The Indian Army (or rather, The Armed Forces) occupies a special place in India… and this, in my opinion, is unique to our India. The Armed Forces are considered special, inviolate, upright, decent, relatively corruption free – in fact, the last bastion against corruption. Anything that involves the Armed Forces immediately captures the national attention – especially news relating to unsavory happenings, be it war preparedness, military corruption, ex-soldiers etc. The incident of the anonymous leakage of the Army Chief’s letter is still fresh in the public memory… which is why this book in particular holds special relevance in the current context.

I am not implicating that the Kargil War is not of central importance – it is, and always will be – but more of that later. The book is not just about the Kargil War – it has a very vast scope. It is an analysis of how the intrusion by Pakistan happened, how it was planned, what were the Pakistani compulsions and strategic objectives behind the plan, the historical perspective of Siachen and its relevance to Kargil & roles of various military and political personnel in Pakistan in the planning and execution. The book details failures on the Indian side- Army, Intelligence, Political, Bureaucratic, Procurement and Planning failures – why were we not able to detect the intrusions. Thereafter, the book describes the war and its implications in terms of strategic and military challenges, improvements, implications for Indo-Pakistani Dialogue & implications of South East Asian security. It examines the Nuclear question in some detail and looks at both sides of the coin.

The author is pretty much brutal, contemptuous and merciless on the bureaucratic and political class when it comes to defence planning and procurement. The disgust is apparent, and the Chief has made no bones about deficiencies as they existed in the Army. No only that, he has also expressed dissatisfaction with the progress on a number of fronts of cooperation with the civilian authorities. “Besides lack of funds, our procedures are unresponsive, cost escalatory, frustrating and demoralizing.” “March 1999: Major acquisitions get stymied, a feeling of cynicism is creeping in, the prevailing situation is that nothing much can be done about the existing hollowness in the Army”"23 June 1999: We shall fight with whatever we have” The total lack of awareness (as it existed at that point in time) among civilian officials in the Ministry of Defence has been brutally exposed – “The Army does not fight on rifles alone” – in response to a MoD question as to requirement of weapons, noting the thousands of rifles!!!!!!!!!!!

While the prompt political reaction (as can be seen today as well) has been noted, appreciated and highlighted by the General – who seems to be a fair man -the question remains as to the role of the Ministry of Defence officials in procurement. The plain fact is that they are simply not prepared for, have no idea of and no knowledge of a defence setup and its genuine needs. The current problem that the Army is facing is not a new one – it is a very old one! A telling comment by the author: “From then onwards, I found them -Cabinet Committee On Security CCS – and the secretaties of various ministries spending more and more time discussing elections rather than the War Situation” All in all, a blunt, brutal and merciless account that spares no one – Army or otherwise. Yes, where praise is due it has been effusively given -even on MoD or political leadership. But faults – whether systemic or otherwise – have also been equally harshly dealt with .And a no holds-barred approach is precisely what an Indian expects from an Army Chief!

The best part about the book is its transparent approach and blunt statements of facts – even where the Indian side is wrong, The author, in true Indian Military fashion, has not minced words in criticizing anyone- Army or otherwise. Similarly, he has been profuse in terms of praise. It is this balanced, transparent and fair approach – one that gels well with the average Indians’ perception of an Officer – that is the hallmark of this book. The book examines Indian shortcomings with brutal frankness. In the same sequence, the author deftly changes the tenor of the prose to detail how the shortcomings were catered to and overcome. The compromises and decisions made as to men, weapons and ammunition; the adjustments made and the decisions taken are so well laid out that the layman reader appreciates both, the problems as well as the decisions taken. The prose almost gives you a ringside seat as decisions are taken – all in a few short pages.

The section on the Armed Forces failures in monitoring has been equally bluntly written, and the decisions taken have also been laid out alongwith relevant reasoning. There is a bit of defensiveness that is detectable, but that is justified in the overall scenario as it plays out. The General has been merciless on everyone in this part, with no one being spared – all in a very few selected words. Similarly, intelligence failures have also been pointed out mercilessly. The General has taken pains to point out that there was no actionable information given at any point of time by anyone to the Armed Forces.

The part on the War…. no comments. Read it for yourself. I can only say one thing, the entire War has been strategically explained with adequate references and maps, reasons of strategic importance of various features, tactics employed and units participating. For those of us for whom Kargil was only about 4-5 Battalions picturised in the movie “LOC Kargil” this part will be a revelation. Further, the narrative is taught and well formed, and does not slacken at any point. The entire war has been covered in majestic detail in about 100 – 120 pages (one third of the book). You can see the situation unfurling right in front of your eyes, which enables a deep understanding of the entire sad episode. You are left breathless with the descriptions of bravery, at times with a lump in your throat…

The second great part of the book is the part covering the diplomatic maneuvers undertaken by various nations culminating in the Pakistani withdrawal, and the reactions of Pakistani Illuminati – both civilian as well as ex-military. The reader gets a ringside seat as the story plays out – you realise that you are getting an inside view of the momentous episode. The China chapter is a classic as it dissects China, its reactions and reasons in detail, enabling a fundamental understanding of the China angle. The Nuclear angle -the threat that Pakistan was preparing its Nuclear arsenal – has also been covered, as also the deterrence factor of the Bomb. This finds space throughout the book, and is a central theme, although covered in a very few short pages. Of interest is the section regarding the Indian Army and Political reaction to the Pakistani Sabre-rattling.

