By the people, for the people

People's Publishing House (P) Ltd: a favourite haunt of many of us on the prowl for low cost books. Especially in the days of the Soviet Union, when the excellent books from Mir Publishers gave even the low cost editions of US and UK books a run for their money.

The good news is that they are still around in some incarnation. Dwindling, but still here. Some of the books that were published by Mir in the 1970s and 1980s are still available, but fewer and fewer, since they are not reprinted. The bad news is that since they are not updated or revised, academically at least they are no longer as worthwhile as they once used to be. Of course, that could be said about many things....

The PPH has its own publications too, and very important ones- the books co-published with the Indian Council for Historical Research, for instance. And one can see the bookstore evolve with the times as well- we have a representative of the PPH on the JNU campus- there are the shelves replete with the customary Marx and Lenin tomes, but also more recent material, more representative of today's struggles and today's realities. And quite a lot of the mainstream academic literature.

Scholars is happy to list a selection of their titles. And we'll ship them anywhere in India at Rs 23 per book. Write in to us to tell us which you want. Most should be available quite easily.

1. Fundamentals of Quantum Mechanics by V A Fock, Rs 50.
   
2. Ordinary Differential Equations by M Krasmov, Rs 20.
3. Physics and Geometry of Disorder by A L Efros, Rs 25.
4. Che: A memoir, by F Castro, Rs 100.
   
5. The Swadeshi movement in Bengal 1902-08 by Sumit Sarkar, Rs 125.
6. Indian Philosophy by Debiprosad Chattopadhyaya, Rs 100.
7. Science, Society, and Peace, by D D Kosambi, Rs 50.
8. Indian Society: Historical Probings, by R S Sharma and V Jha, Rs 200.
9. Ambedkar, a critical study, by W N Kuber, Rs 150.
10. Exasperating Essays, by D D Kosambi, Rs 40.
11. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Rs 140.
12. Buddhism, the Marxist approach, by Rahul Sankrityayan, Debiprosad Chattopadhyaya, Y. Balaramamoorty, Ram Bilas Sharma and Mulk Raj Anand, Rs 35.
    

There are many other titles of course, and some of these will eventually find their way onto the Scholars site. This is just to start you off- please write in for any other titles not listed above or on the sit. We'll be more than happy to help...

Strive on, diligently

A remarkable photograph taken by Homai Vyarawalla (subject of Sabeena Gadihoke's superb biography, India in Focus from Mapin) shows the Dalai Lama, Jawaharlal Nehru and Chou-en-Lai uncomfortably sharing the dais. The oversize garlands, the placement of the three leaders, the awkward salute that seems more like a way of averting the gaze.... It seems such a prescient commentary on the events of the month past, the natural alignment of the nations, the compulsions of proximity, of power, of the lack of it...

The Dalai Lama - who describes himself as smiling monk but yet, being a reincarnation of a Bodhisattva, is obviously something much more than just that- has been the subject of many studies. A collection of essays edited by Rajiv Mehrotra for Penguin, Understanding the Dalai Lama brought together a range of contributors who offered insights into different facets of this remarkable individual. Two of them (at least) have gone on to write their own books on the man and his philosophy.

Pico Iyer's The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama will be published by Penguin in India in May. Already out in the US, this book has been discussed in a great review by Pankaj Mishra in The New Yorker (where he says "The bracing virtue of Iyer’s thoughtful essay is that it allows us to imagine the Dalai Lama as something of an intellectual and spiritual adventurer, exploring fresh sources of individual identity and belonging in the newly united world." and from which we took the title of this post- the Buddha's last words) and is described "not a biography but an extended journalistic analysis of someone deep enough for several lifetimes, as Tibetan Buddhists believe. Iyer organizes his observations by smart descriptions of aspects of the Dalai Lama's work and character: icon, monk, philosopher, politician. This allows him to plumb different sides of His Holiness, whom he demythologizes even as he expresses a clear-eyed respect for the leader's achievements. Iyer reminds readers of paradoxes: the Dalai Lama is highly empirical, yet holds beliefs such as reincarnation that defy observation. He is a public figure who is diligent about elaborate and private religious practices. Like its subject, the aim of this book is ultimately simple: behold the man. "

