Zoya Hasan

This timely study of the Indian National Congress of  yore, now widely referred to as the Congress Party, in the context of political processes in the post-sixteenth general elections in India in 2014, comes at a time when Rahul Gandhi, a scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, disparaged as ‘Pappu’ (immature and naïve) by the BJP, has recently completed the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ that began on  7 September 2022 to traverse 3,570 kilometres to reach Srinagar after a 150-day journey.


Reviewed by: Ajay K Mehra
Bhanwar Meghwanshi

I Could Not Be Hindu: The Story of a Dalit in the RSS by Bhanwar Meghwanshi, an autobiographical note of his political genesis, where he shares his experiences with the RSS and the reasons he quit, is the narrative of an agonized author. Unlike other autobiographies which focus on different aspects of life, this book premises Meghwanshi’s metamorphosis of political career and varied  discourses of political engagement.


Reviewed by: Kanchan Biswas
Sundeep Waslekar

Can mankind eliminate nuclear weapons and eliminate the greatest existential risks to the human species and the existence of the planet? This is one of the most intriguing concerns that plague people in modern times. Logic will disagree with such a question or even assertion, but evidence suggests that a number of key global leaders and dignitaries have shown willingness for such a vision, not immediately attainable but may be in the foreseeable future.


Reviewed by: Abidullah Baba
AS Dulat

AS Dulat is reported to have put out, the book under review has been written without taking clearance from current-day intelligence minders. An earlier government order had it that those serving and retired from intelligence services were required to take such clearance prior to publishing anything related to their work. Dulat, former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) head and Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer, has cocked a snook at the order with good reason. On the surface, there is nothing in the book that should see him fall afoul of powers-that-be.


Reviewed by: Ali Ahmed
Ulrike Herrmann

Economic growth and climate protection are mutually exclusive, which is why Capitalism has no future, argues business journalist Ulrike Herrmann in her new book. At the same time, she tries not to fundamentally badmouth capitalism.How does Capitalism work? Ulrike Herrmann has been dealing with this complex question for years. In her books, she has analysed how the capitalist system came into being, what its weaknesses are and why it is prone to crises.


Reviewed by: Tilmann Kulke
Sayandeb Chowdhury

As the title indicates, the book reviewed here is about Uttam Kumar, the legendary superstar of Bengali films. The author’s website describes it as the ‘first definitive cultural and critical biography’ of the actor. The descriptor may not be strictly accurate. A cursory reading indicates it is anything but a biography in the everyday sense of the term: indeed, it defies most conventional classifications.


Reviewed by: Abhik Majumdar