The book concludes with an examination of the India-Pakistan relationship after Kargil. The Agra episode has been well covered, and you have to appreciate the General’s far-sightedness as he notes before the Agra Summit “we could expect him to be courteous, apparently honest, and like all of them, good in the art of military and political deception. However, Pakistan’s military and Political history tells us that Military Presidents tend to be politically shortsighted” “Would his own mindset, his militray colleagues and jihadi elements allow him flexibility on the J&K issue?”

“There is no alternative to a gradual incremental peace process though political, economic and military confidence building” These are the words of a General of the Army! What more can anyone say? It is only one para in the book, but the closing makes a powerful pitch for peace, and states that building economic bridges will go a long way towards negating the possibility of another confrontation alongwith the normal dialogue… However, in the same tone, the essentiality of dismantling the terror mechanism has also been made…

I think I have had my share of chick-lit reading for this year. I am glad that it ended with, “Tea for Two and a Piece of Cake” by Preeti Shenoy. Preeti Shenoy writes with urgency – almost like she has to catch the next bus and will miss it, but it is that urgency that gives the book its much needed tone and pace.

The plot is about starting again. Nisha’s life is not the perfect life one would want. She is plump (and well there is more than one reference to that in the book), plain-looking and but obviously single. She has had her heart broken once by being in an eight-year old relationship with the suave and charming Samir Sharma and being dumped at the altar. Enters a younger man Akash and the promise to start all over, knowing that it could or could not work out. Chances need to be taken and this time Nisha would have to take them all over again, though being guarded and apprehensive. The question is: Will she or won’t she?

The book has its secondary characters in the form of Nisha’s family, friends and colleagues, dispensing advice and sometimes just being there for her. For me, “Tea for Two and a Piece of Cake” worked in some places and some places it did not. The writing is very well executed. You can imagine the setting and it is more conversational, which worked for me.

What did not work for me was sometimes the entire premise – the end to be fulfilled only by having someone in your life and sadly it is true for the way we live now. The maddening need to find someone and for him or her to stay is the crux of the book, of course besides love, which is at the core.

Having said this, I enjoyed the writing. It isn’t in your face and at the same time it is not very guarded. I like how the concept of a live-in relationship was not made too much about in the book. It may not seem to be such an issue considering the times we live in, but it still is. Over all, I enjoyed the book barring certain parts which did not seem to work for me.

When I first started reading, “Behind the Beautiful Forevers” by Katherine Boo, it didn’t strike me as a different book. I mean I had read the similar story in Suketu Mehta’s, “Maximum City” (Honestly I didn’t think much of it), though it was in brief. It was still more or less the same – Mumbai and its dichotomy (like every major cosmopolitan), its slums, its smells and sights and the hidden side to the city, which we ignore or pretend doesn’t exist most of the time. Then what made this book so different that I finished in almost a day?

The difference lies in the way Katherine Boo has written the book – from providing a perspective on the what, the why and the how to experiences that will sometimes warm the heart and sometimes break it, knowing that this is the condition of a city that never sleeps. Having said that, there were also gaps in the book – the way it jumped from one story to another and how that was written almost in a haste which at times provided some disconnect with the overall structure.

The book, “Behind the Beautiful Forevers” is essentially about “Annawadi” – a slum in Mumbai next to the International airport and close to the luxury hotels there (again another facet of the caste and class division). The Annawadians are full of hope as the Indian Economy rises without any realization that nothing is going to change for them. The parity will exist if not widen itself. The under-city and over-city are explicitly portrayed in the book and that makes the reader think: Is this my city? Or could this be any booming cosmopolitan in the nation? The story (I call it that because it reads like one at times) is essentially about these people and their lives – some more and some less.

Abdul, a teenager sees a future beyond counting the recyclable garbage that the city’s rich throw away. He is quick at sorting waste. He is almost there in fulfilling his family’s dreams of moving out of the slum. Asha, a woman of the world and witty at the same time, opts for a different way out of this misery: political corruption. She wants her daughter to become the first female graduate of the slum and will not stop to make that dream come true. And just when all seems to fall in place, there is global recession and Abdul is falsely accused of a terrorist attack and the dream-world they are hoping has crashed to pieces.

