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Of a kingmaker, farmland fiction and start-ups (IANS Books) |
Read a biography charting Mamata Banerjee's rise from a
student leader to the first woman Chief Minister of West Bengal and how she
could be a possible "kingmaker" after the 2019 general elections; take in a
novel set against the backdrop of old Punjab, early California and
revolution-torn Mexico; read a fictional tale that pits debt-laden farmers
against the political forces at work; and finally, get a peek into the world of
start-ups in India.
The IANS bookshelf has these paperbacks by debut authors for this weekend.
1. Book: Didi: The Untold Mamata Banerjee; Author: Shutupa
Paul; Publisher: Penguin; Price: Rs 299; Pages: 228 Titled "Didi", as West
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is often referred to, the book explores
her struggles and achievements, and opens a window to the life and times of
Banerjee, described by the author as "one of the most dynamic politicians of our
country."
It looks in detail at "her unique style of politics", which enabled her to
defeat the formidable three-decade-old Left Front government in the state in
2011. But that is not all. Charting her upbringing, her college days, and her
fight with the CPI(M), it goes on to draw a contemporary analysis of the
leader's significance in national politics.
But what made Banerjee, the beloved "Didi" to thousands of people?
"Her penchant for standing with the people, especially those marginalised by the
Left Front's policies, even when she has to go against the law of the land, gave
her this title... Her mannerisms are simple, her garb just white cotton saris
and rubber flip-flops. Mamata is still the same person she was when she first
stepped into politics... Mamata is more than aware that if she gets her
electoral mathematics right, she could play a decisive role in the next Lok
Sabha polls -- maybe even stand a chance at prime ministership," the book says.
2. Book: The Rainbow Acres; Author: Simrita Dhir; Publisher: Om
Books; Price: Rs 295; Pages: 287 Written by an academic brought up in Punjab and
now based in California, "The Rainbow Acres" is a novel about migration,
selfless love, fortitude, friendship, and the quest for land and identity. It is
set against the backdrop of old Punjab, early California and revolution-torn
Mexico.
In 1916, Kishan Singh's village Noor Mahal in Punjab (then under the British
rule) faced heavy rain, destroying the crop, triggering influenza and leaving
behind dead villagers. The devastated protagonist sets out on a life-threatening
voyage across two oceans for an unknown land. On the other hand, Sophia's
idyllic world in Mexico's Guadalajara, falls apart in 1919 when she becomes a
hapless victim to the ravages of the Mexican Revolution and battles hunger,
poverty and near prostitution before embarking on a perilous night journey
across the border.
Will their paths cross in the land of opportunities that is overrun with racial
and class barriers?
3. Book: The Long March; Author: Namita Waikar; Publisher:
Speaking Tiger; Price: Rs 350; Pages: 238 This novel, written by the managing
editor of People's Archives of Rural India (PARI), weaves a story around
Vidarbha's farmer suicides, where yet another farmer commits suicide, and is
survived by his son Vikram Sonare. Vikram is, as he should be, devastated and
furious. His work with the Agricultural Technology Centre and new-found
knowledge of social media inspires him to build a network with youth across
India and start a silent revolt. He is joined by Mallika Joshi, who works with
an NGO in Mumbai, and meets farming families neglected by the government and
suffering under the weight of increasing debts.
The book unfolds the "epic mission" they undertake to draw attention to the
plight of farmers and other underprivileged sections of society, and finally
mobilise millions of people to march into the major cities of India. After the
success of the march, the group transforms into a revolutionary political party.
But will the existing political forces allow it to succeed?
"This sensitive novel explores the fallout of the agrarian crisis, especially in
Maharashtra, where a fifth of the 310,000 farmer suicides recorded across twenty
years have occurred. A moving and humane tale of that great catastrophe, it
reflects damage and despair, but also a hope for change amidst one of the
greatest tragedies of our time," farmer-rights crusader P. Sainath has written
in his endorsement of the book.
4. Book: Freedom to Fail: Lessons From my Quest for Start-up
Success; Author: Shabnam, Aggarwal; Publisher: HarperCollins; Price: Rs 299;
Pages: 195 Raised in an immigrant Indian family in the start-up hub of Silicon
Valley, Shabnam Aggarwal believed that every entrepreneur could be successful.
So she left her cushy job at Merrill Lynch to take a risk, find her passion and
make a difference in the world. She moved to India to start a company.
In "Freedom to Fail", she tells the story of her brush with success: Raising her
first round of venture capital; hiring a hardworking team of millennials;
growing her start-up to multiple cities... and then finding it all come to a
bitter end.
Weaving each chapter into a lesson in overcoming expectations, fear and
self-doubt, she shows why failure is important, even imperative, in order to
ultimately succeed..