First, a statement of conflict of interest: the author was my student during his MPhil programme at the Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University, where I taught for more than three decades. I was not his PhD supervisor, but have been in touch with him, as all teachers do with their bright students. He sends me his essays for comments and I have appreciated that gesture. When you have taught for so long in such a small disciplinary space in India, it is inevitable that I get to review my student’s books, or submissions to EPW, the latter of course anonymized. That my students are publishing books of course fills me with enormous joy; it vindicates my decision to become a public health worker in this small Centre in Jawaharlal Nehru University.
I did indicate to the editor of this journal this problem, but she was confident there was no major ethical issue involved here. She has known me as a reviewer for about 25 years.