to completely cut it out.
The need of the hour is to stop treating meals as a battlefield. We must eat with the aim of boosting health and longevity, instead of trying to create only the outward shell of a perfect body. After all, there can be outward beauty only when there’s inner health.
***
Coconut
It is the ultimate symbol of joy. Its scent is like a vacation for the mind, its water instantly energizes a tired body and a splash of its milk makes everything tastier. In India, the coconut is revered greatly. We break it open before auspicious occasions as an offering to the gods. It’s so purifying, healing and strengthening that it is essential to bless any celebration. The last decade or so has been especially good for the coconut. We have seen a huge surge in its popularity. We’re applying the oil to frayed cuticles, split ends, dry skin and even mixing spoonfuls in green tea and coffee. But, as with most natural ingredients that are celebrated, coconut is now being demonized too.
A 2017 research conducted by the American Heart Association found that coconut oil has as much (if not more) fat than butter and even beef fat. And, therefore, the study said that it increases cholesterol and causes weight gain. I don’t find it surprising. At the end of the day coconut oil is a saturated fat, and any fat (whether it’s saturated or unsaturated) must not be used in excess. The problem arises when we put food up on a pedestal so high that any shortcomings aren’t even considered a possibility.
In the last decade or so we have leapfrogged from one food to another, calling each the holy grail of health. There were goji berries, avocadoes, wheat bran, acai, cacao and even red meat, which was part of the Atkins diet. The problem is that the moment a food becomes a fad, we start overusing it without proper knowledge. However, there really is no one superfood that resolves all our problems. All plants and all foods have superpowers—each with its own unique property.
Coconut oil has some wonderful benefits, but too much will, of course, increase cholesterol. And if you consume it with ice cream or a cold drink, it will congeal inside your body because it is a saturated fat just like ghee. But to demonize it to an extent where it’s comparable to beef fat is an exaggeration. The one big difference between the two is that beef fat is inflammatory and coconut oil (being plantbased) is anti-inflammatory. Therefore, they’re the opposite ends of the spectrum: inflammation causes disease and foods that control it heal our bodies.
Science
What can be said about coconuts that isn’t already known? They’re rich in trace minerals such as manganese, iron, zinc, copper and selenium, which help in hormone regulation, cell regeneration and even digestion. They also contain small amounts of B vitamins and a ton of fibre, but the real USP is a certain medium-chain fatty acid called lauric acid. When consumed, it turns into monolaurin, which is  strong antimicrobial agent that fights against viral and yeast infections. In addition, coconut oil also contains caprylic acid (a powerful fungus-fighter) and capric acid (a potent yeast killer). Because of these properties it is given to people with poor gut health, as one of the main reasons for that is candida (or yeast) overgrowth.
While a small amount of candida is essential for healthy digestion, in excess it can damage organs and release toxic by-products into the bloodstream. Signs of candida overgrowth include regular migraines, intense sugar cravings, bloating, anxiety, digestive issues and low energy. The three acids mentioned above form a powerful antidote that helps break down candida fungus in the body and restore healthy digestion. A safe amount of coconut oil that you can consume daily is 1 tablespoon. If, however, after a couple of months, you don’t see any improvement in your skin, mood or digestion, increase the dosage with the help of a certified nutritionist. Do keep in mind that some of the prime causes for this overgrowth are sugar, wine and antibiotics.
Coconut water is a highly isotonic fluid, meaning the electrolytes in it are very similar to our blood plasma. Therefore it revives us instantly. It’s like a hydrating injection, balancing the electrolytes immediately and fortifying the body with amino acids. Coconuts are alkaline in nature and cleansing for the body, which makes their water the perfect drink to kick-start your day.
Coconut meat is high in fibre and therefore helps promote gut health. The MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) in its oil break down as ketones, which serve as fuel for the brain. This is why they’re useful for memory problems and improving brainpower.
Coconut-and-Clay Toothpaste

  • 2 teaspoons bentonite clay
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon clove powder
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil
  • ½ teaspoon activated charcoal
  • A few drops of peppermint oil

 

  • Mix the bentonite clay, baking soda, clove power and cinnamon power.
  • Add the coconut oil, activated charcoal, a few drops of peppermint oil and a bit of distilled water and mix it all.
  • Never use a metal spoon or container to make or store this toothpaste as the negative ions in the bentonite clay will bond with the positive charge in many toxins from metals.
  • This amount is enough for two people for a month. Keep it stored in a glass jar and do not use a metal spoon to scoop it out.
  • This toothpaste helps clean and whiten the teeth without the harmful toxins (such as fluoride) present in commercial toothpastes.
  • Instead of using and throwing plastic tubes, you can also reduce waste by making your own toothpaste.