Boo’s writing is stark and in your face. There is no pretense and cannot be when one is writing life-stories. The people in the book may seem stereotypical but they aren’t. Each of them is as different as you and I and with their own story to tell, which Boo captures beautifully. There are times when she appears disjointed in the book and fragmented, however in the larger scheme of the plot and writing, the reader tends to easily overlook that.

“Behind the Beautiful Forevers” is a depiction of our times and where we live. It represents the societies we create and how we take advantage of those to fulfill our selfish ends. The book removes masks that we sometimes wear and compels readers to take a better look at their worlds and surroundings. A disturbing read at times, however quite stark and impactful in its essence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Durant

For every Englishman who came to India with original thought, there were 10 who were incapable of original thought, and 100 who were capable of only original evil; Satyagrah was known as passive resistance: nonsense – there was nothing passive about it – Shashi Tharoor

Shashi Tharoor has covered the ground with these 2 brutally frank lines that indict the british; Jaswant Singh far more detailed, as he examined in scholarly detail the divide and rule policy and the eyewash of governance; Versaikar detailed the 1857 reprisals in Jhansi by the british in an eyewitness account; Bipin Chandra covered some of it in his book on independence; Nehru gave in vivid detail the systematic destuction of the Indian People…. All the above are Indian writers; nearly all are great thinkers and patriots (Versaikar was a simple citizen who wrote an eyewitness account). None has covered the brutal destruction that charactarised colonial rule in vivid detail… this is where the current book – The Case For India written by a famed American Historian, Will Durant scores

“This was not the destruction of a minor civilization produced by an inferior people. It ranks with the highest civilizations of history, and some would place it at the head and summit of all – like Keyserling…. when the british cannons attacked…. the hindus surrendered at once lest one of the most beautiful creations of mankind be destroyed. Who, then, were the civilized people? (The Hindus or The English?) The British conquest of India was the destruction of a high civilization by a trading company utterly without scruple or principal, overrunning with fire, sword, bribery, murder a country temporarily disordered and helpless”

“India was a far greater industrial and manufacturing nation than any in Europe or Asia, producing textile, Metal works, Jewelry, Precious Stones, Pottery, Architecture. She had great merchants, businessmen, ship building – nearly every kind of manufacture known to the civilized world was already in India”

The book describes in graphic detail the atrocities of the so-called “civilized” Britishers (refer definition below!!!!!) in the chapter “The rape of a continent”. The difference is that he has quoted numbers and figures; unassailable facts and laws that graphically illustrate the systematic destruction of all kinds of local enterprise. For example, produce was taxed at 50%; the documented fact that tax rates rates were the highest in India across the world; Sample this:

“The fundamental principle of the british has been to make the whole indian nation subservient… they have been taxed to the utmost limit; the indians have been denied every honor, dignity or office”…. F J Shore testifying to the house of commons in 1857

“Under their dependence on the british – Oudh and Karnatic, 2 of the noblest provinces in India, were plunged into a state of wretchedness with which no part of the Earth has anything to compare” – Lt Col Brigs, 1830

“The Governments’ assessment does not even leave enough food for the cultivator to feed his family” – Sir William Hunter, 1875

“The Rajahs had taxed the people much less severely than the british…. “

“The national debt of India rose from $35,000,000 in 1792 to $3,500,000,000 in 1929. These figures tell the tale”

The book is littered with such graphic details – all taken from western, and primarily british sources. It examines how the economic fabric of the country was destroyed, how for example its textile trade was wrecked; its impact on the prosperity of the nation. It also examines the specious claims of education improvement – there were more schools in India before the advent of the civilized british; how the number of schools diminished and were discouraged; It looks at the now-famous example of the british gift of railways – in the USA, railways were used largely for goods transport, whereas in India their function was for the imperial class travels; It examines how every activity of the british – right down to the bullets used to suppress revolts were exacted from Indians; It looks at the wages paid to Indians; It details tariffs of 80% on Indian products as opposed to zero tariffs on british imports; “The result was that Manchester and Paisley flourished and Indian industries declined. India was transformed into a purely agricultural country, and her mineral wealth was not explored; artisans etc were forced to live off the land; no competition was to be allowed to English industries- Kohn”. The book looks at the balance of trade, which was heavily against India and gives numbers – hard core numbers of the draining of wealth from what was one of the richest and most civilized regions of Earth. It looks at how local schools were destoyed by the british; it looks at british salaries and how the wealth from India went to England through salaries and pensions – quoting hard core numbers

So far, the book has dealt with what is largely unknown to us. From here, the book moves into familiar territory, and examines the powers of the so-called democratic institutions – the limited vote-bank; the powers of the british viceroy / governors etc to overrule the local bodies; how the local “elected” bodies had no powers; It looks at the divide and rule policy of the british, with separate voting for each community -issues which have been beautifully examined by Jaswant Singh, Bipin Chandra in their books, so I shall not dwell much on that point.

