Home and the World (Redux)

Penguin India has reissued two classics by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 – 1941), the first Indian (or for that matter, Asian) to win a Nobel Prize. His "most ambitious work Gora unfolds against the vast, dynamic backdrop of Bengal under British rule, a divided society struggling to envisage an emerging nation. It is an epic saga of India’s nationalist awakening, viewed through the eyes of one young man, an orthodox Hindu who defines himself against the British colonialist culture and finds himself approaching his nationalist identity through the prism of organized religion. First published in 1907, Gora questions the dogmas and presuppositions inherent in nationalist thought like few books have dared to do. This new, lucid and vibrant translation brings the complete and unabridged text of the classic to a new generation of readers, underlining its contemporary relevance."

The other book is the less known Nationalism that is "based on lectures delivered by him during the First World War. While the nations of Europe were doing battle, Tagore urged his audiences in Japan and the United States to eschew political aggressiveness and cultural arrogance. His mission, one might say, was to synthesize East and West, tradition and modernity. The lectures were not always well received at the time, but they were chillingly prophetic. As Ramachandra Guha shows in his brilliant and erudite introduction, it was by reading and speaking to Tagore that those founders of modern India, Gandhi and Nehru, developed a theory of nationalism that was inclusive rather than exclusive. Tagore’s Nationalism should be mandatory reading in today’s climate of xenophobia, sectarianism, violence and intolerance. "

Mast Calendar

Having grown up in a typical south Indian middle class household, it was quite natural to keep a track of dates via the ubiquitous religious calendar where each day had a tiny page to itself, with inscriptions of good times, stars, etc. etc. all in Tamil. With a large and colourful (albeit somewhat kitschy) picture, typically of a deity.

Calendar illustrations are such a characteristic- Netaji with painted lips, Mother India. The goddess Saraswati. Lakshmi. Santhoshi Ma. Lurid colours, exaggerated poses, the works. Its but natural that the more cerebral of our modern artists would take this and turn it on its head... An earlier post has already highlighted Pushpamala's Native women of South India project where she played with many depictions of goddesses, and Rang Rasiya, a recent movie, has imaginatively explored Raja Ravi Varma's oeuvre... but neither has the wild wackiness of Red Earth's absolutely brilliant Calendar 2009. For a mere Rs 300, you can have, each month, the likes of the Singh Twins, Waswo, Olivia Fraser, Arjuna, Pushpamala, Alexis Kersey... and six equally distinguished modern artists do their take on Indian Calendar art.

Its not too late. Enjoy the rest of the year with great art on your walls. As well as a great calendar.

Be mast! Write in to us- we'll help you get it.

What an idea, sirjee!

A biweekly magazine that discusses the very latest in science that you can subscribe to for less than Rs 45 an issue!

The New Scientist is now available in India, and Scholars is more than happy to bring it to you. We now list it in our Periodicals section, and on offer are 6 month, 1 year and 3 year subscriptions. The latter two come with additional freebies, of 4GB and 120GB storage, for all the wonderful news items you might wish to download and store...

For those that might not have known about the magazine earlier, "Since 1956, New Scientist magazine has been keeping readers up to date with the latest science and technology news from around the world. With a network of correspondents and editorial offices worldwide, we have a global reach that no other science magazine can match. New Scientist currently has nearly 1 million worldwide readers every week.

New Scientist is widely read by both scientists and non scientists as a way of keeping track of scientific and technological progress. Many science articles in the general press are based on its contents, as New Scientist covers the social and cultural impacts and consequences of scientific and technological discovery, not just the underlying science. The magazine carries regular features, news and commentary on environmental issues and is an acknowledged source of evidenced information from the scientific community."

Think about it. Its cheaper than Cine Blitz or Stardust, and has the same amount of absolutely incredible information. Only this stuff is probably true!

NS occupies a separate page in our Periodicals section. Individual copies are on the newsstands for Rs 75, but subscriptions are Rs 499 for six months (12 issues), Rs 1599 for a year (26 issues). Or Rs 4700 for 3 years (78 issues). For whatever period, a steal, sirjee!

