The Hindu On Books

Dr. Sneh Bhargava, AIIMS Delhi’s first and still only woman director, shares her vivid memories of October 31, 1984: the day Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was shot and rushed into AIIMS while Dr. Bhargava’s appointment was being confirmed.

Host: Soma Basu

The book brings in granular detail about the Awadh Nawabs, their political history, culture and their struggle with the British. It also captures the echoes of the French and English rivalry in the Indian courts, chronicling the various French men who worked in Awadh, Delhi and Mysore. Equally it is a story of two powerful women- Nawab Begum and Bahu Begum, who assert their agency both in laying down the foundation of the Awadh realm and also help in holding it up.  

Host: Sobhana K. Nair 

Edited by Sharmada Venkatsubramanian. 

In the 20th century, free market economists such as Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek argued that a limited government that allows markets to flourish can lead a country down the road to economic prosperity. 

But in his latest book "The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society", American economist and 2001 Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz argues that we should not place too much faith in markets and increase the role of the government to uphold the common good.

Host: Prashanth Perumal

Edited by Jude Francis Weston

Tim Walker took to writing children’s novels at the age of 45 and became popular with his series of action-adventure stories published as a trilogy in 2007. The books -- Shipley Manor, The Flying Fizzler and Rise of the Rattler – unbottled his thoughts on everything, from corporate greed to religious extremism.

The award winning designer-turned author has now published his second book, which has a link with one of India’s worst catastrophes, the Bhopal gas tragedy. Tim’s book titled The Prisoner of Bhopal is a historical fiction novel based on the real incident, which he says he wrote for children of the present generation who were not a witness to the tragedy.

In 1984 when Tim was working as a young graphic designer, he was tasked with designing a leaflet on a pesticide for Union Carbide, which was similar to that manufactured at their plant in Bhopal. As he was completing his task, the Bhopal disaster was announced over the radio, and Tim was asked to stop work. The events of that day stuck with him and inspired him to write about it decades later and incidentally, the book has been published in the year commemorating the 40th anniversary of the disaster.

From corporate misconduct to climate change, Tim covers it all in The Prisoner of War by telling an intriguing story of a 10-year-old boy who is kidnapped and how it connects to the Bhopal gas leak. Tim says his book will help children to learn about different cultures, places and issues, explore different perspectives and develop deeper understanding of the world in the past.

Host: Soma Basu, Senior Deputy Editor, The Hindu

Edited by Jude Francis Weston

Each year, some of the brightest young Indians join the civil services with the desire to serve the nation. But very soon they find out the steep challenges ahead as they need to battle, among other things, politicians who have other interests to serve. In "Just A Mercenary?: Notes from my Life and Career", former RBI Governor Duvvuri Subbarao chronicles his journey as a civil servant and offers aspiring civil servants some hard-learned lessons from his decades-long career. 

Host: Prashanth Perumal  

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian 

It has been over 75 years since India attained independence and became the world's largest democracy. But there is still a huge unfinished task that is holding back India's economic growth potential, and that is the task of strengthening the capacity of the Indian state to deliver public goods and services to citizens, argues Karthik Muralidharan, the Tata Chancellor's professor of economics at the University of California San Diego. The author discussed the historic reasons behind India's poor state capacity, the elements of state capacity and also practical ways to boost state capacity in India in latest book "Accelerating India's Development: A State-led Roadmap for Effective Governance".

Host: Prashanth Perumal 

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

He started writing his first novel at the age of 17. When he was 23, he won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize for The Room on the Roof. In his mid-20s, he returned to India and continued to do what he loved best — writing — while trying to make a living with other jobs. But, finally, he retreated to the place he was most at home — the hills of northern India — and continued to write. Yes, we are talking about Ruskin Bond, everyone’s favourite author. 

Today, on his 90th birthday, Bond continues to write: about hills, Nature, life and more. And we continue to read. Let’s celebrate this iconic writer by taking a look at just four books from his prolific output.

Host: R. Krithika, Senior Deputy Editor, The Hindu.

Edited by Jude Francis Weston and Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

Celebrated as the Dalit History Month, April is the time to reflect upon Dalit literature. There are many books in multiple Indian languages that raise issues related to caste and casteist patriarchy, oppression of the marginalised communities and their quest for equality.

The Dalit history month was started in India in 2015 by a group of young women activists who came together to assert their rights and resistance to the existing class conscious system.

April also commemorates the birth of Babasaheb Ambedkar besides celebrating and honouring the prominent figures of the community who have contributed to the Dalit movement.

Dalit literature has its origins in the exploitation, persecution and exclusion of Dalits. The subjugation also gave birth to people who fought against race and ethnicity and championed civil rights movements. Treated as a strong and separate category of literature, the documentation of Dalit history and experiences lent a new voice to a more inclusive understanding of the community.

There are many books that have ushered in fresh perspectives for empowering those who have challenged oppression for social equality and human dignity. The books included in the podcast and the Bibliography are:

1. Annihilation of Caste and The Untouchables: Who Were They and Why They Became Untouchables by Dr.B R Ambedkar

2. Ambedkar: A Life by Shashi Tharoor

3. Harijan by Gopinath Mohanty

4. Baluta by Daya Pawar

5. When I Hid My Caste by Baburao Bagul

6. Jina Amucha by Baby Kamble

7. Karukku by Bama

8. Koolamaathaari by Perumal Murugan

9. Chandal Jibon by Manoranjan Byapari

10. Joothan by Omprakash Valmiki

Edited by Jude Francis Weston

Ram Vilas Paswan was a steady presence in national politics for more than four decades. He has held Cabinet posts in several governments, including stints in key ministries such as Railways and Telecom. He is one of the faces associated with the historic implementation of the Mandal Commission report on OBC reservations. As someone adept at sensing shifts in political climate before others could, he was able to make the most of his political capital. But what is the nature of his legacy as a Dalit leader?

A new biography, titled ‘Ram Vilas Paswan: The Weathervane of Indian Politics’ by Sobhana K Nair offers a nuanced answer to this question.

Brinda Karat has been working with the CPI(M) for the last 53-years. And this memoir by her is primarily about the ten-years from imposition of emergency in 1975 till 1985 when she lived under the assumed name of Rita. It is also a story of a young upper middle class girl, who left her job with Air India in London to join the communist movement and struggles of working as a woman activist & politician. The book also chronicles stories of common workers, trade unionists and their struggles during the emergency years.