Trams were introduced in Calcutta in 1873 and in Bombay a year later in 1874 and in Madras in 1886. Trams remained in place as Calcutta became Kolkata.
The so-called ‘New World Order’ is taking a ‘New Shape’ and Asia is emerging the centre of attention in 21st century. This book is unique in that it covers the subject in detail and is thematically organized into four parts.
Amidst the global economic slowdown and rising wealth disparities among nations, calamities like the pandemic re-underlined the tenets of multilateralism. The BRICS as a multilateral powerhouse is in the making and has been through some tough transitions.
The Supreme Court of India put the sedition law on hold, suspending pending criminal trials under the section, and asked the Union to reconsider the British era law, which was a paranoid response to the 1857 rebellion,
Maya, Modi, Azad is focused on Dalit politics in Uttar Pradesh (UP), critically examining the decline of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) after its dramatic loss of power in the 2012 Assembly elections.
Purkayastha’s view is singular, having first been jailed during the 1975 Emergency and then again in October 2023 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act when he and his NewsClick colleague Amit Chakravarty were arrested. Alongside the arrests, the residences of several journalists and people associated with NewsClick were also raided.
Purkayastha and Chakravarty continue in jail.
Indian villages represent a vast terrain, which is full of diversity in its natural settings, social structure, cultural life, economic conditions, and many other aspects of life.
Climate Justice in India edited by Prakash Kashwan presents a thought-provoking collection of insights that diverges from traditional discussions on climate issues.
2022
Intimate City by Manjima Bhattacharjya is a fascinating exploration of the new and discreet forms of sexual labour in the city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay). The book traces the changing ‘sex work geographies’ in the metropolis by exploring the intersection of gender, sexuality, space, and the internet (p. 4).
‘This is a small book about big disruptions,’ says the blurb of Nalin Mehta’s disarmingly slight book India’s Techade: Digital Revolution and Change in the World’s Largest Democracy, and it could not have been better described.
In the post-Satyajit phase of Indian cinema, Rituparno Ghosh (1961-2013) was a force to reckon with. He enriched Indian cinema, mostly through the Bengali, having won umpteen national and international awards, mesmerizing the urban audience through some of his celebrated works.
A diary entry dated 10 September 1968, included in the appendix to K Saradamoni’s memoir published posthumously this year, shows this academic activist reflecting sadly upon the failure of econometrics,
To hop, skip and jump from Brazil to New York, to Rome, with several resting points in between, seems like a merry indulgence in a dream landscape. At first glance, Reba Som’s book may appear as a delightful reticule of travel tales spilling over with wondrous experiences under the benevolent eye of Hermes
Pingala’s happiness is fulfilling. Does it matter that the Sanskrit word used is asha which literally translates as hope, but the mind finds the meaning to lie beyond hope or the more pedantic ‘expectation’? This reiterates another of Debroy’s contention that the Gitas
The word ‘debut’ is likely to hold different meanings for different people. In general, a certain sense of tentativeness characterizes the word, a certain apprehension about how it articulates one’s vision of the world and how this is received. When, however, a debut collection of poems comes from a well-known academic, committed feminist, and seasoned reader of poetry like Malashri Lal, the idea of ‘debut’ is bound to introduce and generate new connotations.
2023
All prophets tell similar stories. This story always rests on the world ending in fire and brimstone, darkness falling like a shroud over unfortunate people, and a seeming end to wickedness.
2023
In the late 80s, everyone was reading Magadh, first published in Hindi in 1984. We little realized it was the last collection of Shrikant Verma, one of the most brilliant Hindi poets. Barely two years later Shrikant passed away at the age of 54.
The ancient Tamil poetry of the Sangam Era is a significant contribution of the Tamils to world literature. More or less two millennia later, the contributions of the Tamil novelists and short story writers to these youngest literary genres are equally remarkable.
Dattapaharam is a coming of age novel, a search for the self of five young college students who confront themselves and their inner demons.