The Basic Structure

A new and important study of constitution law from OUP is Democracy and Constitutionalism in India: A Study of the Basic Structure Doctrine by Sudhir Krishnaswamy. "The basic structure doctrine was articulated by the Indian Supreme Court in 1973 in one of its most famous decisions—Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala. It placed substantive limits on the amending power of the executive arm of the state. Subsequently the case has been applied to other forms of state action. The doctrine was at the time of its birth, and remains even today, much discussed and contested.

Krishnaswamy presents a completely reconfigured understanding of the judicial role in Indian constitutional law. He lucidly and critically examines the significance and status of the basic structure doctrine today. He tackles head-on the question whether basic structure review is an appropriate exercise of judicial power or an abuse of it. He argues that much of the criticism against the doctrine emerges from a failure to adequately map the contours of constitutional judicial review.

This book assesses the legitimacy of basic structure review under three categories—legal, moral, and sociological. It critiques the views of major scholars including Seervai, Sathe, Austin, and Baxi. It also analyses the post–Kesavananda Bharati cases and studies how the scope of the basic structure doctrine has been expanded by the Court."

Widely praised, it was recently released in JNU during an exciting and well attended conference organised by the Center for the Study of Law and Governance. Commenting on it, Upendra Baxi said ‘This painstaking and provocative study not merely traces, teases, and tests the charismatic enunciation of the doctrine…but also analyses its subsequent adjudicatory routinization… contributes significantly to… global South-based comparative constitutional studies’, while Sitharamam Kakarala of the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society calls it ‘…a highly important work on a theme that is at the heart of Indian constitutionalism…Sudhir has dealt with the theme with enviable clarity and outstanding scholarship…[this work] sets new standards in analytical rigour and methods of substantiation.’

In our Law section, Rs 625. ISBN: 9780195693799

Page 3 people...

I confess to having been an avid reader of Neeta's Natter in Stardust... and to spending more than a little time on the more lurid stories that adorn the Supplements of the daily paper that I get... And now there is a book to analyse just what makes many of us this way...

Sage's new title, Seeing Stars: Spectacle, Society and Celebrity Culture by Pramod K Nayar who teaches at the University of Hyderabad "delves into various aspects of celebrity culture - from the making of celebrity charisma to celebrity scandals and the consumption of celebrities by the masses. Beginning with Indian film celebrities of the early 1990s, the book demonstrates how celebrities are manufactured, packaged and sold to adoring audiences that are always thirsty for spectacles that pique their imagination and dazzle their lives.

A first-of-its-kind study of celebrity and ‘Page 3’ culture in India, the book explores `celebrity ecology` in order to understand the processes that transform a celebrity into a ‘consumer product’. Drawing upon examples from sports, Bollywood, TV contests, politics, as well as global stars, the book deals with issues of power, ideology and economy, the role of media, fans and fandom, audience psyche, audience-celebrity relations and celebrity iconography."

In our Media section, and also in Film, and Culture. In paperback, 220 pages. Rs 295. ISBN: 9788178299075

Dilli-o-Delhi

Few cities have a history that goes back as far in time as Delhi. Quite apart from the catchy "Seven Cities" categorization, there is much evidence to show that from the neolithic times, this part of India was inhabited (there are significant remains even in JNU, for instance!).

Delhi has had three main advantages. Location, location and location. And these have ensured that there has been an essentially uninterrupted sequence of kingdoms and fiefdoms that have been located here, ranging from Qila Rai Pithora in the south to Tughlakabad, Shahjehanabad, Siri, Jahanpanah, and so on...

And traces of this continuous chain remain, as a large number of monuments in various states of disrepair that dot our fair city. Cataloguing them has been an arduous task, one that has been carried out several times, most recently by INTACH, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. Their Delhi: The Built Heritage—A Listing, by Ratish Nanda, Narayani Gupta and O P Jain is a major effort where "they have listed to over 1200 buildings that are of archaeological, historical and architectural importance. We have surveyed the many ‘pasts’ of Delhi’s long history and found buildings that are part of that multi-faceted story: the co-existence of diverse sacred centres, educational institutions and administrative structures, homes and palaces, political strongholds, markets, pleasure gardens, memories of war and monuments to peace. This publication contains a varied sample of the multiple layers of Delhi’s ancient history, material evidence of the richness of life and human creativity. However, as listing is a continuous process, we hope to build upon this effort."

