Goa, 1961: The Complete Story of Nationalism and Integration, Valmiki Faleiro

The subject of the liberation of Goa in 1961 and its integration into the Indian Union in 1962 is sparsely understood at best and misunderstood at worst. What were the events that led to the thirty-six-hour military operation – possibly the first since Independence that occurred entirely at India’s initiative? What was the political climate in Goa at the time? What role did the Goans themselves play?

The Last Courtesan: Writing My Mother’s Memoir, Manish Gaekwad

The 1993 Bow Bazaar bomb blast in Calcutta brought an end to the kothas in the busy commercial district. Over the next few years, as dance bars and disco music replaced the old-world charm of mujras, kathak and thumri, the tawaifs began to abandon the profession. Rekhabai, a courtesan, found herself at a crossroads, facing an uncertain future. Where should she go? What should she do next?

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Originally from the Kanjarbhat tribe, Rekhabai was sold and trained as a tawaif while she was still a child. In the 1980s, when kothas were no longer recognised as centres for aesthetics, and society disapproved of the tawaif’s art, Rekhabai made a name for herself in Calcutta and Bombay as a singing-dancing star. It was an era when she had to dodge guns, goons, and Ghalib’s ghazals to carve out her own destiny, provide for her large family and bring up her son with an education in an English-medium boarding school.

Who Cares About Parliament: Speaking Up to Protect India’s Great Institution, Derek O’Brien

In Who Cares about Parliament: Speaking Up to Protect India’s Great Institution, O’Brien argues that Parliament has been undermined in the last decade. The book contends that rules, precedents and conventions established over the years have been bypassed and ignored, and the institution is being mocked at and destroyed. With an in-depth insight into legislative procedures from his two terms as a Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP, O’Brien reminds us that Parliament is not just a new building, it is an establishment with old traditions and values – and the foundation of Indian democracy.

A Modern History of Jammu and Kashmir: The Troubled Years of Maharaja Hari Singh (1925-1949), Harbans Singh

After his inheritance of the throne in 1925, Hari Singh introduced a number of progressive reforms – among them, programmes for girl education, opening temple doors to Dalits, and abolishing the exploitative beggar system of labour. At a time when the entire subcontinent was reeling from the shock and violence of the Partition, the Maharaja had to decide which dominion – India or Pakistan – the state would join. How was he to choose where to put his trust, especially after Pakistan-backed Pashtun tribals had invaded the state and India had refused to offer military help? Was any decision possible that would please all – the Muslim majority of Kashmir, the Hindu majority of Jammu, and the Buddhist majority of Ladakh?

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Those tumultuous times took a toll on Hari Singh during the final years of his reign. Accession to India was not as easy as he had hoped, and, pressured by Nehru and Sardar Patel, the Maharaja was forced to choose exile in 1949, spending the rest of his days in Bombay.

The Peacemakers, edited by Ghazala Wahab

India, the land of peace and the birthplace of icons of non-violence such as the Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi, has been riven by violence and conflict throughout its history. Communal riots, caste violence, disputes over sharing of resources, and a variety of other forms of strife continue to blight our nation. Peace, concord, and amity elude us. However, even as horrific incidents of violence continue to plague the nation, there have always been those who have dared to stand up against the powerful and protect those under attack. This book profiles some of these extraordinary individuals who acted when times were dire.

The Camel Merchant of Philadelphia: Stories from the Court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Sarbpreet Singh

In 1801, the young scion of a petty fiefdom in the Punjab was invested with the title of Maharaja of Punjab. The young man, whose name was Ranjit Singh, went on to carve out a kingdom for himself that stretched from the borders of Afghanistan in the west to the boundaries of the British Raj in the east. The British valued him as an ally who would keep their western frontier safe and while they coveted his kingdom, they did not dare to engage in military adventures in Punjab during his lifetime. The Camel Merchant of Philadelphia is an examination of Ranjit Singh and his times that focuses on a wide array of characters that populated his court.