 
———-
While it is possible to fake great skin with make-up, you can only be truly radiant when you nourish your body from within. After all, outer beauty is only a symptom of inner health.
AVAILABLE NOW

John Green Quotes We Can't Seem to Get Enough Of

Posted on by Penguin India

John Green is the award-winning, #1 bestselling author of Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, Will Grayson, Will Grayson (with David Levithan), Turtles All the Way Down and The Fault in Our Stars.
From these wonderful books have come some wonderful and ever-so-relevant quotes that we can’t seem to get enough of. Let’s take a look at some of them!





 
 

Exploring Waves of Migration in the Islamic Community

Posted on by Penguin India

India Moving takes a close look at India’s (and the world’s largest) episodes of voluntary and involuntary migration. It delves into how India is unique in currently sustaining considerable immigration, internal migration and emigration – all three at the same time.
It provides a wealth of information and interesting perspective on the migration of different business communities within and outside India.
 
Here’s an insightful look at the origin and impact of successive waves of migration within the Muslim Merchant community, over the years:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Origin of Kartikeya – An Excerpt

Posted on by Penguin India

He was the son of fierce Durga and three-eyed Shiva. He had been born, he had lived, and he would die if need be, for a divine purpose-to kill the Soul Stealer
In Usha Narayanan’s book, Kartikeya and his Battle with the Soul Stealer Surapadma’s reign of terror flourishes and the fate of all creatures-mortal and immortal-hangs in the balance. Shiva’s son, Kartikeya, must destroy several formidable asuras before he can confront the Soul Stealer and salvage the dying, gasping universe.
Who is Kartikeya and what is his story? Let’s find out about his origin in this excerpt from the book!
The mountains were dark and dangerous. Dense woods covered their lower slopes while the peaks were snow-topped. Pishachas and bhootas flashed through the air with devilish hoots. Eerie, moss-covered trees glowed like goblins in the night. Swamps opened their putrid mouths to swallow the heedless traveller. Dense fog descended suddenly to obscure one’s vision, making it easy to plunge down steep cliffs. Venomous snakes raised their dark heads from their holes. Wild beasts hunted their unwary prey. And in their midst, all alone, stood a young child with a stormy face, setting up a loud clamour as he challenged the skies.
The mountain dwellers spoke in awed whispers about his sudden appearance. They had seen a fiery glow illumine the peak one night. Veins of gold, ores of silver and sparkling gems emerged as if by magic, shining with a blinding lustre that brought the ravens cawing, assuming that the day had dawned. The owls, terrified by the sudden light, flew hastily into the darkness of the caves. The hunters heard the cry of a baby the next day, though they could not find out where it came from. On the third day, they caught a glimpse of a glowing child amidst the reeds that fringed the mountain pool. And, the next morning, even as they watched and wondered, they saw him walking and talking. How had he come here, all alone? They had seen no strangers, so where were his parents? Had they abandoned him, fearful that he would bring disaster upon them?
For alas, the child’s face and form were bizarre. They kept their distance, afraid of this extraordinary being.
‘It is against nature’s laws that he should grow so swiftly,’ said one.
‘They say that asura children become full-grown in a matter of days,’ said another. ‘Or perhaps he is a monster who has come to torment us. That would explain his eerie appearance!’
Then one hunter raised his bow. ‘Instead of wondering about who he is, let us kill him before he grows too powerful!’ he said.
‘No!’ exclaimed his wife, forcing his arm down. ‘You cannot kill an innocent child who is forsaken and forlorn. I curse the mother who abandoned him in this manner! He must be hungry, poor little one. I want to take him some food. Look, how unsteady he is on his feet. How will he survive in the forest?’
