Book Review: What Happened to That Love?

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Phoenix Feather

Why does the word ‘mundane’ scare us so much? We constantly run away from everything that even remotely resembles the ordinary. The everyday. We want different. We want exotic. We want special. Not for us the regular stands, we will only watch a cricket match in the VIP enclosure. Cattle class is for the herds, we travel business or first. Average is not an option when extraordinary is available as well.

When will this stop? When will this fascination with the remarkable take a turn towards the reality of our situations? When will we realize that we DO lead mundane lives? In fact, almost the same life as the person next to us.

Consider this. Playtime is supreme during childhood and late nights are a mysterious, out-of-reach goal. Then comes puberty and experimentations with our sexuality. And parents begin to turn dictators around this time. Closing the door of your bedroom can raise eyebrows quicker than a naked man on the road. College and university start knocking on that door very soon, setting the tone for future careers. Love happens in the middle of all this or after, and then marriage, kids and family life follow. Death, money troubles, divorce or disease – all make an appearance at some point. Peppering our mundane lives with a little flavor. In some lives, lessons are learnt. In others, they’re bypassed for the road more travelled.

One adjective remains constant, lurking in the shadows, ready to step into the light. Mundane never leaves.

Which is why, Kailash Srinivasan’s debut novel, What Happened to That Love, hits a chord somewhere. His collection of short stories is so commonplace that any of them could be your stories. Or mine. And he tells them too, in the most ordinary narrative.

In Anytime Now, an old couple on the brink of death clutches on to frail existence, each wanting to die before the other so that loneliness does not engulf them. Sounds familiar? How about the next story, Brownies? A man of Indian origin in Australia lives with racial prejudice and the threat of violence, wanting all the time to come back to his motherland. His turmoil and his helplessness at his situation play havoc in his own mind. Or the next – What Happened to That Love? Two people fall out of love and move on to other people. And are then struck with how fast they have been able to move on. Did they really love each other? What was their relationship about?

These are just three of the twelve tales that Srinivasan spins. With the delicate thread of life. His patterns are simple because their content is complicated enough. He doesn’t delve too far or get too creative, choosing instead a prosaic approach. He says things like they are. For instance, the protagonist of What Should I Do is a man whose ex-wife barges into his home and refuses to leave, terrorizing him and his second wife and children. He gets blamed and doesn’t know how to resolve the situation, because he loves both women. If we start counting how many real and reel life situations that have been based on that premise, we’d need several reams of paper!

Srinivasan’s other stories are similar – a village woman sells her body to feed her children when her husband is away working in the city; a couple sacrifice everything they have to educate their son and send him abroad to study and make a fine living, only to have him forget them soon after; a little girl faces physical abuse at the hands of her father; a young girl is so traumatized by her father abandoning her mother that she develops a psychological block against men, remaining a spinster all her life; a cruel and miserly village landlord organizes a feast for the villagers in order to overcome an illness, and then charges them heavy fines once he recovers; the stories go on.

There are no frills anywhere, the stories are heart-wrenching enough on their own. Srinivasan’s simplistic and lucid writing becomes his biggest weapon. He stabs you with each word. Quick incisions that aren’t deep but draw blood. The saltiness of the warm liquid fills your senses, as you realize that these stories are nothing new, but their portrayal leaves you dizzy with reaction. Hurting not just for the characters in them, but for yourself. Their mundane-ness is familiar, and you suddenly realize why you run towards the different, the exotic, the special.

It is the mundane that wrenches your gut, churns your soul. Maybe that’s why, you and I want no part of it. Absolutely none.

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Book Review: Last Man In Tower

Posted on August 9, 2011 by admin

Reading Arvind Adiga’s latest fiction work “Last Man in Tower” reminded me of a very twisted statement made by the Joker (played memorably by the late Heath Ledger) in the movie The Dark Knight. Upon being interrogated by the Batman, the ‘Joker’ with a smug on his face, said, “You know..these civilized people..When the chips are down, they will eat each other.” Adiga, in his second novel tries to show us the carnivorous capabilities of human beings upon being subjected to extreme desperation, albeit in a much dangerous way.

After travelling through the dark streets of Delhi in his first novel, “The White Tiger“, Adiga now turns to the city of gold, Mumbai. He argues that in Mumbai the only driving force is real estate. Space is what drives the city and its famed money. And so we have the real estate developer Dharmen Shah who is an expert in “re-development” projects. He zeroes in on an old society in Vakola called Vishram society. He dreams of turning that nondescript building into a Shanghai. And in order to do that, he has to evict the people living there.