Bharati Puri's Engaged Buddhism: The Dalai Lama's Worldview from OUP, 2006, is on the Dalai Lama's thoughts "on various current issues such as non-violence, human rights, and the political issue of the autonomy of Tibet. This is one of the first books among the range of books on the Dalai Lama to actually seek out the conceptual foundations of his thought. The Dalai Lama's ethical teachings have gained worldwide recognition primarily because his actions and writings reflect a concern for combining ancient religious traditions with a contemporary political, social, and religious cause. "

Hardcover, Rs 495, ISBN: 9780195673319. The books are listed in our sections on Essays and Nonfiction, and in Philosophy.

What is not here is nowhere else

... Yannehasti na Tadkvacit, is the subtitle of a 2005 Munshiram Manoharlal publication, the proceedings of a conference held in 2001 at Concordia University, Montreal, and edited by T S Rukmani, The Mahabharata. This book, a collection of essays by scholars reputed in the area of Mahabharata studies, goes beyond religion and philosophy to explore the hermeneutics of dharma, others which try to analyze different characters from many perspectives. These include dating of the Kuruksetra War using latest computer technology, the birth of the Pandavas and the Kauravas in modern bioethical terms, and many other topics as well....

The Mahbharata has been fertile ground for many, and one excellent set of essays was put together by B K Matilal in Moral Dilemmas in the Mahabharata, treating "the Mahabharata from an unusual angle, fastening on the moral dilemmas it presents. How universal are the dilemmas faced by the characters in the story, and are the dilemmas in fact resolved? In dealing with these questions, the discussions range over the meaning of the Purusarthas, the institutions of marriage and the family, the concept of action in the Gita and the special predicaments faced by Draupadi, Arjuna and others. These studies invite the scholar to reflect afresh on an epic text and encourage the general reader to find in epic literature much that is relevant to life today.

Orient Longman has brought out the paperback version of Chaturvedi Badrinath's The Mahabharata. "This book is a scholarly treatise on the subject of Indian philosophy and is also written by one of its foremost and most well-known proponents. Chaturvedi Badrinath shows that the Mahabharata is the most systematic inquiry into the human condition. Its principal concern is the relationship of the self with the self and with the other. This book not only proves the universality of the themes explored in the Mahabharata, but also how this great epic provides us with a method to understand the human condition itself. "


And an old favourite...The Sahitya Akademi award-winning Yuganta by Irawati Karve, and published by Diksha Books as well as by Orient Longman in a new edition. The moral dilemmas, the emotional complexities, made most accessible by the wonderful writing style of Irawati Karwe- the book was originally written in Marathi and translated by her into English. There is much to learn from the book and from the persuasive analysis and interpretation offered by Karwe. One result of this is the excellent play by Saoli Mitra, Five Lords, yet none a protector (published by Stree, Kolkata). Translated from the Bengali Nathabati Ananthabat, the play is about Draupadi who while being married to the five royal Pandav brothers, is defenceless even in their presence and is sexually humiliated by the Kauravs, her husbands’ cousins and rival claimants for the throne. In Timeless Tales (Katha Amritasaman), Mitra considers the awesome destruction of an age and the Tragedy of the royal women: Satyavati; Amba, Ambika and Ambalika who were abducted by Bhisma for his half brothers; Kunti, Gandhari, and Draupadi.

All the above titles and more related books on the Mahabharata are featured on our site. And the Mahabharata itself. Translated from the Sanskrit by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, in 4 volumes, 4900 pages. Another classic publication of MRML.

Swept away...

Like so much dust... "In January 2004, the Tourism Ministry of the Government of India announced its plan of developing a 100-acre strip of land on the banks of the Yamuna into a riverside promenade, to be marketed as a major tourist attraction in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games. In February and April 2004, homes and community buildings in this area were razed to the ground leaving thousands of people homeless. This book, the outcome of a two year long research study, tracks the lives of nearly 3,000 of these evicted households who were relocated to Bawana on the margins of the city, and describes their struggle to live with dignity in the face of assaults on their identities, homes, rights and lives. The book presents data and evidence on a wide range of social and economic indicators to show how eviction and resettlement have eroded the rights and undermined the livelihoods of resettled families, leaving them in a state of permanent poverty from which escape seems unlikely if not impossible.