Then there is the chapter of Mahatma Gandhi, which first gives an biography of his life till 1930; But even here you find priceless tit-bits: “the british connection has made india more helpless… politically and economically… no jugglery of figures can explain away the evidence of the skeletons in many villages… I have no doubt that England and the towns of India will have to answer … if there is a God above, for this crime against humanity which is perhaps unparalleled in history – Mahatma Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi”

Then it goes on to detail in horrific stomach-turning detail the atrocities: “hindus to crawl on their bellies in the street”; school-boys flogged in public; prisoners bound with ropes and kept in open trucks for 15 hours; poured lime on naked bodies; cut off electric supplies to hindu houses; airplanes to drop bombs on labourors; The perpetrator of this very civlized, decent, morally consistent, gentle behavior was retired on a pension; exonerated; public supporters- all civilized, no doubt – raised $150000 as support… “there was not one bullet wound in the back – each bullet had struck home in the chest; not one Indian ran; there was passive submission in the highest forms of non-violence”… The brutal, inhuman retaliation of the british, for which they would very likely have been hanged in their own country, made the passive resistance movement one of the bravest, most active forms of struggle – a struggle unlike any other anywhere on Earth.

“I felt my skin creep and my hair stand on end as I saw those brave men… testicles crushed… body battered and broken… chest battered… every one whom I talked to gave the same stories of fiendish beating, torturing, thrusting lathi in anus, dragging…. what has become of the English Honour… English Justice – Miss Madeline Slade”

A book that is a must read for all Indians…

(Just to remind ourselves as to what being civilized means:)
civ·i·lized (sv-lzd)
Having a highly developed society and culture.; Showing evidence of moral and intellectual advancement; humane, ethical, and reasonable; Marked by refinement in taste and manners; cultured; polished.

civilization
Pronunciation: /ˌsɪvɪlʌɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/
(also civilisation)
the stage of human social development and organization which is considered most advanced;
the process by which a society or place reaches an advanced stage of social development and organization.;

This book systematically de-constructs all arguments in favour of colonial rule and its advantages. First, India was formed by the british: let us qualify that statement – India was formed as a response to the brutality of the british (in fact, a cursory glance at Indian history – and world history – will reveal that India has been under one rule at least 4-6 times for long periods, and has flourished); Education: there was better educational set-up before the british – and modern education would have come anyway (it should be remembered that India was a massive power with trade links to the entire world – hence simple logic dictates that eventually, modern techniques and methods would have come to our borders!) just as smelting, musket making, and various other techniques found their way to our nation. It similarly destroys all supposed advantages and exposes the morally corrupt nature of the Raj, which in its nature was the very antithesis of the claims to civilzation that were professed by its practitioners.

And lastly, this book brings home the fact that among all the ancient civilizations, the Indian civilization stands as the only civilization to have survived all through history – virtually unchanged. We were there during Babylon, we were there during the time of the Greeks, we were there when Rome was at its height, we were there when Europe was rising… and today,we are still present… with the same culture, same ethos, worshipping the same Gods as we used to 3500 – 5000 years ago, eating virtually the same kind of food… virtually unchanged. We are indebted to the pain of our forefathers, the tortures they bore, the indignities they went through – just so we, their children, could breathe free and with pride, justifiable pride in order that a new, modern India can be built. We owe it to them to make India truly modern, forward looking and progressive, strong – economically, socially and militarily. It is a book that will shake you to the core, brings tears to your eyes and leave you speechless. No wonder, then, that this book had been banned in the UK!

Author : Jillian Haslam

Publisher : New Generation Publishing

ISBN : 978-1-908775-00-9

After having read ‘The City of Djinns’ I got keenly interested in finding more about how the post-independence era in India treated the people who were not considered Indians yet were no less Indians. I look to read more on the White Mughals, Indian English and about people who just chose or were forced to stay back in India after the British rule ended and this book fell into that category.

Indian English is a memoir of Jillian Haslam who shares her experiences of growing up in the period of post-colonialism in India and what it took from her and from her family for being different in a country who was going through its own infancy period. She recalls her journey of life which began from damp, dingy and narrow by-lanes of Calcutta where she saw misery very closely in the form of poverty, hunger, racism, abuse, death and hopelessness. But despite all these odds against the family, she managed to carve her way out of that misery and gradually brought her immediate family out of it too. She does mention that for every wrongdoing towards them, she did experience some kindness somewhere even though of lesser magnitude or seemingly insignificant which kept her faith alive all through the troubled years.

Now having her past behind her, she is instrumental in helping many individuals stuck in desperate situations, through her foundation. She has become an epitome of inspiration, grit and determination for many.