Adiga then creates an ensemble cast of various people who live in that society. He sketches their lives with different colours with the most notable being that of ‘Masterji’. Masterji happens to be a retired school teacher and is living alone in the society after his wife’s death.

Masterji happens to be the only person who refuses the money being offered by Shah. And a gruesome battle begins between the two. It is from here that true colours of the great Indian middle class come out. Adiga shows the great depths to which the middle class can plummet to. They are prisoners of necessity – describes Adiga.

Adiga captures Mumbai beautifully. But this Mumbai is filthy and not the uber rich as we see on TV. He describes the overpopulated local trains, the foul smelling markets and the open sewers. He also portrays some very routine things of life in surprisingly short sentences.

The novel is dark and painful. It reminds you that you are alone in this world no matter what people say. It reminds us that we are all so vulnerable to greed. It reminds us that we are selfish.

Adiga described the poor in his first novel and now the middle class in his second. Will it be the neo-rich in his third?

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To order this book at 40% discount, call 011- 4575 4477 or email ccare@uprack.com.

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Author Interview: Monika Schroder

Posted on August 9, 2011 by admin

Question: Why don’t you begin by telling us how you took to writing in the first place? Was it something that you’ve always had in mind or did the idea come to you much later? Was there a particular person or incident that inspired you?

Answer: I did not grow up to be a writer. I have always been an avid reader, but I didn’t like writing when I was in school. While working as an elementary school teacher I took classes on how to better teach writing to elementary school students. For one of these classes I had to submit a piece of fiction. On one of my long morning runs I decided to tell a story about a boy who discovers his grandparents after they had committed suicide out of fear of the approaching Russian army. This event was based on my dad’s experience in East Germany at the end of World War II. The instructor of my course encouraged me to continue writing about this boy and – after many years – my first novel developed.

Question: Your first book “The Dog in the Wood” was about the struggle of a 10 year old boy in war torn Germany. Similarly, in your second book also, Akash, the protoganist, has to go through a lot of struggle. Is it a conscious effort by you to put children in challenging situations in your books?

Answer: I believe that young readers, particularly boys, enjoy dramatic plots. In order to create tension in a story a protagonist has to overcome obstacles and endure hardship to reach his goal. So, yes, putting a character in challenging situations is a conscious effort to write compelling good fiction.

Question: The book described India’s poverty. What inspired you? Any particular incident?

Answer: As you know poverty is visible everywhere in India, particularly in big cities like New Delhi where you can see beggars at every intersection. When leaving or arriving at the New Delhi train station I always wondered about the kids who seemed to live on the platforms, scavenging for food or collecting empty bottles for resale. I wondered where they come from and how they live. That’s how I began the research about street children.

Question: You wrote about a child in poverty. However, you teach in an International school. What are your views on the children in such esteemed schools? Any plans of writing a book on their lives?

Answer: Students in international schools are indeed very privileged. They receive an excellent education and they also have the chance to experience different cultures while they live with their parents all over the world. It is an interesting subculture but I do not plan to write a book about international students.

Question: What message would you like to send out to all the budding writers of today? What is the publishing scene like for a newcomer? It is hard to believe that you faced any problems with such a brilliant piece but were there any hurdles, in particular, that you had to cross to get your work noticed?

Answer: Getting published is difficult and I was lucky that Frances Foster bought SARASWATI’S WAY right away. My advice for people who are trying to find a publisher is to do their homework and look at editors’ portfolios and submit only to houses that have published similar books. My other advice is to let the manuscript rest for a while and to revise it one more time before submitting it.

Question: What are your views on the scope of young fiction in India? How many takers are there for such a genre?

Answer: I think there are many excellent writers for young readers in India. I hope that Indian schools will include more Indian children’s fiction in their curriculum so the genre will continue to find readers.

Question: What do you think of the average Indian reader today? Do you think with the advent of Internet, television etc the habit of reading has taken a backseat? Or have they opened up avenues to a broader plethora of options? What are your views on the emerging trend of e- books?

Answer: Digital devices can shorten one’s attention span and make it more difficult for readers to focus on longer pieces. This can be a problem for kids who grow up with computers and who expect quick-changing images but loose the ability to deep-read texts. On the other hand, e-books are still books and you can read a long novel as well on a kindle or ipad as in print.

Question: Do you like to read as well? We came to know that you read historical fiction? Any  favorite authors? Any other genres you read?

