History is supposed to repeat itself. But what happens when the makers of history do not document it? They face the danger of erasure, or worse, being misremembered.
Aruna Roy’s The Personal is Political is important not just because history creators—all the foot soldiers involved—deserve acknowledgement. Rather the book makes sure that, for anyone looking, it provides footholds for climbing mountains.
It is easy for activists to be pedestalized as heroes, or dismissed as troublemakers. But this book is for those looking for hope in a nation where the violence around makes cynicism feel like a warm cocoon. It is for those who need to hear that it is all right to falter, stumble, and retrace one’s steps.