In our Institutional Lists, under INTACH. Rs 3000 for the set of two books.

A good companion to the INTACH book is Monuments of Delhi by Maulvi Zafar Hasan and J A Page from Aryan Books International. The reissue of the 1920 edition, this listing of the monuments is made all the more valuable by the annotation of many of the calligraphic inscriptions that are on the various buildings. A legacy of the colonial times, "the present work is a compilation of monuments on the basis of their location by the archaeological officers of Delhi. The list includes more than 1200 monuments and covers the well known as well as the least known. This is perhaps the only book that gives a list of monuments extant at the beginning of this century, many of which are non-existent today or are in the most dilapidated condition. Such an exhaustive study was not compiled before, nor is likely to be compiled in future. It meticulously gives all the particulars of the monument including its history, architecture and events associated with it."

In our Art and Architecture and History Sections. In 3 volumes, Rs 3450. ISBN 9788173051142

Coping with earthquakes

Gujarat. Latur. Koyna. Bihar. Quetta.... India has a serious earthquake problem, and The National Information Center of Earthquake Engineering hosted at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur tries to help us all cope by producing, collecting and maintaining information resources on Earthquake Engineering with a view to mitigating earthquake disasters in India. NICEE receives no budget from any sources and operates entirely on the interest income of its endowment, sponsorships, publication sales, and donations.

One never quite knows when one will find this useful- earthquakes being as unpredictable as they come... so its good that someone cares. All their publications can now be purchased via Scholars.

As for example, their latest book: Engineering Response to Hazards of Terrorism edited by S K Jain, C V R Murty and D C Rai. This is the proceedings of a conference that dealt with the problem that "Important and major systems, facilities and structures are currently being subjected to threats of terrorist attacks. Strategies and measures are required to reduce, if not to prevent, possible loss and damage due to the negative fallouts of hazards of terrorism.

Four levels of security strategies are possible namely deception, intelligence, physical and operational protection, and structural hardening. The INAE National Seminar on Engineering Response to Hazards of Terrorism was an attempt to bring particularly the last two strategies in focus. "

A timely book. Rs 450 plus shipping. NICEE has a separate page in our Institutional Lists.

A woman's work....

When my colleague Jayati Ghosh writes, people usually sit up and take notice. Her fortnightly column in Frontline, and her several articles in the newspapers, are invaluable: written in a very accessible style, she does much to educate the reading public on matters economic, developmental, political and gendered.

Her latest book, from Women Unlimited, Never Done and Poorly Paid "investigates the complex interaction of the forces of globalisation with shifts in the nature of women's work in the Indian context. It shows how rapid economic growth in India since the early 1990s has not been accompanied with the required expansion of productive employment opportunities. This has generated unexpected outcomes for patterns of women's employment in India, which has shown quite paradoxical trends: simultaneous increases in work participation rates, unpaid labour, migration for work and open unemployment of women."

In keeping with her major academic preoccupations, Jayati attempts to "unravel this complicated set of outcomes for women workers, by situating them in wider economic processes and relating them to economic policies and labour market developments. She argues that while the Indian economy's recent boom has excluded the bulk of women in the country from its benefits, such tendencies are no longer unnoticed or uncontested."

In our Economics and Gender Studies Sections. Hardcover, 196 pages. Rs 250. ISBN: 9788188965441

Go aah!

The image of Goa- and its images- took quite beating since the brutal murder and rape of Scarlett Keeling there last year. But it has been known for a while now that, as Vidyadhar Gadgil wrote in the Herald Mirror last year, that "The image of Goa that is projected in India and the world is a creation of the assiduous efforts of the tourism industry, with a generous measure of help from Bollywood. Thus we have a picture of a hedonist paradise, where the liquor flows fast and easy, the women are Westernised and free, and life is non-stop fun for visitors as well the ever-smiling natives. There is an implicit message sent out that sex is easily available, and that drugs can be had too.