A critical exposé of the human consequences of the push to make Delhi a world class city" (whatever that means....), Swept off the Map the latest title from Yoda Press "raises uncomfortable questions about present trends in urban development and makes a powerful case for bringing the voices and views of all citizens, and not just the élite (or aspiring- to-be-élite) classes, into debates on the future of the city."

The authors are Kalyani Menon-Sen, a feminist activist, researcher and writer who is associated with JAGORI, a women's resource centre in Delhi and Gautam Bhan, a writer and researcher on urban systems based in New Delhi who is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Urban Studies at UC Berkeley.

Paperback, 200 pages. Rs. 250, listed under Yoda in the Publisher Lists at Scholars.
ISBN: 978-81-906186-1-8

The cover design: DesignSwB. Us!

Order! Order!

Anyone who has had traffic with Tis Hazari, the lower courts in Delhi, will appreciate the complexities of the concept of justice, especially in the Indian context. Justice: Political, Social, Juridical, a new book from Sage offers an interesting insight from the point of view of "various religious and cultural traditions (Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Cosmopolitanism, Tribal Cultures) and different methodological perspectives (historical, theological, philosophical, sociological)."


Edited by Rajeev Bhargava (previously at JNU and now) of Delhi University, with Michael Dusche (Erfurt) and Helmut Reifeld (Berlin), a "common thread in these essays is the reflection on ethics universally and reference to the basic values of the Indian constitution. People from all categories were included in the dialogue process on justice in order to avoid any risk of unintentionally missing out people belonging to certain categories.

This volume attempts to express the opinions of people whose voices were not very prominent in theoretical debates on justice and its practical implications. Their perspectives on justice are contrasted with mainstream conceptions of justice, whose problematic representativeness for India today is thereby interpreted. Both abstract universalism and relativism lack a common point of reference to assess relevance and adequacy of a given conception of justice. Neither unaffected universalism nor relativism defined by traditional norms turns is sustainable. The contributors offer a concept of internal universalism as an alternative to unaffected universalism.

Combining various forms and stages of reflective equilibrium as conceived by John Rawls, this framework provides us with the necessary reference point to assess the adequacy as proposed in this book and engage in a comprehensive dialogue on questions of justice."

In our Law, and in our Politics sections. Hardcover, 324 pages. Rs 650.

ISBN: 9780761936473

Tulika's new titles

Tulika- the well-known publishers of scholarly and academic books with a broad left and democratic perspective in the humanities and the social sciences- have two new titles out this month, and to celebrate, Scholars is offering FREE SHIPPING on ALL their books this month. More on that later, first about the books.

Jeemol Unni and Uma Rani, economists (in Ahmedabad and Geneva, respectively) are the authors of Flexibility of Labour in Globalizing India: The Challenge of Skills and Technology. "The focus of the book is on how workers and small enterprises in India fare when faced with the processes of globalization and liberalization. While most discussions on globalization stop with the impact of the opening-up of the economy on large enterprises and workers in them, here the authors try to tell the story of what happens to workers and enterprises at the bottom of the pyramid.

Among the key questions raised in this study about the experience of Indian development since the onset of economic reforms in 1991, three are especially worthy of reflection. First, the difficulty of a dualistic notion and the limitation of the notion of informal sector: while there has been a growth in labour informalization and production in small-scale units, much of the informal labour is in or around large-scale producers. As a result, India has actually created a highly flexible labour system. Second, the issue of outsourcing of jobs which has excited comment around the world: while there is an international re-division of labour taking place, the general equlibrium dynamics of this process defy easy description. Third, the limitations in the conventional analysis of the links between educational skills and economic performance: while the commercialization of education is a matter of serious concern, it is not necessarily correct to presume that formal schooling is an adequate proxy for the possession of skills in workers.