Answer: As a children’s librarian I read a lot of children’s books. But I also read a lot of adult books. My favorite genre is historical fiction.

Question: How do you get time from your busy schedule to write?

Answer: It was difficult to carve out time for writing. I had to reserve weekends and vacation time to write. But I recently quit my job as elementary school librarian to become a full-time writer. So now I will have more time to devote to it.

Question: Why don’t you tell us something interesting about the book or that occurred while writing the book that no one knows about? Some behind- the- scenes gossip maybe?

Answer: I’m afraid there is no “behind-the-scene-gossip.” A funny occurrence to me was that when my husband, who is always my first reader, finished reading the first draft, he said, “This is a book about learning to be patient. I wonder when the author will learn that lesson.”

I am very impatient, so there is something of me in Akash.

Question: Your next book “My Brother’s Shadow” again goes back to Germany. Any particular reason(s)? Is it set in World War 1?

Answer: Germany, my home country started two world wars in the last century. I find it important to let young readers know the terrors of war and its devastating impact on regular people. MY BROTHER’S SHADOW is about a boy’s disillusionment when he witnesses the end of the German empire and the defeat of a once proud nation.

Question: What do you think of the literary scene in India today? Somehow we have always been accused of not being avid readers compared to the Western culture. Do you think it may have something to do with the lack of book availability perhaps? Do you think newer forms of book retail such as via online bookstores or phone orders etc would help?

Answer: But many educated Indians are readers. Just look at how many bookstores there are and how many books even in the different Indian languages are available. Many publishing houses have an Indian imprint and bring out American or British books for an affordable price on the Indian market. Online bookstores will make access to books even easier. You can even order American editions and have them shipped to an Indian address, if you are willing to wait and pay the higher price. So I think availability is not the problem but rather illiteracy. Too many Indians are illiterate. Education needs to improve since literacy is a basic right and everyone should learn how to read and write.

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Book Reading: Chanakya’s Chant

Posted on August 9, 2011 by admin

The Tossed Salad group organized a book reading session of Ashwin Sanghi’s book Chanakya’s Chant.

Ashwin, a burly man, in his 40s came on time at the event and was welcomed by a round of applause. After everyone had been settled in their seats.

The event was basically divided into 3 sections viz. Introduction of the book, A reading session and finally a Question-Answer session.

Ashwin began by explaining how he had always been interested in writing historical fiction. His first book The Rozabal Line had been a religious historical fiction. Continuing in the same vein, his second book, Chankya’s Chant was a political historical fiction. The book’s genesis came in his mind while he was on a vacation which he developed into a full fledged novel.

The book reading session involved Ashwin reading a few passages from his book and concomitantly explaining the context in which those passages were written.

Then the event was thrown open to a free flowing discussion. The author answered several questions from the audience. A question was like on which politician did he base his modern day protagonist? Why did he chose a female whom the modern day protagonist mentored while Chanakya had mentored a male?

Ashwin answered all of them with ease. There was also a discussion on his writing habbits as well in which he mentioned that he usually takes about 12-18 months to complete a book.

This was finally followed by a small quiz where the winners were given free copies of the book signed by the author.

In all a nice event.

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Book Review: What happens when we die

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Phoenix Feather

Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. This is a story about the end. The end of life. When the journey of our physical body comes to a stop. And another begins.

‘What Happens When We Die’ is a question most of us have pondered even before scientists and theologists have conducted studies into the possible nature of this phenomenon. And yet, death has always remained shrouded in mystery. Those who have embraced this new frontier have not lived to tell us the tale. There may have been a sign, two or many from them; but the conscious mind has consistently refused to delve into a realm that hints at a sea of spiritual knowledge and understanding not yet palatable to us. The possibility that life in human form is merely the tip of an existence that transcends not just the ground we walk on, but also the space and time we believe to have conquered. An existence where our soul is unfettered with material thought and is conscious of only one goal – its journey to its Maker, the Supreme Being, God.

Yes, death remains a puzzle. But there are those who have knocked at the door of this rest-stop, to be told that they are to return to their earthly existence once more. Because there is still much that their soul needs to accomplish in its physical form. They have woken from comas, survived fatal heart attacks and accidents to come back and tell us what this rest-stop looks like. These brushes with death are what we call Near Death Experiences or NDEs. And what Dr. Sam Parnia has attempted to decipher in his book “What Happens When We Die”

His scientific study into the nature of death, near-death experiences, human mind and brain has established him as an expert in the field. Painstaking research over several years has resulted in a book that gives us a window into what constitutes an NDE, different kinds of near-death situations that lead to an NDE and people who have experienced what it is like to die. It sounds ridiculous to our logical minds, but the fact remains that these are not solitary examples.