Apart from the misrepresentation and exploitation that is an intrinsic part of the commodification of any tourist destination and its people, another problem with such hyped-up advertising is that it deliberately hides the reality that lies underneath the ecstatic advertising and the advertorials. This is not something that is confined to the tourism industry: pick up any coffee-table publication, even one of the better ones like the recently released Aparanta: Land Beyond the End, and you get an extended visual orgy showcasing the beauty and desirability of Goa, carefully skirting any examination of the dark underside. The few images of poverty that occasionally creep in are always well-composed and in soft focus, and actually end up becoming picture postcards in their own right – poverty as a 'romantic' aspect of Goa's charm!"

The book that he is reviewing is Picture-Postcard Poverty by Kalanand Mani and Frederick Noronha and is available from Goa 1556. "The book begins with examining the forced alienation of tribals from the forests which they have shared a symbiotic relationship with for centuries, and the immiseration that then becomes their lot. It then goes on to cast light on the dismal public health situation in rural Goa, the depradations wrought by liquor on individuals and families, the position of women, the destruction unleashed by the mining industry on livelihoods and environment, the difficulties faced by traditional fisherfolk, the role of caste in Goan society, and the ill-conceived policies and corruption within the government that have led to ramshackle infrastructure and disastrous 'development' projects. The authors do not shy away from examining issues like the demolition of the Baina slum area in 2004, something that was generally applauded by the elites and the middle classes of Goa. They show how under the guise of eradicating prostitution by demolishing this red-light area, the state violated human rights and actually helped prostitution to spread further into areas where there is no regulation and monitoring.

Some startling facts emerge from this tour: domestic violence is fairly commonplace in Goa, alcoholism is rampant and a fourth of Goan women are undernourished. The book tries to find some hope within this gloomy scenario, and traces the evolution of activism in Goa, and how grassroots movements have been trying to make a difference. This book is an absolute must for the bookshelf of any educated Goan, where it should be put alongside the various lavishly produced 'celebrations' of Goa. Warts and all, if we refuse to look reality in the face, there is no hope for change for the better."

In search of the truth

Gautama Buddha was termed the Anagarika, “one who leaves society in search of the truth”. Sometimes its easier thought than done, and sometimes one finds the truth, such as it is, close by enough...

Arup Dutta, a writer based in Assam, uses this theme of self discovery in a new novel The Anagarika's Swansong that has been published by Anwesha. The novel deals with a protagonist who leaves his aging parents and sets out to discover a meaning to life. Dutta writes extensively on matters Northeast: his book on the Bramhaputra for the NBT is a "riveting account of one of the greatest river systems in the world, the awesome route its takes, and the mystery originally surrounding it till intrepid British explorers unraveled the enigma. Apart from sketching a profile of the river, the books seeks to acquaint outside readers with the society which evolved on its banks, the heights of civilization attained, and the contribution made by it to the pan-Indian mosaic." In our Indian Writing in English section.

(Un)settled: Notes from a Shifting Life is another voyage of self-discovery. "As a young Indian woman, Kamini Karlekar travelled between the worlds of Africans and the worlds of Eurpeans and Americans – she had a passport to all, but she belonged to none. She came of age in Sudan and Liberia, falling in love, fighting for what mattered to her, struggling to find a place for herself in the world. In this extraordinary and moving personal memoir, the first of its kind by an Indian, Kamini explores what it means to be unsettled and to belong."

Recently from Tranquebar Press, and also in our IWE section.

