Thaindian News

New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS) Look for a book to burrow in with from a colourful cart this weekend.

1. “The Lives We Have Lost: Opinions and Essays on Nepal”; Written by Manjushree Thapa; Published by Penguin India; Priced at Rs.450

The massacre at Doramba in Nepal went on to become one of the few wartime crimes that lingered, unresolved and problematic, in Kathmandu’s public recollection. Who had ordered the massacre? Why had the army even arrested Maoists during a ceasefire?

The writer resolutely probes the dramatic transformations witnessed in Nepal during the period 1990 to 2009 - spanning the dark years of the atrocity-ridden Maoist insurgency and counter-insurgency, the quagmire caused by the disarray of the democratic political parties.

2. “Cinema Modern: The Navketan Story”; Written by Sidharth Bhatia; Published by Harper-Collins-India; Priced at Rs.1,999

The story of Navketan is a parallel history of the Hindi film business and indeed a social history of India. By interviewing scores of people in front of and behind the camera, and after poring over archives and through old, faded cuttings, the writer has put together a fascinating saga of the creative partnerships which spawned an organisation that defined popular film-making for decades.

Profusely illustrated with stunning photographs, stills from Navketan’s films, publicity
brochures and posters - some of them never seen before - “Cinema Modern…” is a collector’s edition for anyone interested in Indian cinema. Evergreen actor Dev Anand, along with brother Chetan Anand, started production company Navketan Films in 1949.

3. “Nitish Kumar and The Rise of Bihar”; Written by Arun Sinha; Published by Penguin India, Priced at Rs.699

The conventional wisdom in Bihar’s political circles was that development did not win votes. Nitish Kumar challenged that assumption and changed the face of the state. Born into a humble family in Bakhtiyarpur, Nitish joined the Lohiaite Socialist Party and built his constituency, literally day by day, forgoing a stable job to travel to
distant villages, suffering both financial hardship and ridicule for the eight years it took him to win people’s confidence.

Veteran journalist Arun Sinha tells the story of Nitish Kumar’s rise against the larger canvas of social and political upheaval in Bihar, exploring the emergent desire for equality that drove progressive movements from late 1960s onwards and brought about a regime change by the 1990s.

The book is a study of Indian electoral politics that unfolds with the pace of a political drama, offering hard facts and an incisive analysis of the state’s turbulent trajectory.

4. “Art For Kids”; Written by Sara Vetteth; Published by Foundation For Indian Contemporary Art (FICA); Priced at Rs.350

The first two in this series of books released this week are based on the lives and works of prominent Indian artists A. Ramachandran and Ram Kumar. Titled “Ramachandran’s Nature Paintings” and “Ram Kumar’s Landscapes”, these books are written in close collaboration with the artists who are living legends.

The author introduces us to their work, shares their passion for art and also tells us little stories from their lives. A. Ramachandran is one of India’s foremost painters who was honoured with the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to contemporary Indian art. Ram Kumar is one of the country’s most celebrated abstract painters. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972.

5. “In Quest of the Last Victory”; Written by Navin Gulia; Published by Pearson Education; Priced at Rs.425

The book is an inspirational story of the author’s perseverance, fighting spirit and persistent efforts to achieve higher goals by stretching beyond what his physical abilities seemed to permit him. Despite complete paralysis of the body, Navin Gulia continued to have aspirations and made every effort to accomplish them.

He turned his disability into a life-affirming force. He mastered chess, studied
computer science, flew hang gliders and microlight aircraft, and went on to become the first Indian to drive non-stop to the highest motorable mountain pass in the world, the forbidding Marsimik La in Ladakh.