Thousands of people across the world have described the same thing. The knowledge of walking along a tunnel or corridor, attracted to a bright light that induces peace, tranquility and freedom from pain. Many have met relatives and many have encountered a positive soul that has guided them to do a review of their own lives till the moment of death. And then, they have been asked to come back. Several people have even remembered out-of-body experiences, where they can see doctors trying to revive their bodies.

Dr. Parnia gives us an inexhaustive account of people who have undergone NDEs. And he uses the power of his scientific know-how to do so in the most precise manner.  There’s a lot of technical jargon in the book, but it never overshadows the inherent content. The author chooses a writing style that is simple, lucid and very conversational. He does not talk at the reader, instead choosing an approach that makes the reader a friend, a confidante with whom he shares his own experiences. Even to the most practical of minds, this book induces just one thought – there is much more to death than just dying. It is a rite of passage. That takes a soul to the next step of its spiritual journey. Death is not an end. It is, in fact, a beginning.

For those who have lost loved ones, this offers much hope. Because you can now understand that the signs you see in your daily lives are actually your loved ones trying to communicate with you. Their soul is telling you to face the tribulations of life fearlessly, for what lies at death is the start of a new journey. Another adventure.

Death only brings you to a realm that offers an experience I have not found words to describe. There is a beauty in that state that I can only wait for, while I do what I’m meant to do here on Earth. Very few people will go into a library or book store and pick up this book.  But I would recommend that you do. It is necessary that you draw your own conclusions. I don’t want to draw them for you. It is necessary that you ponder for yourself. Because the answer, my friend, is always subjective.

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Book Review: In Other Rooms, Other Wonders

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Phoenix Feather

Every writer is an artist, creating a story where none exists. Reaching into the farthest recesses of his or her imagination, to discover a nugget that becomes a tasty morsel in the literary banquet of that time. Some become staples through the years while others enjoy being flavor of the season. Every writer.

But it takes a writer of great skill to weave a tale around a life that he or she has been part of. To be subjective and objective at the same time. About people, places, events, emotions and their understanding at the heart of it. And to bring it alive in such minute detail that the reader doesn’t feel for a moment he or she is looking into another story, but is part of those pages, living that life. Feeling the pain, eating the samosas, earning a daily income, being corrupt, letting go of sanity, just trying to survive. Definitely a writer of great skill. And Daniyal Mueenuddin is one such writer.

The Pakistani author’s first offering, In Other Rooms, Other Wonders, is a window into his country’s feudal landowning society and its way of life. The book contains eight short stories, each interlinked, telling us of the lives of landowner KK Harouni, his immediate family, his extended family and the multitude of servants that work across his vast and numerous properties.  Similar in style to Indian-born Canadian author Rohinton Mistry’s Tales from Firozsha Baug. Mistry’s book captured the trials and tribulations of a tight-knit Parsi community living in a small society in Mumbai.

Mueenuddin’s stories are also held together by a common thread: the struggle faced by each character. Especially the servants. A poor man struggles to cater to his family of 14 through sheer tenacity and cheating the system in “Nawabdin Electrician”. A woman struggles to raise her standard of living by exploiting her sexuality and the older servants of the house in “Saleema”. An old man struggles with loneliness to find a young mentally challenged wife in “A Spoiled Man” and when she disappears, gets beaten mercilessly by the cops trying to solve the case.

Not just the servants but the wealthy face heartache and oppression too. In “Lily”, a woman born into a wealthy family struggles with the superficiality of her life, trying hard to find meaning and give it purpose but returning to the shallowness she is accustomed to. “Our Lady of Paris” explores the relationship of a young Harouni studying abroad but in love with an American girl, struggling to find his own way against the wishes of his parents.

What comes through in each story is the poignancy of every life, every situation, every reaction.  Mueenuddin has been able to capture in his prose the strict power equations that exist between the characters – master and servant, parent and child, man and mistress. His words spin a web that transports you at times into the extravagant drawing rooms of the wealthy and at others into the wood and mud rooms of the poor servants.