The Art of Giving

Rawat Publications based in Jaipur bring out some of the finest academic texts in the social sciences. A recent book of theirs that is newly on the Scholars site is SOCIAL JUSTICE PHILANTHROPY: Approaches and Strategies of Funding Organizations by Sukhadeo Thorat (erstwhile colleague at JNU and presently the Chairman of the University Grants Commission who has written extensively on caste) , Gail Omvedt (an US born Indian sociologist and human rights activist who has written eloquently on Dalit and anti-caste movements, environmental, farmers’ and women’s movements) and Martin Macwan (human rights activist, founder of Navsarjan that promotes the rights of Dalits and addresses issues of discrimination, land rights, wages and women’s rights)

"The book unravels the approaches, strategies and methods used by different types of philanthropic organizations in addressing the problems of society. They include community-based national and international organizations, corporate sector organizations, family-based organizations and those run by the government. While it brings insights into the priorities these organizations accord, it specially looks into the question whether these organizations address the issue of social justice and support the efforts of NGOs that take up the issue of social exclusion, associated with caste, untouchability, ethnicity and gender, through projects that deal with disadvantaged groups such as Dalits and tribals.
Since not much research has been done on social justice philanthropy related to caste and ethnic groups and their gender and class dimensions, this study provides a good insight into this neglected theme. "

In our Sociology and Dalit Studies sections. Hardcover, 320 pages. Rs 725. ISBN: 9788131602041

The lanes of Shapur Jat

One of the latest entrants to the chaotic village of Shapur Jat is Zubaan who had a warm opening this evening (with mulled wine, very appropriately). A leader in many ways- Zubaan is an imprint of Kali for Women, India's first feminist press- Urvashi Butalia is a fiercely outspoken champion of the independent publisher, a rapidly vanishing breed... And Shapur Jat is emerging as the location of choice for many independents- and non-independents

Zubaan Books have a number of new titles out. The Gender Politics of Development, by Shirin Rai, for instance, on "how gender politics has emerged and developed in post-colonial states. In chapters on key issues of nationalism and nation-building, the third wave of democratization, and globalization and governance, Rai argues that the gendered way in which nationalist state-building occurred created deep fissures and pressures for development. She goes on to show how women have engaged with institutions of governance in developing countries, looking at political participation, democracy, representation, leadership and state feminism. Through this engagement, Rai claims, vital new political spaces have been created. Though Rai focuses on India, the book’s argument is highly relevant for politics across the developing world.

This is a unique and compelling synthesis of gender politics with ideas about development from an authoritative figure in the field."

Women in Indian Film edited by Nasreen Munni Kabir is a set of ten short books that shed new light on the lives and work of ten women who have helped fuel new energy and ideas into Indian movie-making. The stories of Zeenat Aman, Jaya Bachchan, Aarti Bajaj, Saira Banu, Madhuri Dixit, Farah Khan, Mumtaz, Nutan, Smita Patil and Aparna Sen reflect the changing face of Indian cinema from the 1950s to now. The writers include: Kaveree Bamzai, Pajashrei Dasgupta, Charu Gargi, Udita Jhunjhunwala, Namrata Joshi, Nasreen Munni Kabir and Nandini Ramnath.

Individuals, Householders, Citizens: Family Planning in Kerala by J. Devika "adds to the new inter-disciplinary work on questions traditionally considered native to demography. It employs some of the insights of economists and demographers on Kerala’s demographic transition as entry points for critical historical inquiry into questions of gender and power in contemporary Kerala. The book is of interest to anyone interested in Kerala’s experience of social development and its demographic ‘achievements’."

In various sections on our site.... explore!

The Economist's Economist

Amiya K Dasgupta (1903-1992) was uniquely placed with respect to Indian Independence which came almost at the midpoint of his life. He was thus able to have a symmetric view of the economy in pre- and post-independence India... and was hugely influential as a result. His collected works have now been published by Oxford University Press in three volumes that have been edited by his daughter, Alaknanda Patel.

"One of the founding fathers of modern economics in India, A. K. Dasgupta is considered a pioneer in theoretical economics. His extensive scholarship included the critical evaluation and understanding of practically all schools of economic thought: Classical, Marxist, Marginalist, Neo-Classical, Keynesian, and the many variants of growth theory.