Even as she spoke, she saw something move behind a rock on the path the child was following. She saw a dark scaly head emerge—that of a poisonous pit viper. It uncoiled its hideous body and flicked its forked tongue in the air as if to sniff its prey. The hunter’s wife gasped and picked up a handful of stones to hurl at the snake. Her husband gripped her arm and shook his head. She looked at him angrily and whispered, ‘We must warn him. What if it bites him? The poison will kill him that very instant.’ She turned quickly again to see if the snake had struck. It was upright and appeared to be waiting for the child to come within striking distance. She tore her arm free and lifted it, ready to throw the stones. Even if they did not reach the snake, at least the boy would be alerted. And the startled snake might retreat.
Suddenly, the snake dropped to the ground, as if prostrating itself before the child who walked past—unaware of the danger he was in. The spectators looked at one other, startled. What did this mean? ‘I told you! There is something unearthly about this child!’ the hunter said. ‘Let us run away before he spots us.’
‘No, I refuse to believe that a child so radiant could be evil,’ his wife protested, resisting his pull on her arm.
‘Let us at least stay away until we find out more about his nature,’ the hunter replied. They hid behind some trees and watched the stranger go past.
The child saw two moving shadows but when he turned, there was no one there. His nostrils flared in response to a delectable smell he had occasionally come across in the forest. He felt a deep pang of loneliness and pain. Hunger stirred in his stomach and he felt a raging thirst. He heard the trumpeting of a herd of elephants moving towards the river, with their young ones safely tucked in their midst. In the tree above his head, he could see a black bird in its nest, pushing food into the throats of its hungry chicks. A monkey clan was watching him warily, with the young ones clinging to the backs of the mothers. Alas, he could not see anyone of his own kind, no tender mother or vigilant father. He had seen footprints like his own on the ground. Was it his clan’s? Why were they avoiding him then? Perhaps he had been cast away as worthless. His foot slipped on some smooth pebbles. He grasped at a bush to steady himself and gasped as the thorns pierced his flesh. He stuck his hand in his mouth, trying to soothe the burning sensation. Quick tears sprang from his eyes. He raised his voice in anguish, breaking the quietness of the morning.
‘Who am I? Why was I born? What is my name?’ he cried out. But he heard no answer. ‘The beasts around me cradle their young. They bring them food and protect them from their foes. But my parents . . . my parents have abandoned me on this cruel mountainside. I am at the mercy of the sun, the wind and the wild creatures that stalk their prey at night!’
Would someone reply, explain the reason for everything that was happening? He waited, his eyes flaming red. But all he heard was Nature herself, speaking with the voices of the elements.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of someone or something crashing through the bushes. A wild boar emerged in his path, huge and menacing. It stood aggressively before him, pawing the ground in challenge, its eyes glinting angrily. Behind it he could see the sow emerging from the bushes, followed by its young ones. But as he stood stock-still, staring at the animals, the mother took a quick look at him and herded her young ones back into cover. The male grunted at him and he grunted back. It stared at him for a few moments, appearing to be in two minds about mounting an attack. Then it turned and followed its brood into cover.

8 Things you Didn’t Know about Bene Israel Jews

Posted on by Penguin India

An epic tale of a gifted Jewish family that loses and finds itself on Indian soil, The Book of Esther shines fresh light on the Jewish experience in India and becomes an affecting tale about love, home and belonging. The book gives us some interesting facts that you may not have known about the Bene Israel Jew community in India.

  1. Bene Israel Jews don’t work on Saturdays. (They don’t even cook!)

  1. Restrictions were placed on women by the community

  1. Where do they come from? The community isn’t sure.

 

  1. According to the lore seven couples were shipwrecked off the Konkan coast, these were the first Bene Israel Jews.

  1. Prophet Elijah (Eliyahu Hannabi) is special to the Bene Israel Jews.

  1. Idolatry is forbidden in the community.

 