This is probably the first such widely read collection of short stories offering a glimpse into a country wracked by terrorism and political turmoil. The book is at the same time brilliantly expressive, detailed and also melancholic in the extreme. Every page reveals a roller coaster existence, a chunk of life trying to make some space for itself in this unkind and expensive world. As you speed through every story, you go from exhilarating highs to pitiful lows. Your heart accelerates at the knowledge of how tough life can be if you happen to be born at its poorer spectrum.  And you send up a prayer, thanking God for the material comfort he has bestowed you with.

The three benefits of His blessing are the delicious food you eat at every mealtime, the good clothes that cover your back and the warm home you come back to every night, to recoup from a hard day. The three basics that drive all of life. Every human being wants his food, shelter and clothing. Every human being. What we sell in order to get these – our time, our sexuality, our mind or our soul – is the question. The answer is very individual. And yet, strangely universal.

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Book Review: Empire of The Moghul: Brothers at War

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Phoenix Feather

After the glorious manner in which Alex Rutherford captured the life and times of Babur in “Empire of the Moghul: Raiders from the North”, I had been longing to get my hands on the second book in the series – Brothers at War. When I turned the last page on Emperor Humayun’s life, I remembered something that British orientalist and archaeologist Stanley Lane-Poole, once said of the second Mughal monarch: “He stumbled out of life just as he stumbled through it.” How right he was!

427 pages capture the 48 years of Humayun’s eventful but almost senseless existence – a life coloured by an opium haze that magnified his indecision, his inaction, and his weak will. And whatever his few good qualities, they did him no good, turning against him instead. Like his decision to forgive his half-brothers when they plotted to murder him. They turned against him once more when he was at his weakest. His inability to govern with an iron hand cost him his empire to Sher Shah and brought him several years in exile and mind-numbing grief. With nothing of his former glory left, he found his friends and allies also disappearing into thin air. It was only a freak accident and an alliance with the King of Persia that brought Humayun back on the throne of Hindustan. A freak accident and lady luck, not his valour.

But what made Humayun the man he was, were his traits. He was a great romantic, probably the most melancholic of all the Mughal emperors. His love for astrology was just as famous as it was integral to his personality – his governing body was divided into sections based on the four elements – air, fire, earth and water. Each day of the week demanded a certain colour to be worn. Ironically, it was his rich and colourful robes that caused him to fall down a flight of stairs one evening and get hurt very seriously. A few days later, the second emperor of the Mughal dynasty was dead. Barely six months after he regained his throne. Lady luck had moved on.

This book made me realise that Humayun was probably the most inconsequential of all the Mughal emperors. Nothing of significance happened during his rule. There are no great battles or conquests that we can speak of. He wasn’t a great leader or visionary. No great artist or literary genius thrived under his patronage. His life was just a harsh struggle between his inherent desires and his royal legacy.

Nevertheless, Brothers at War captures Humayun’s essence very effectively. Alex Rutherford, a pen name for the husband wife team of Michael and Diana Preston, does so with élan. The Preston’s have been historians for 30 years. Enthralled with the tumultuous and bloody lives of the Mughal emperors, they decided to capture each ruler’s life in a manner that today has millions in India and across the world showing renewed interest in history. This is fantastic, because their extensive knowledge coupled with their attention to detail draws a picture that stays in your mind several days after the book finishes.

You cannot help but mull over Humanyun’s life – admit that he was a lost soul, like many of us, trying to find his path and safeguard his legacy. That he was weak where his father, Babur, was strong is apparent from the first few pages. And it is maybe this weakness in character that makes the second book in the Moghul series not as hard-hitting as the first one. But the Preston’s knack for story-telling is brilliant and they ensure that you keep turning every page till the very end.

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Book Review: The Tao of Physics

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Phoenix Feather

Every once in a while, something comes along that has a tremendous impact on the way you look at life, living and existence in the universe. The Tao of Physics is one of those ‘somethings’.

It was written by Fritjof Capra nearly 30 years ago. And even today, it holds enough power in its pages to give you fresh perspective. Something we all find ourselves losing in the daily hum-drum of life.

What intrigued me was the subject of the book – the parallel between quantum physics and Eastern mysticism. Now, even on a good day, quantum physics is not something I’m good at. However, mysticism is a subject I’ve found myself interested in on numerous occasions.  But to find a book that actually finds common ground between two such diverse subjects – I was hooked. I needed to see how Capra managed this seemingly impossible task, that too all those years ago.

He begins by simplifying quantum physics for the layman reader to explain science’s view on the nature of the universe and concepts of space and time. He then proceeds to tell us how belief systems like Shintoism and Buddhism have also done the same, using their own philosophies of enlightenment.

