These two books make interesting and lively reading for children in the age-group of 7 to 10. Both writers present totally different themes in their stories but the universal appeal that adventure holds for children is to be found in both.
Thirty Seven years ago President Truman of the United States of America dropped atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. When he learned of the successful attack on Hiroshima he leapt up in the air and exclaimed, ‘This is the greatest thing in history.’
Non-Alignment is one area of international politics where there is no dearth of literature. Still, since the concept is dynamic there is always the probability of getting some fresh air whenever new arrivals hit the bookstands. The books under review have not belied that hope. Published in the wake of the Seventh Non-Aligned Summit held in New Delhi in March 1983, they have served a valuable topical purpose by putting the concept in its historical and current perspectives.
Once upon a time intellectuals in Europe were seriously debating whether America Indians had souls (because if they didn’t there would be no point in sending missionaries to the new continent). A few years later white liberals were troubled about the morality of owning black slaves and then with the issue of the brown indentured labour—the new kind of slavery.
Some time during the Emer gency in India, the late J.P. Naik presented at a seminar in Pune his new programme of educational reform. Inspired by Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed and his action programme for ‘conscientization’ of the oppressed in favour of social change, Naik proposed substitution of ‘literacy’ by ‘poliracy’
Judging by the aplomb with which he goes about his ministerial tasks, Mr K.R. Narayanan appears to be at home in the troubled and troublesome world of present-day Indian politics.