  1. Kaala Jaadoo- What’s that? Black magic and the supernatural is rejected by the community.

  1. Your boy becoming a man? Not before there’s a bar mitzvah to celebrate it.



Technology on a Leash

Posted on by Penguin India

Venkat Iyer is the author of Moong Over Microchips and a certified project management professional. In this piece Iyer discusses how technology could be “a useful servant but a dangerous master”. Vivek Wadhwa and Alex Salkever talk about technology on similar lines in their book Your Happiness was Hacked.
The book Your Happiness was Hacked encounters various problems that are caused by engaging with technology to an extreme and how it could be kept under check. This book exposes how tech companies entice us to overdose on their products, thereby hindering our daily lives.
—————-
I worked in the Information Technology (IT) industry for 17 years and that is enough to be immersed in the addictive tech world. Starting from the humble desktop to mighty servers with the latest software and technology, there was not a moment I did not think of IT.
Steven Spielberg once said, “Technology can be our best friend, and technology can also be the biggest party pooper of our lives. It interrupts our own story, interrupts our ability to have a thought or a daydream, to imagine something wonderful, because we are too busy bridging the walk from the cafeteria back to the office on the cell phone.”
I was to understand what he meant only in 2003 when I quit my job in IBM and decided to start my own organic farm near Mumbai. Moving to the village, only over 100 km from Mumbai, I found that there was no telephone connectivity, let alone internet. I soon realised what an impact technology had on our lives. Right from the initial dotcom boom to the introduction of smartphones and social media, technology had touched almost everyone’s lives and changed it. While it brought the world closer and made access to information easier, it also transformed our social and cultural fabric.
Way back in the nineties, one could rattle off a long list of telephone numbers, while now even for their own number, people tend to search in their mobile phones. Simple addition and multiplication need a calculator. Many would say technology makes our lives easy, but what about using our brains to perform simple tasks which will keep it alive and ticking. To counter this, Sudoku or a crossword   puzzle are recommended daily to keep the grey cells from disuse.
With the growing popularity of Facebook, I was tempted to open an account.  I could access the internet only on the weekends when I went to Mumbai from the farm, and I could not relate to many posts. Most of them were of little interest to me.  Once, when I checked my timeline I found a post by a niece in USA, describing a terrible stomach pain. I stared at the post for a while: it seemed strange that you would get up and log on to a social networking site to inform people across the world of an ailment while in so much pain. I also could not figure out why 21 people had liked the post. What exactly did they like? Her pain and trauma or the fact that they had read the post. It did not take me much time to delete my profile and I vowed never to be on Facebook again.
While the insane desire to share the humdrum realities of one’s life in public was growing thanks to Facebook, another application was gaining ground, Whatsapp. This free new app with calling facility made it possible to chat with others all over the world.  Suddenly, I was added to groups of old school friends, ex-colleagues, cousins, farmers’ groups and other of like- minded people coming together to share information. The popular activity was to forward and share as many posts as possible. It was left to the imagination if the posts were true and verified. Lately, these indiscriminate posts, sometimes circulating falsehoods or old videos have been fuelling lynch mobs and claiming the lives of people in our country. But who cares. To forward and share is our motto.
It is reported that almost 200 million people use Whatsapp in India and sadly most people believe the often scurrilous posts, sometimes proved to be patently false. It is a common sight to see people staring at the phone all day either reading or forwarding what they have received. Besides, the addiction to online games, music and videos cuts across ages.  It has become difficult to have a sane conversation with anyone.
Sometime back, I had a visitor from Mumbai who wanted to learn about organic farming and discuss the complex marketing of organic produce. In between a serious discussion, her phone beeped and soon she was lost staring at it for the next ten minutes, while I was holding forth on the topic. A while later, she returned to the physical world and said, “I am sorry, Where were we?”  I just looked at her and said, “Maybe you should send me your questions on Whatsapp and I can reply to them at leisure.” The comment did the trick and she switched off the phone for the rest of the meeting. But, sadly everyone does not react the same way and some continue to smile and stare at their phones.
Technology is not bad; it is a useful servant but a dangerous master. It is the indiscriminate use and over dependence on it that is not good for us. It is faster to email than post a physical letter and there are many other advantages. But, is there a need to stare at the phone and jump at every sound notifying you of something, tweet every moment or Facebook your aches and pains to complete strangers?  So that I am not addicted to my phone, I have fixed timings daily to read my mail and reply. Anyway if it is something urgent, I presume one would have got a call and not an email. Even when it comes to taking calls, I don’t take them all the time, especially during mealtimes or while driving.
I probably find it easier to have these restrictions since I live on the farm and not in a city with a fast- paced job. In the corporate world, there is no question of being delinked from technology.  There could be a time when you need to step back and look at your life: is this incessant use of the phones, social media and technology having an impact on your health, life, peace and your mental state? Can we strike a balance between life and technology, so we enjoy the best of technology and reclaim a life that we can truly enjoy? It is not impossible.
 