Though it is a memoir yet I found the natural sensitivity lacking which memoirs usually bring for the readers. I found the writer repeating herself many times throughout the narrative which makes the whole reading experience a little drab. I do not want to sound heartless when I say this that there are a lot of factors which contribute to the success or failure of any thing and in my humble opinion, the author has ignored evaluating the whole situation radically, including, commenting on the personal choices being made by the parents or siblings or the family as a whole.

I felt really bad that somewhere somebody had to undergo this much pain but I would blame it on not so good narration and editing, that the book failed to evoke the emotions which such books usually do.

Writing about relationships is not an easy task. The writing has to come from a personal place, known and sometimes unknown to the writer. While reading Overwinter, I had mixed feelings – sometimes of joy but mostly of sadness and Ratika Kapur, intelligently has managed to evoke these emotions in her reader/s.

Overwinter is not an easy book to forget. It has been two days since I have finished it and cannot get it out of my head. Ketaki is your typical urbanite – a well paying job and a life that seems perfect, before the most important man in her life – her maternal aunt Neeta’s husband falls into a coma, almost nearing death. Ketaki blissfully goes on from man to man, in order to hide her pain and wanting some connection with her aunt. Her father’s arrival from New York leads to the wall being broken through a secret long held in the family. The secret then begins to shape the lives of the characters and what end will come out of this story.

Overwinter made me see my relationships differently and assess them – because sometimes relationships need to be assessed. Ratika Kapur writes with urgency, almost speeding somewhere and that works for the book. The descriptions and building of the atmosphere is critical to the book, which again the author does justice to in a beautiful manner. Ratika Kapur knows the pulse of what might work considering she used to work for a publishing house before venturing into writing.

For me the book worked on the level mainly because of its language. Every word fit every emotion and that matters a lot to me while reading a book. It just shows the skill of a writer, in addition to the plot and the storyline. I have enjoyed reading Overwinter and cannot recommend it enough.

Anuvab Pal is one of the wittiest writers I have read in a while. I would not classify his writing as necessarily funny. His writing style is more sarcastic and satirical than anything else. He writes about India – today’s India and what it means to its citizens and how outsiders view it. I remember watching his play, “The President is Coming” with much trepidation – as he wasn’t a known playwright back then. I also recall enjoying the play a lot and then also watching the movie with the same enthusiasm. As I read his new book, “1888 Dial India” I was certain that I would read more by him in the future.

1888 Dial India is a book about new India and its follies. It is about the illusions it is creating and how people are emerging to be a part of the consumerist culture that is taking over half the country. The year is 2009. America is in a financial mess. Unemployment is in the air and doesn’t seem to go away easy. Enter: Arun Kumar: Entrepreneur, pragmatism personified, evangelist of new India’s dreams and under the impression that he can outsource the saving of American lives to India as well.

That is the crux of the book, however there is more to the surface than what meets the eye. Anuvab’s eye to detail is brilliant – the nuances of everyday living are skilfully displayed – from the BPO culture to the merging of India’s past, present and future perceptions.

I enjoyed reading the book more so because of the writing style. It is well-paced and it is at times in your face, however that is where the humour stems from, so one can overlook it. The writing nonetheless is crisp and to the point. It does not at any point get preachy, which is how ideally one should write when talking about current issues.

For me reading 1888 Dial India was a welcome change from the usual literary fare. It was something that happened by chance and I will re-read it for a laugh or two. It is definitely a perfect read for one of those lazy Sunday afternoons.

There is only one Indian living writer I know who still manages to evoke my childhood memories that either seem long time gone or buried for good. That writer is Mr. Ruskin Bond. Though his stories are primarily set in Dehradoon, everyone who reads them can successfully conjure the picturesque beauty in his or her mind and that is the power of good writing.

My stint with Mr. Bond’s works began when I was all of sixteen and it wasn’t with his most acclaimed The Room on the Roof. It was with “A Flight of Pigeons” and it is but obvious that I fell in love with it, though it is one of his more serious works. What I love about Mr. Bond’s writing is that you don’t feel that you should be of a certain age to enjoy it. So when I received a copy of “Secrets” – his latest collection of seven new short stories, I was only too eager to read and review them.

The stories have the classic Bond touch – the description of a sleepy Dehra, the usual simple characters and a touch of quaintness, which is why I love reading what he writes. The stories in this book are set in the late 40’s – a time when India had just become an independent nation and Rusty was all of thirteen. His mother was a manager at a hotel called “Greens” at Dehra and he would stay there when visiting home from school on holidays. Times were tough and it wasn’t easy to make a living – amidst these circumstances, events started unfolding in and around the hotel, which form the crux of this book in the form of wonderfully told stories.