Globalization is primarily about the steady growth of economic liberalization around the world, and the drift to a market society in which privatization and commercialization of social policies have followed the process in economic sectors. One of the apparent consequences is a remarkable growth of various forms of economic inequality and insecurity. This book considers a wide range of economic explanations for the increasing wage gap in a globalizing India in a way that will fascinate scholars for years to come."

In our Economics and Development Studies Sections, Rs 425. Hardcover, 226 pages, ISBN: 978-81-89487-39-3


The second title is a collection of essays on the history of Andhra Pradesh, Early Historic Andhra Pradesh 500BC-624AD, edited by I K Sarma. This is the second volume in the Comprehensive History and Culture of Andhra Pradesh series and describes "a period in Andhra Pradesh that witnessed tremendous flux in all spheres of human activity, marked by processes of contestation, accommodation and acculturation. It was also an age that saw the evolution of religions and religious practices on the basis of an understanding – shared by the royalty and commoners alike – of religion as a necessary social institution for peaceful coexistence and as a driving force of emerging state formations.

The essays in this volume present the findings of research studies undertaken since 1960 – when the notable volume, The Early History of Deccan, edited by Gulam Yazdani, appeared – on the political, social and cultural history of the region. There are essays on the various ruling dynasties that reigned over Andhradesa in the Early Historic period, which included the Satavahanas, Ikshvakus, Brihatphalayanas, Salankayanas, Anandas, Vishnukundins, Early Pallavas, Matharas, Pitribhaktas, Vasishthas and Eastern Gangas. A long essay on religion, based on the latest evidence yielded by the excavation of historical sites, discusses the spread of Buddhism, the contributions of Buddhist philosophers such as Nagarjunacharya and Buddhaghosa, and the impact of Buddhism on art and architecture as seen at the sites of Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda; the presence and spread of Jainism; and the emergence of the Vedic brahmanical religion and the process of Sanskritization. Other subjects covered in the volume include language, literature and script; coinage and currency systems; art, architecture and iconography; evolution of the polity and the nature of the state; historical geography and cultural map of the region."

In our Tulika section, Rs 620. 328 pages, ISBN: 978-81-89487-37-9.

Now about the FREE SHIPPING. For the rest of this month and for the month of May, Scholars is happy to offer free shipping WITHIN INDIA on all Tulika titles. (Go ahead, click to see what all we have listed.) Since our website is not set up to give this offer automatically, please just write in to us at scholarswithoutborders@gmail.com or mail@scholarswithoutborders.in.

If you live outside India, we still have a deal for you on all Tulika titles. We'll be glad to take 5% off the list prices. Do use the Paypal option, though. Or simpler still, write in!

Ever growing...

Thats what we feel about Under Construction Films, the brilliant initiative for the distribution of documentaries. UCF is conceived as a non-broadcast, non-commercial distribution initiative for educational films. They aim to bridge the gap between educational audio visuals and audiences, to facilitate a culture of vibrant discourse... and they also make it possible for all of us to access an eclectic collection from a single source. All their documentaries can be ordered from Scholars- we're eclectic too!

UCF is a wing of the Magic Lantern Foundation which came into being in 1989 as a media action group with the objective of using communication tools to advance human rights and give voice to the problems and concerns of marginalised people. Gargi Sen and Ranjan De - among the most visible faces of MLF- have been making a range of films on issues of considerable social relevance, on the adverse impact of tourism, on the rights of forest dwellers, on construction workers, on the dispossessed.... The range is impressive, and their films have impact.



This month, on the 28th, 29th and 30th (April 2008), MLF and the India International Centre are organising a festival of contemporary political films: Persistence Resistance.

"The festival aims to create a cinema space that celebrates the diverse nature of films in India today. The idea is to showcase the range of subjects and forms the films work with, and to interrogate the emerging aesthetics of political filmmaking. It is becoming clear that political films are no longer bound by the binaries of the past, perhaps developed during war filmmaking, and yet there is no one picture that is seen for the formal explorations are as vast as the diverse subjects.

The festival will also carry a section on international documentaries that are difficult to access in India. And although these films deal with issues and themes that are unique and not very well known in India, there is indeed a common resonance or a common resistance. So the festival is also attempting to explore the notions of internationalism in the present scenario of neo-liberal globalisation.