 
Your Happiness was Hacked turns personal observation into a handy guide to adapting to our new reality of omnipresent technology.
AVAILABLE NOW!

Meet the Characters – Love, Take Two

Posted on by Penguin India

An  epic film based on one of the most famous tragic romances of all time- Heer-Ranjha, serves as the surprising backdrop to this rollicking romantic comedy of heroes, heroines and happily-ever afters in Tinseltown.
Saranya  Rai brings to you Love,Take Two. When Vicky Behl and Kritika Vadukut meet on the sets of Ranjha Ranjha they find it hard not to give in to their attraction to each other amidst all the romantic numbers and their undeniable onscreen and off-screen chemistry. But will the pressure and scrutiny of Bollywood allow them a happy ending or will there be a twist in the tale?
 
Kritika Vadukut
The gorgeous model/badminton player turned successful actress, who through sheer hard-work and perseverance is trying to prove that not every former Miss India is jinxed in Bollywood. Having once had her heart broken by the poster-boy for Bollywood nepotism -Raunak Rajput, can she trust her heart to another star with a player’s reputation again?

 
 
Vicky Behl
Charming, goofy and good-looking, Vicky is everybody’s favourite scandalous leading man and all-round Bollywood heartthrob, with a (partly) undeserved tharki reputation and a taste for outlandish clothes. When he is cast as Ranjha opposite Kritika’s Heer, he must navigate rumour-mongering reporters and well-intentioned family and friends to reach his stunning co-stars heart.

 
Jahan Malek-
Vicky’s long-suffering best friend and confidante. He is also a popular star and the critics’ darling for his stellar performances and his hard-earned abs.

 
Mrinalini Behl
21, chubby and shy, Mini would be the classic girl next door if your average girl next door had India’s scandalous sweetheart, Vicky Behl, for an overprotective older brother. Add to that her long-term crush on yet another famous star and her brother’s best friend-Jahan Malek who insists on seeing her as a little sister, and you have no shortage of growing pains!

 
Sudarshana Samarth
Incredibly smart and accomplished, as a veteran of eighteen films with a taste for plenty of opulent, baroque grandeur, Sudarshana has the dubious joy of directing the incorrigible Vicky Behl who sees this impossible taskmaster as the female version of his principal, and Kritika in the period drama Ranjha Ranjha. All this while also dealing with her annoyingly attractive DoP who has a way of getting under her skin with his radically different ideas on cinematography.

 
Arun Jadhav
Ranjha Ranjha’s Director of Photography who is as thoroughly intrigued by Sudarshana’s intelligence as by her gentle curves and quiet beauty, even if his minimalist and raw approach to cinematography is at odds with her more grandiose visions.

 
Meher Patel
Kritika’s best friend and stylist, a single mother and accomplished designer in her own right, she takes her job of saving her stunning but sartorially insecure friend from fashion purgatory very seriously.

 
 
Bhaskar Joshi
Sneaky entertainment reporter who is not above using dubious tactics and manipulating perfectly mundane statements for a fresh scoop of juicy scandal.

 
 