We meet “The Skeleton in the Cupboard”, where as the title suggests a Skeleton is found in one of the rooms and the mystery around it is uncovered. “Gracie” on the other hand is a sentimental tale of a Dehra girl’s descent into something else altogether as she marries a British Army soldier and moves to London. “The Late Night Show” revolves around the murder of a man in a theatre during the late night show and of course Ruskin was present – watching the show when the murder took place.

These three stories were my favourites, hence the mention. Not to say the other four are not worth it. It is just that these three appealed more to my senses. Ruskin Bond’s stories warm the heart and sometimes take you by surprise. They take your mind to a different time – a time when life was simpler and one did not have to think so much and but of course the credit goes to the way they are written. A must read.

Draupadi or Paanchali is a pivotal character in the stories of Mahabharatha. She is the impetus for the Kurukshetra war and most famous as the wife of the five Pandavas. This book is a condensed version of the epic narrated from Draupadi’s point of view. The aim of the author is to explain why Paanchali did what she did. The cause and effect pattern of the epic is most evident in this book. Most of Draupadi’s actions are explained by causes in her past.

For those who don’t know many of the stories of Mahabharatha, this book can be a good introduction. The major characters , the concepts are all given in a brief but complete manner. I was especially impressed by the way the author wove in the stories of Baka and Ekalavya also into the book. Many less known facts about Draupadi are also brought up in the book , like her childhood friendship with Krishna when he would call her Krishnae. Her rebellious nature is also a revelation to us. Her resentment of her egotistic father because he did not care for her or the prophecy she was born with as much as he did for her brother. Her solace with the ever enigmatic Krishna and with her dear brother Dhrishtadhyumna. The stories that she and her brother narrate to each other to pass long summer evenings are really creative and touching too. The fact that Vyasa had predicted to her the path of her whole life and even warned her of the mistakes she would make. It is also explained how, though Draupadi knew the consequences of her actions, she could not react to the situations in any other way than what was foretold. Her intense devotion towards her husbands , her unforgiving nature and her search for a home for herself are all deep rooted in her psyche. Even common incidents like her feuds with her mother-in-law are highlighted to show us more cause-effect incidents.

The title Palace of Illusions is derived from the fantastic palace that the Pandavas build for themselves at Indraprastha. It is the first step they take to transform the barren land to a prosperous city. Draupadi who never felt at home at her fathers palace or at the palace of the Kauravas always yearned for her own home, one where she could truly be a queen and the mistress of the house. All that was good in her life is represented by this palace , the loss of which hits her hard and further fuels her anger.

The one thing Mahabharatha lacks is an all encompassing romance throughout the epic. All characters have romantic interests and of course Draupadi’s marriage to the five brothers is a stand out but there is not a continuous love story that will remain in people’s hearts. Perhaps to increase the allure of the book the author introduced a Draupadi – Karna angle into the book. Karna being the tragic hero of the book ,most pitied and most beloved for many is indeed a good candidate for a love story.I agree that the relationship between the two was a rocky one , what with one insulting the other at crucial moments of the epic but no place have I heard it to be a romantic one. Though this forbidden love is interesting from a fiction point of view,this is something not present in the epic. This development kind of disappointed and drove me to laughter too. Draupadi yearning for Karna , the ego battles and especially the Titanic like end bordered on hilarity.

Other than the one obvious flaw , I found this book to very entertaining. The story is well formed and in a fast paced style. It has the right amounts of suspense and drama included. The character descriptions also are nearly accurate and many of the stories of Mahabharatha are stringed together admirably.In fact once you start reading, it is hard to put down this book. Highly recommend you to try this one. Divakaruni does a good job.

This review is written by Pavithra. You can find her writings at Pavithra Kodmad’s Pages

You will not generally catch me with a self help book in my hand. But believe it or not, even with all the hype surrounding this one , I had thought it was a story. Well, to be fair to the book it is a story which is supposed to cleverly wrap the inspiring formulas to lead a spiritual and good life.

Julian Mantle is a prolific lawyer who is never tired of his law practice. One day , unable to bear the stress of a high profile law practice , Julian collapses with a heart attack. This serves as an eye opener and Julian sets upon a personal “odyssey” to the “mystical” lands of India. here through his infallible determination and grit he reaches the pinnacle of the Himalayas to find “The Nirvana of Sivana”. Here ageless sages reside who dispense their wisdom to turn our lawyer to a monk. He arrives back to the US after 3 years and disperses these sermons to his cynical yet grudgingly admiring old friend.

The rest of the story is a seven part sermon on how to live life well , how to control willpower ,how to be successful ,you name it. It basically turns out to be an FAQ of all the principles that are being shared with cynical friend asking relevant doubtful questions. The discourse is common to those of us in India but more than the thoughts , I was not impressed by the man who wrote them. This stops me from following the path. Looking at the author , the whole book sounds to me like a marketing device.

