By Lucia Michelutti, Ashraf Hoque, Nicolas Martin, David Picherit, Paul Rollier, Arild E. Ruud, Clarinda Still

The first chapter of the book titled ‘Backdrop’ maps out in detail the peculiar South Asian backdrop in which the stories unfold in the matrix often referred to as Mafia Raj. It also explores how ‘the art of making do’ (jugad) translates into ‘the art of bossing’ and how informal economy brushes with organized crime often supported by the political establishment.


Reviewed by: Shams Afroz
By Tara Desjardins

India’s secret recipe for red blown glass, much sought after by medieval courts in Europe, is no longer known, and our current method of producing coloured glass was learnt from European manufacturers! In Firozabad, famed for its beautiful glassware in Akbar’s day, and still a major glass centre today, folklore has it that the famed Murano glass makers in Italy originally learnt their skills from Indian craftspeople, especially the art of mosaic and millefiori glass. Whether this is truth or legend, I don’t know.


Reviewed by: Laila Tyabji
By AM Gautam

Another fascinating aspect Gautam explores is the rise of soft spirituality among Millennials, reflecting their quest for personal meaning in an increasingly individualistic society. This spirituality, focused on personal choice and the freedom to select one’s own spiritual guide or guru, is becoming more prevalent.


Reviewed by: Soumyajit Brar
By Tanika Sarkar

Sarkar lauds Jyotirao Phule as the century’s most remarkable social reformer for his intersectional analysis of caste, class, and gender while noting the occasional compromises of reformers like Ranade. The author dedicates limited space to Dalit social reforms, primarily focusing on the Self-Respect Movement and Dr Ambedkar, indicating a potential area for further exploration in Dalit reformist historiography.


Reviewed by: Sabah Hussain
Edited by Iqra Shagufta Cheema

Even though Alyssa Milano’s tweet in 2017 calling for the victims of sexual violence was a rage, Iqra Cheema begins by talking about the invisibility and exclusion of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) at the onset of #MeToo movement. An increased international awareness about intersectional feminism and recognition of the need for feminist justice is what #MeToo leads to.


Reviewed by: Sadia Hussain
By Urmilla Deshpande, Thiago Pinto Barbosa

Among Irawati’s writings about her experiences in the field, the most moving and significant is her description of a dig in Langhnaj, Gujarat, which she undertook with her Deccan College colleague, Hasmukh Dhirajlal Sankalia, Professor of Proto-Indian and Ancient Indian History.


Reviewed by: Shanta Gokhale