Staggering Forward – Excerpt

Posted on by Penguin India


Is Modi’s foreign policy a failure? – An Excerpt from Staggering Forward
Narendra Modi has never really articulated his India First policy in extenso but spoken about it in dribs and drabs and broad-brush terms. In a town hall setting in New Delhi in August 2016, he elaborated on this concept as the “central point [of Indian foreign policy]. It is about protecting India’s strategic interest [and] ensur[ing] that India marches forward in achieving economic prosperity by leaps and bounds and reach[ing] the position which it is destined to reach.”
Here is an excerpt from Bharat Karnad’ book, Staggering Forward: Narendra Modi and India’s Global Ambition where the author talks about his views on Modi’s foreign policy. Argumentative and thought-provoking, Staggering Forward is a must-read to understand India’s foreign and national security policies since 2014.
——————————————————
In the end stage of his first term as prime minister, Modi, the sole fount of all policy ideas in the BJP government, has done nothing very meaningful in meeting the India First metrics. In early May 2017, he defined his foreign policy priorities to an assembly of the country’s ambassadors as follows: increasing India’s economic profile in the newer, untapped markets of the world, enhancing its security in a difficult neighbourhood and building it into a leading power and net security provider. These are unexceptionable goals, not the stuff to vault India into the heaving scrum of international power politics. The impression of Modi’s small-time objectives is backed by the fact that there is no mention anywhere in his many pronouncements of the inherent strengths and resources of the nation and how he means to harness them. More troublingly, there’s no hint, much less a detailed articulation, of a national vision, of the preferred global order and rising India’s place in it, the time-frame in which he expects the country to achieve it and with what effect on the Asian region and the world and, most significantly, utilizing what plan and strategy. Indeed, there has been nothing from
Modi by way of a national vision, game plan or strategy. Nor has there been a public mustering of the iron resolve and political will necessary to signal to the people his intentions, just a series of mostly alliterative slogans and, in practice, staying with the foreign and military policies charted by his predecessors, Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh. It doesn’t come close to fleshing out a genuinely ‘new India’, much less an India First attitude and policies.
Consider in this respect what Modi sees as constituting a ‘new India’: A more efficient apparatus of state (better coordination between government agencies, distribution of LED bulbs, etc.), speeded up governmental processes (less time to get passports, income tax refunds), streamlined delivery of social benefits (farmer insurance, free gas connections, rural electrification, bank accounts for the poor), more effective implementation of infrastructure programmes (rail projects, increased electricity generation), and accelerated creation of jobs (extending shop hours). The impression one has of these markers is that of a list of ingredients and tools a car designer may crave without an inkling of what he is supposed to create. The result could be a Rolls- Royce or a Tata Nano. If all Modi’s vision for the country is a bagful of relatively small achievements, meagre economic accomplishments and unspecified but timid objectives in the external realm dressed up in acronyms (such as SAGAR—Security and Growth for All in the Region), his ‘new India’ is much like the old India he inherited. It’s the ‘same old, same old’ with Modi’s ministrations, producing only marginal changes because he is relying on the existing rickety government system and the old way of doing things to deliver new, different and dazzling outcomes. So, India continues to lag way behind the South East Asian states to go no farther out than that and, where China is concerned, remains overmatched.
Compared and contrasted with the agendas of the other strongmen, Modi’s vision and schemes appear meagre, mostly of local import, and not designed for anything other than minimal international impact. If he has been restrained and convivial in his dealings with foreign countries, his government at home, like Trump’s in the US, Xi’s in China, Putin’s in Russia and Erdogan’s in Turkey, has been only about himself. Having first ruthlessly eliminated the residual resistance to his primacy within the ruling BJP with some deft political manoeuvring, Modi has, with the help of his confidant Amit Shah (installed by him as party chief), reduced the opposition to bumfuzzled irrelevance, sharing the fate of the Kemalists at the hands of Erdogan in Turkey, of the Communist Party and the Liberal Democratic Party by Putin in Russia, and the shrinking of the support base of the Democratic Party and Constitutional Democratic Party by Abe in Japan.
But it is hard not to attribute this outcome to Modi’s political skills and rhetoric, his keen social sense, insights into caste arithmetic in various regions and the gripes and grievances of the common man. Combined with his killer instinct, it has assured Modi and his party a longish stint in power. A domineering presence in national life has resulted in the Indian system and policy establishment—the deep state—adjusting to Modi’s likes and dislikes, becoming attentive to his every tick and ready to do his bidding. It has reinforced the prime minister’s autocratic style of functioning, rooting the top-down decision-making model that’s presently in vogue—very different from the more collegial model of the previous regimes that fitted the personalities of Manmohan Singh and Vajpayee. It mirrors developments in the US, China, Russia and Turkey, and a good part of the developing world, and in the states formerly comprising the Soviet bloc. It represents what John Lloyd, founder of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University has called ‘semi-authoritarian nationalism’. Whatever their differing ideologies, autocratic regimes find other governments of the same ilk easier to do business with.
 