Simultaneously the festival will aim to present films in multiple ways of seeing, interacting andengaging by creating installations, parlour screenings, video library and film displays along with regular auditorium screenings. Nearly 100 films will be screened from the collection of films that are distributed through UCF."

Their guiding spirit, Marcel Duchamp has this to say, "The creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and interpreting its inner qualifications and thus adds his contribution to the creative act. This becomes even more obvious when posterity gives a final verdict and sometimes rehabilitates forgotten artists."

If you are in Delhi, this is an event to not be missed.... and if you aren't, you can always check out the program on the MLF website and write back to us for any films you'ld like to have.

The Scholars Cull-Fest 2008

Come the 15th of April, Scholars is having (what we hope is the first of) our annual BOOK Giveaways.

Near the office of the School of Information Technology, JNU, New Delhi, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm on Tuesday, come pick up any book you want (maximum of 5 per person!) totally FREE OF COST. The books themselves- there are a few hundred paperbacks and hardcovers- have all been owned by scholars who are culling their bookshelves. Some of the collections go back over 50 years, so there are unexpected treasures to be found.

The paperback list is too long to include here, but the hardcover list is shorter. In case you aren't in Delhi, but would still like some of the books, we will be happy to send them to you for the cost of postage and handling. Write in to us at mail@scholarswithoutborders.in to find out if the title you want is still available.

The titles may not all be exactly right, but you will recognise the books in most cases.

1. Al Qurashi, Salim Cause Of Indian Revolt
2. Baron, S H Prokhanov
3. Batra, Raveendra N. The Downfall off Captalism and Communism
4. Burgess, Eric Satellites And Spaceflight
5. Carrington, Richard Elephant
6. Chandra Shekarbutt Sociology Of Development And Change
7. Chaudhuri, Nirad C The Continent Of Circe
8. Clerk, George English History, A Survey of
9. Collins and Lapierre Or I'll dress you in mourning
   
10. Cormack, M L She Who Rides A Peacock
11. Cornic, Vivian The Romance Of American Communism
12. Coulston, Charles The Edge Of Objectivity
13. Cox, G W The Mythology Of Aryan Nations
14. Damodharan, K Man And Society In Indian Philosophy
15. Dange, S A India: From Primitive Communism To Slavery
16. Dangle, Arjun Poisoned Bread
17. Danks, Canon Canterbury
18. De Misset, Alfred Poesies
19. Drutman, Irving Janet Flanner's World
20. Ellmann, Mary Thinking About Women
21. Elton, G. R Political History. Principles And Practice
22. Fisk, E K New Guinea On The Threshold
23. Frank, Gunder Anne World Accumulation
24. Franke, Herbert W. Wilderness Under The Earth
25. Goyal, Shankar Harsha: A Multidisciplinary Political Study
26. Goyal, Shankar The Image Of Classical India
27. Guttentag M, and P F Secord Too Many Women
28. Hachette Greece (Guide)
29. Kakkar, Sudhir Intimate Relations
30. Kammen, Michael The Past
31. Khan, Nihgat Said and A S Zia Unveiling The Issues
32. Kulke, H & Dietmar Rothermund A History Of India
33. Kumaraswamy, Radhika Introduction To Social Theory
34. Labrousse, P Langues' O
35. Lermontov, M A Hero Of Our Time
36. Lerner, Daniel The Passing Of Traditional Society
37. Lewis, Norman A Goddess In The Stones
38. Lothian C. Arthur A Hand Book For Travellers In India,Pakistan,Burma And Ceylon
39. MacLagan, Michael Clemency Canning
40. Maharaj Rana Eastern Right Of Sahatu Culture
41. Malik, S C Indian Movements:Some Aspects Of Dissent Protest And Reform
42. Mc Leod Discovering The Sikhs
43. Mirza, Humayoon From Plassey To Pakistan
44. Mokashi, D.B Palkhi
45. Moon,Pendrel The Future Of India
46. Morris,Yakkov Master Of The Desert
47. Nalikar, J V and I Banga Philosophy Of Science
48. Nambiar, Thankam B The Women In Mauryan India
49. Narayan, R K Ramayana
50. Peissel, Michel Zanskar
51. Prakash, Buddha Evolution Of Heroic Tradition
52. Pudaite, Rochunga The Education Of The people
53. Raja, Anwari The Tragedy Of Afghanistan
54. Ram, N. Riding The Nuclear Tiger
55. Ramaseshan, S & C. Ramachandra Rao C.V Raman -A Pictorial Biography
56. Rangacharya, V. History Of Pre-muslim India
57. Ravindran, T K Asan And Social Revolution In Kerala
58. Ray, Niharranjan Nationalism In India
59. Raychaudhari, H Political History Of Ancient India
60. Raychaudhuri, Hemachandra Political History of Ancient India
61. Reid, Lucy The Fish On The Bus
62. Rikhey, Indrajith 6th Duke Of Connaughts Own Lancers
63. Rinpoche, Sogyal The Tibetan Book Of Living & Dying
64. Rose, H and S Rose Science And Society
65. Rush, Kevin Children Of Kali
66. Sarkar, Shuban Bengal Renaissance And Other Essays
67. Saul, John S. Developent After Globalization
68. Scindia, Vijayaraje Princess
    