I agree there is truth in the tips and suggestions of the book. A man is defined by his thoughts. Visualizing goals makes them more real to oneself. Concentration and will power can be very powerful to one’s development. Goal setting is something that everyone should do.Yoga is an excellent practice. If followed diligently then all this will definitely enrich our lives.

The practical suggestions in the book may be of value but I felt there were too many and it would be very cumbersome to accommodate all of them. Some of the values are contradictory to each other , like saying derive inspiration from great people’s lives but again be your own man , do not copy others.

But for me the book did not provide enough impetus for a change. There surely must be better help books out there.

This review is written by Pavithra. You can find her writings at Pavithra Kodmad’s Pages

‘It’s the simple things in life that keep us from going crazy,’ says Ruskin Bond in ‘Notes From A Small Room’, and I am bound to agree. In the craziness of everyday life, it is the simple things that touch our heart, reaffirm our faith, and help us retain our sanity. I can’t agree more with Ruskin Bond. Little things like a familiar song or a sudden evening downpour or a beautiful sunset or an unexpected smile or kind word have often made my day, and stopped me from losing my mind over the craziness of the world. It is no wonder, then, that I loved Ruskin Bond’s ‘Notes From A Small Room’, which is all about the simple and small things in life, that give us unparallelled pleasure. How can you not fall in love with lines like ‘I stretch myself out on the cot under a sky brilliant with stars. And as I close my eyes, someone brushes against the lime tree, bruising its leaves; and the good fresh fragrance of lime comes to me on the night air, making that moment memorable for all time.’ or ‘It’s a good sound to read by – the rain outside, the quiet within – and, although tin roofs are given to springing unaccountable leaks, there is in general a feeling of being untouched by, and yet in touch with, the rain.’?

Notes From A Small Room is a collection of short essays – Ruskin Bond’s ode to all the little things that we often overlook in the rush of life. It covers a wide range of things – from Ruskin’s favourite smells and sounds, to little incidents with his family, friends and his cat Suzie that will always remain in his memory, and even his very first typewriter. Ruskin Bond writes about his experiences in Shimla, Dehradun and Landour, and moments when he felt one with nature. He meditates on things like the difference a perfect window makes to a room, his philosophy in life, and his thoughts on reaching 75 years of age. He also reflects on something he has a passionate love for – books.

I could so, so, so relate to the author. I so understood what Ruskin Bond means when he says, ’This morning I was pondering on this absence of a philosophy or religious outlook in my make-up, and feeling a little low because it was cloudy and dark outside, and gloomy weather always seems to dampen my spirits. Then the clouds broke up and the sun came out, large, yellow splashes of sunshine in my room and upon my desk, and almost immediately I felt an uplift of spirit. And at the same time, I realised that no philosophy would be of any use to a person so susceptible to changes in light and shade, sunshine and shadow. I was a pagan, pure and simple; a sensualist; sensitive to touch and colour and fragrance and odour and sounds of every description; a creature of instinct, of spontaneous attractions, given to illogical fancies and attachments.’

The book contains almost 40 entries, each of them short and extremely simple – typical Ruskin Bond style – but none of them failed to get to me. Each piece is a gem, filled with wit, and it feels as if the writer has put his heart and soul in them. Take this for example – ‘I have made a small bench in the middle of this civilised wilderness… this is my favourite place. No one can find me here, unless I call out and make my presence known. The buntings and sparrows grow “accustomed to my face”. And welcoming the grain I scatter for them, flit about near my feet. One of them, bolder than the rest, alights on my shoe adn proceeds to polish his beak on the leather. The sparrows are here all the year round. So are the whistling thrushes, who live in the shadow between the house and the hill, sheltered by a waterwood bush, so called because it likes cold, damp places.’ or this – ‘When the trees saw me, they made as if to turn in my direction. A puff to wind came across the valley from the distant snows. A long-tailed blue magpie took alarm and flew noisily out of an oak tree. The cicadas were suddenly silent. But the trees remembered me. They bowed gently in the breeze and beckoned me nearer, welcoming me home.’

It’s been a long, long time since a book has taken over my heart so completely with delight, and kept me constantly smiling. It has made me more sensitive to nature, to the little things around me, and urged me not make time for the little wonders that life and nature constantly gives us, and to write about them. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy from inside.

I’m charmed by Notes From A Small Room, and am completely head over heels in love with it. This is one book that goes into my library, and stays with me, to be read over and over again, to be shared with loved ones, and passed on over generations. If you haven’t read this one already, grab a copy NOW!

Posted by Priya Iyer

Title : Holy Cow : An Indian Adventure

Author : Sarah MacDonald

Publisher : Random House

ISBN : 978-0-553-81601-3

Reviewed by Vibha Sharma

Twenty one years old Sarah MacDonald visits India and to say the least she simply hates her experience in the country and vows never to step her foot on this land again. But destiny does bring her back after 11 years, making an Indian beggar’s prophecy correct about her. This time she comes to India leaving her dream job in Sydney for the love of her life, who happens to be posted in New Delhi.