5 Signs of a Dead Relationship

Posted on by Penguin India

Samah’s latest book, Familiar Strangers, tells the story of Priya and Chirag who like several other modern couples, are living life at breackneck speed and are unknowingly stuck in the rut of a marriage that is dying, if not already dead.
A marriage usually doesn’t go from “‘I am yours forever” to “drop dead, we’re getting divorced”. It does have a plethora of red flags in between. But would you recognize these warning signs if you saw them? Priyan and Chirag’s relationship starts to change when Chirag’s ex-girlfriend returns when they least expect it. Was that a sign of their dying relationship?
Here we have 5 warning signs most couples miss out on:
 
1. When you two no longer communicate
A sign of a healthy and loving relationship is an open and honest communication. If you and your partner are not talking or communicating with each other, then you should be worried. Failing marriages lose interest in solving problems or resolving arguments. There are fewer meaningful discussions or mutual goals and challenges to look forward to.

 
2. Intimacy is non-existent
Intimacy not only refers to sex but could also include gestures like holding hands, hugging, cuddling or holding each other. Lack of intimacy is the easiest way to know that a relationship is in trouble. If you and your partner feel more like roommates rather than a couple sharing a beautiful marriage, you seem to have lost a building block of your relationship.

 
3. You don’t fight at all
In a relationship, partners are bound to have expectations from each other. If those expectations aren’t met, couples tend to fight. But those fights take place because the relationship is worth fighting for. If couples start to avoid conflict and refuse to share their true feelings, they run the risk of repressing their feelings which ultimately leads to resentment, bitterness and anger.

 
4. When your partner stops making you feel special
Every couple has a tradition or an activity they love indulging in. Think watching movies,  cooking for one another or travelling together. When you see a sharp decline in your partner’s efforts to make you feel special or a complete disinterest in doing things they once did for you, you should be wary.

 
5. The entry of the dreaded ex
Your marriage is most likely over if your partner is speaking to their ex. Marriage is serious business and requires full dedication and commitment. If you are truly into your partner, you wouldn’t feel the need to talk to your ex-lover. So when your partner is suddenly in touch with their ex, then that’s probably the tell-tale sign that they want out.

 
 

The Adventures of SP Lodha

Posted on by Penguin India

Bihar Diaries is an exciting account of the arrest of the ill-famed criminal of Bihar, Vijay Samrat by Amit Lodha. Known for extortion, kidnapping and massacre of numerous people, Vijay Samrat is one of the most feared ganglords of Shekhpura, a sleepy mofussil town in Bihar.
Twinkle Khanna in her foreword to the book praises SP Amit Lodha and says, “When you read the story, you will find that it is vivid and atmospheric because the author has lived each moment, unlike the rest of us who have to often rely on second-hand research and our imaginations while writing from the safety of our armchairs.”
Here are five interesting cases that SP Amit Lodha has worked on:
1. The featured case of how SP Amit Lodha caught the ganglord Vijay Samrat tops this list. With his quick thinking and persistence to mete out justice, he was able to seize the most dangerous criminal of Bihar.
 

 
2. When a student from one of the well-known schools of Bihar was abducted, SP Amit Lodha with his flair of working with technology and new gadgets, was able to catch hold of the kidnapper and find the missing child.
 

 
3. While on a mission to capture the don of Munger, Kirtan Mishra, SP Amit Lodha bravely went to his hideout and arrested him. This was the first arrest of his career.
 

4. SP Amit Lodha managed to capture the infamous murderer Hari Sinha with the utmost ease. When he did not get the back-up that he needed, he decided to go without it to capture the criminal.
 

 
5. When on a mission to arrest Vijay Samrat, SP Amit Lodha found out about his most trusted accomplice Horlicks Samrat. A long and an interesting process of following the trail of the criminal ensued, resulting in the arrest and bringing him closer to his aim of arresting Vijay Samrat.
 

 
Bihar Diaries captures vividly the battle of nerves between a dreaded outlaw and a young urbane IPS officer.
AVAILABLE NOW!
 

error: Content is protected !!