69. Shamsuzzha, Manik The Aryans And Hindus Civilization
70. Shankardass, R D Vallabhbhai Patel
71. Sharma, Arvind Hinduism and its sense of History
72. Sharma, Jyothirmaya Terrifying Vision
73. Sharma, Tej Ram The Concept Of History
74. Singhal, D P India And Afghanistan
75. Stambuk, Drago Incomplete Animals
76. Subhandu Vasavadutta: A Sanskrit Romance
77. Tharoor, Sashi Nehru The Invention Of The India
78. Tharoor, S Riot
    
79. Thayil, Jeet & Vijay Nambisan Gemini
80. Todron, Nikolai The Balkan City
81. Tolstoy, Leo Tales Of Sevastopol
82. Turganev, Ivan A Nest Of The Gentry
83. Valicha, Kishore The Moving Image
84. Veluthat, Keshavan and P P Sudhakaran Advances In History
85. Wagle, Narendra Society At The Time Of Buddha
86. White, Morton A Philosopher's story
    
87. Whittaker, Zai The Snakeman
88. Wright, Gordon The Ordeal Of Total War 1939-1945
89. Yadav, Narendra Out-Caste
90. Yaqoob, Sayeed The Promised One
91. Young The Government Of Britain
92. The World Of Science
93. Royal Historical Society
94. Punjab On The Eve Of First Sikh War
95. The Bhagavad Gita

Jan Madhyam

Independent voices in independent India need support... Scholars is happy to showcase the work of Jan Madhyam who make documentaries and tackle contemporary issues head on, regardless of which feathers they ruffle. Some examples of their recent work:

• Maya Nagri (Culture of Lies) 2007/Hindi/20 minutes, on Muslim child labourers working in Delhi’s suburb and the role of police, government, NGO’s and funding agencies like SAVE the Children & The World Bank play in criminalizing them.

• Right to Information 1999/English&Hindi/33 minutes, A film on Corruption in implementation of Rural Development works and ways of combating it.

• Kaise Jeebo Re! (How Do I Survive, My friend!) 1999/Hindi & English/80 minutes A story of uprootment, of survival, of struggle and of human-dignity of a people living in the Narmada valley who continue to struggle against large dam projects.

Write in to us for their DVDs.

Abandoned!

A group of students and teachers at Delhi University have started a non-funded independent research group, Perspectives. They work on issus of social, political and economic relevance and attempt to understand them by assessing the situation first-hand and "on the ground".


ABANDONED. Development & Displacement is a book that they have brought out a year or so ago (a revised second edition was published a couple of months ago,) in which they question displacement and the model of development that is being followed in India, most visibly in Nandigram and Singur. The inevitability of displacement- be it villagers in these parts of West Bengal, or tribals who have been relocated thanks to mega-dam projects- has become synonymous with economic development. In this book, the Perspectives team offers an alternate perspective... Development has to be for the people, not at the cost of the people.

Scholars is happy to list their book. The cost is negligible- Rs 50, but the book is important and should be read.