[Volume I] contains two of the author's most important treatises. The Conception of Surplus in Theoretical Economics was written in the mid-1930s, a period of intellectual turmoil sweeping across centres of economic learning in UK and USA. Epochs of Economic Theory, written in the 1980s, provides a perspective on the development of economic thought and theory through successive periods in history and offers several original ideas on classical political economy."

Volume II, contains his Essays in Economic Theory, while Volume III is a collection of his Essays in Planning and Public Policies. These latter two volumes are not available here yet, but the first is.

In our Collected Works and Economics Sections. Hardcover, Rs 995. ISBN 9780195687880

At home in the world

Two books, one recent and one not so recent from Roli, New Delhi form the subject of this post. The first is by Darlie Koshy, Director of the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad who authored Indian Design Edge: Strategies for Success in the Creative Economy.

"Breaking the glass ceiling of existing perceptions and mindset about Indian design, Dr Darlie Koshy, an internationally acclaimed design management expert, in Indian Design Edge, attempts to trace and touch upon the evolution and growth of Indian design which makes it possible for design to add and realize value and to create brands in the new age economy.

This book is a step towards creating a vision for India to assume leadership in the world of design. Indian Design Edge has a ‘hands on, minds on’ approach emanating from years of experience as an academic leader, researcher, top manager, consultant and, above all, an innovative thinker. There are illustrative design case studies, historical milestones, policy perspectives, industry insights and scenario analyses inspiring the reader to explore, discover and unleash the power of Indian design for success and growth."

In our Management Studies section, Rs 695. 176 pages. ISBN 9788174366702

The other title is Bombay Art Deco Architecture – A Visual Journey (1930-1953) by Navin Ramani. Navin lived in Bombay in an Art Deco during his childhood, but not until he moved to Miami in 1989 and seeing the Miami Beach Art Deco District recognized the great architectural legacy of Mumbai... Familiar story. But he decided to do something to sensitise the rest of the world to the incredible architectural heritage of Mumbai, resulting in the book Bombay Art Deco Architecture which "presents a treasury of Art Deco buildings comprising residential, commercial and public architecture created during the glamorous and optimistic era of the mid 1930s and 1940s. The architects, a small list of the first generation of modern Indian architects, were trained in western architectural traditions, if not actually in the West. These architects, influenced by the fashionable aesthetic current in Europe, were eager to imbue the city with a new modern style. That style shared its provenance with the Art Deco architecture of Miami Beach, termed Tropical Deco by Laura Cerwinske in her seminal 1981 book. Built in the same era, the Art Deco architecture of the two cities exhibits similar scale, geometry, tropical vocabulary, and love of romance."

In our Art and Architecture section, Rs 1295. Hardback, 293 pages. ISBN 9788174364487

A hard place

Kashmir is a tough place to be a woman. Seema Kazi, who has worked with women’s groups in India, researched women and laws in the Muslim world, and has also written extensively on Muslim women and human rights has a new book coming out in 2009: Between Democracy and Nation, Gender and Militarisation in Kashmir from Women Unlimited.

"This book focuses on the militarisation of a secessionist movement involving Kashmiri militants and Indian military forces in Jammu and Kashmir. In contrast to conventional approaches that distinguish between inter-and intra-state military conflict, this analysis of India’s external and domestic crises of militarisation is located within a single analytic frame: it argues that both dimensions have common political origins.

Highlighting the intersection between the two the author maintains that the heaviest and most grievous price of using the military for domestic repression and for the defence of Kashmir is paid by Kashmir’s citizens and society. Drawing on women’s subjective experience of militarisation, she examines the relationship between state military processes at the ‘national’ level and social transformations at the local/societal level.

By way of conclusion, she maintains that Kashmir’s humanitarian tragedy—exemplified by its gender dimensions—underlines why militarisation has failed either to ensure ‘security’ for the state, or security and justice for Kashmiris. A decentralised, democratic state with a plural concept of nation and identity, she believes, is the best safeguard against using the military for domestic repression within, and extraordinary military and nuclear consolidation of the Indian state, without."

Will soon appear in our Gender and Strategic Affairs sections. Hardcover, 256 pages. Rs 375. ISBN: 81-88965-46-4