Claiming to be an atheist, she finds herself in a totally alien territory where faith, belief and religion define a part of who people are and not just that, there is so much more to India and the people than she could ever have imagined or expected. She embarks on the journey to unravel the mysteries of India and Indian-ness and flows with what each day unfolds in front of her.

Being in the most polluted city, observing people very closely, she wonders why so many foreigners keep trying to figure out India when in fact this whole exercise is pointless, India is one country which is beyond any understanding, any statement, for anything one states about India, the opposite is also true. It’s rich, its poor, spiritual and material, cruel and kind, angry and peaceful, ugly and beautiful, smart and stupid. It’s all the extremes.

She observes, experiences and tries to understand the faiths, beliefs and religions of different people and what these mean to an Indian. To immerse deeply and to partake all flavors, she first takes the calming Vipassana course in the small town of Dharamkot, pays visit to the Vatican of Sikhs – the Golden Temple, travels to Kashmir and closely observes the Muslims and their ability to surrender and sacrifice, spends some days in Buddhist Monastery, gets introduced to beliefs of the Jews and Parsis of India, marvels at the unbelievable simplicity and self-perfection of Jain faith, gets awed by the orderly organisation of Sathya Sai Baba anshram in Bangalore, appreciates the Hinduism for showing innumerable ways to divine and peeks into the lives of Indian Christians. After having experienced faith from different angles, she realizes that she has made a start along the path to personal transformation and inner peace.

The charm of India was such that despite having to endure a lot of irritants like – the unending trail of beggars which gets exceptionally bigger behind a foreigner, various people charging exorbitantly for the basic services, lecherous gestures of men, to just name a few – while leaving India this time, she is glad ‘to be reborn as a better person, less reliant on others for her happiness and full of a desire to replace anger with love.’ And, she has gained another home – the home of her spiritual rebirth.

I really liked the author’s play with words – simple and perfectly apt, witty and intelligent. To give a slice of her writing style, just a few pages into the book she writes about the Indian traffic and the road sense –

‘Pedestrians are on the bottom and run out of the way of everything, bicycles make way to cycle-rickshaws, which give way to auto-rickshaws, which stop for the cars, which are subservient to trucks. Buses stop for one thing and one thing only. Not customers – they jump on while the buses are still moving. The only thing that can stop a bus is the king of the road – The Holy Cow. ‘

Please visit LiterarySojourn for a personal note.

Mini and Tanya have let go of their jobs in an ad agency and have joined JR enterprises to take their careers to the next level.Little do they know that they have inadvertently stepped into a madhouse with a megalomaniac CEO at the helm. To make matters worse Mini’s boss, Shipra turns out to be a bitch who wants nothing more than getting Mini out of her face. Tanya gets relegated to the basement to give the food guys company and decides to focus on her marriage to her boyfriend,Prithvi. Meanwhile,Mini has her eye on the hot designer,Varun. Add a bumbling secretary who fancies herself as a detective and an oily personal assistant with a “secret”, you have the necessary fodder for a joy-ride. Mini gets assigned as a Brand manager for JRE’s brand, Angel and is entrusted with getting a photo-shoot done. The rest of the story is about how she tackles the photo-shoot which is fraught with problems and avoids Shipra’s attempts at wrecking her career.

Parul’s strength is ability to conjure up believable, warm characters.I quite liked the somewhat “batty” secretary, Mumtaz who dives headlong into investigating shady happenings at the office and the yummy–sounding Rohan Vaidya, the “old” photographer.The narrative is breezy and fast-paced: A true-blue chicklit.The book takes a while to warm up, but gets funny once it warms up ,making you chuckle once every few pages. The humor is not the back-thumping slapstick type, but the self-deprecating variety. Sometimes,the characters used words like “Gah” and “Harrumph” and that didn’t sound too believable considering that its a book about Indian people. But otherwise, Parul has managed to retain the Indian flavor.

With a lot of workplace stories being published these days, Parul’s book is a sweet, fresh book that will definitely work with women. Don’t pay too much attention to the plot and read the book just for the chuckles.

Let me throw in a teaser of Parul’s writing …

“Shipra barged in her usual delicate fashion of a large truck brimming over with construction materials.”

Funny, right?.Well, the book is studded with such gems. Not to mention deeply philosophical observations like “Corporate bitches are made, not born.”

Overall, it’s a feel-good,fun book, where even some of the evil guys even seem like caricatures. Most characters will remind you of someone you would know from your own workplaces.I would rate it 3/5.

A big thanks to Manish from Friends of books for sending me the copy to review.