For long has the battle between science and mysticism raged. Mystics and scientists have found it arduous to speak the same language, for neither has bothered to understand the other. But look at what they have been doing. While mystics have walked the path of meditation to be enlightened about the workings of the universe, scientists have conducted experiments to do exactly that. The end result? Both paths have converged onto the same destination. In his book, Capra says quantum physics and eastern mysticism have made the same discoveries, but using parallel means.

My appreciation for a subject like quantum physics has grown immensely since I read the lucid prose of Capra’s articulation. I must stress here that despite being a physicist, it is not the author’s knowledge that impresses. It is the coherent manner in which he is able to communicate that knowledge to me and millions of other readers that is awesome. Even those who just remember physics as being a tough subject at school can understand these concepts with relative ease.

From the second section of his book, one can tell immediately that Capra has also done extensive research on Eastern mysticism. His understanding of the mystic way of looking at the universe leaves you amazed with his desire to have an encompassing view of the nature of our existence.

The last part of his book draws certain conclusions that, quite honestly, have to be read with an open mind. This book requires the reader to set aside all preconceived notions and try to appreciate how opposites can work towards the same thing. Like the Chinese concept of yin and yang.

If you are looking for answers, this book is a must read. Like I said before, fresh perspective is hard to come by. But with The Tao of Physics, there’s definitely certain ‘somethings’ that you will glean from its pages.

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Book Review: The Bed of Procrustes by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Posted on August 5, 2011 by admin

In his latest book, The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms, Taleb consists of, well, aphorisms on Life and everything concomitant that comes with it. The book begins with a brief introduction of the Procrustes of Greek, a cruel ruler, who would shorten or stretch people in order to fit them into a bed. he then goes on to explain that the point here is not about putting something in the wrong box, but about changing the wrong variable, here the person rather than the bed.

However, no other aphorisms are explained as Taleb believes that they lose their charm on doing so.

The aphorisms are divided into neat chapters and are mostly crisp.

Economist  and journalists bear the brunt in his aphorisms.

Plenty of pages are dedicated to the definitions of stupid and mediocre people. Taleb also seems to be cross with the salaried class in his book and many aphorisms appear hinting at the wastefulness of “work”, perhaps rightly so.

The book ends with a short discussion of the aphorisms in a section called PostFace.

Taleb seems to be explaining himself in the book on many occasions. For e.g. Most people write so they can remember things; I write to forget.

The book with its neat design and wit has the ability to become a memorable one. The quotes cover a wide spectrum of things in life. And in Taleb’s own words, the aphorisms can be approached in small doses.

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Book Review: Broken Republic – Three Essays

Posted on August 5, 2011 by admin

The problem with Arundhati Roy is that she is too blunt. Her words are very direct, much to the discomfort of the sweet mouthed Indian republic.

Broken Republic: Three Essays is about the Naxalite movement in India. And it is full of Roy’s seething anger.

The book describes three things related to Naxalites viz. Indian government’s approach, the Naxalites’ point of view and her own comments.

The Indian Government just does not consider the Naxalites a problem; it considers them insects. This is apparent from a term being used in the Indian media quite frequently these days: “Naxalite infested areas”. Infest is a word used for insects. And the Indian government’s continuous usage of this term vis-a-vis the Naxalites has found patronage with the Indian media. Operation Green Hunt and Salwa Judum bear testimony to the fact that the government believes that the only way to resolve the “problem” of Naxalites is by killing them.

A large part of the book is dedicated to the travels of Arundhati Roy in the villages of Orissa and Chattisgarh and her stay with the Naxals. She describes her sojourn in a vivid way. The readers will get a peek into the daily struggle of the Naxals and their simple way of life. It talks about police atrocities, lawlessness, etc in much detail and in first person reporting style. This section also contains some beautiful photographs of India’s hinterland.

Roy successfully exposes the Indian government’s collusion with the corporates who are vying for the minerals and raw materials in these forests. P. Chidambaram was on the board of Vedanta before becoming the finance minister. Vedanta is the company which the Naxals are fighting against for trying to set up a Bauxite plant in Orissa. Roy examines many other wrong-doings of the government and the corporates in the book.

Albeit, Roy does not come up with any solution. Maybe, she has reserved this for another book which may be titled Mending the Republic.

A hard hitting work from Arundhati Roy.

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To order this book at 40% discount, call 011- 4575 4477 or email ccare@uprack.com.

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