prabhuguptara

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Good Innings: The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of Lily Tharoor

Good Innings: The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of Lily Tharoor

by Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan Penguin Viking, India, 2022   We Indians must have one of the strongest traditions in the world of respect for older folk. I am from the generation where we touched my parents’ feet every morning.  Indeed, even now, by way of greeting me on first meeting after any length of time, some of my nephews and nieces still touch my feet – either actually, or in the usual…

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THE COCOON VERSUS THE HIGH ROAD, OR THE INN VERSUS THE WAY

THE COCOON VERSUS THE HIGH ROAD, OR THE INN VERSUS THE WAY

From childhood, whenever I heard that ‘there was no room in the inn’ for Jesus when he was born in Bethlehem, I used to feel sad. It is only recently that I realized how stupidly wrong I was! Here is the reason, in case you are interested (it will take only2 minutes of your time). How did Jesus describe himself? You will recollect that he did not describe himself as the Inn, but as the Way…

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Transforming a People

The Hindu family in Bengal that I was born into represented a gentle, tolerant faith. Admittedly because of the aftermath of the partition in which Bengal too was affected, there was some unease towards Muslims, particularly among those who had to leave behind their roots and memories in what is now Bangladesh but not much. Most people did not blame Muslims as much as they did the politicians of…

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THE BJP IS WINNING ANYWAY, ELECTIONS ARE A SIDESHOW.

THE BJP IS WINNING ANYWAY, ELECTIONS ARE A SIDESHOW.

Last week I received a draft petition to the Election Commission of India from a well known writer and activist of civil society about the use of EVMs, with the request to obtain endorsements for it. I forwarded it to about twenty contacts, all well read people, engaged with and concerned about the state of our democracy under the present regime. Only four of them endorsed the memorandum, the…

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Reflections on the Role of Publishing and Culture in Global Conflict

Reflections on the Role of Publishing and Culture in Global Conflict

At the London Book Fair, I participated in a panel called The Role of Publishing and Culture During Global Conflict. The panel provided a great opportunity for me to reflect on my work over the years supporting the international publishing community in conflict and post-conflict situations in the Arab World and beyond. Unfortunately, the Arab World has 8 of the 35 countries on the World Bank’s…

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Invitation to Potential Columnists and Contributors

Invitation to Potential Columnists and Contributors

Now that our community has its first female Columnist (Rashmi Narzary), I should make it clear that I have been trying for some time to have other Columnists.   For example, I thought months ago that we had a Muslim columnist but, sadly, he has failed to deliver anything so far. I have also been looking for: – a Hindutva-inclined columnist, – a Sikh columnist – a Dalit columnist – a Buddhist…

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WELCOMING OUR NEW COLUMNIST, RASHMI NARZARY

WELCOMING OUR NEW COLUMNIST, RASHMI NARZARY

It is an enormous pleasure today to be able to welcome the Sahitya Akademi Awardee, Rashmi Narzary, as a Columnist for our community. I am particularly delighted that she is our first woman Columnist.  The word has been out for some time, looking for at least one Columnist who is a woman, and we look forward to welcoming more woman Columnists. I am of course delighted that Ms Narzary has chosen…

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THE SECRETS OF HIMACHAL'S HAPPINESS QUOTIENT

THE SECRETS OF HIMACHAL’S HAPPINESS QUOTIENT

Notwithstanding 88 episodes of Man Ki Baat and the chanting of Hanuman Chalisa at every street corner, India continues to be one of the unhappiest nations on earth: it is ranked at 136 out of 146 countries. But till now we were not aware of the inter- se ranking of our individual states. Now, however, we have a survey that does so, conducted by the HR firm Happy Plus Consulting . According to…

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Foreign Money and Foreign Influence

Foreign Money and Foreign Influence

For most of my life, I have been part of the NGO sector and barring one, all of them are majorly dependent on Foreign funds for their operations. So I have more than a passing interest in tracking the gradual evolution of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act which regulates how an entity may receive and then utilise foreign funding. While it is no secret that the government of the day, in…

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MOVE OVER, ECONOMICS-- CRONINOMICS IS HERE !

MOVE OVER, ECONOMICS– CRONINOMICS IS HERE !

I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that my father-in-law always doubted my educational credentials and felt that there were significant gaps in my education. This was based on the fact that I did my Masters in English from Hindu college. I can see where he came from: the English in this Jat citadel was something even Chetan Bhagat would despair of. What we did to the Queen’s language should…

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A Day in the Life of a Publisher

A Day in the Life of a Publisher

A publisher’s day moves from issuing credit notes and invoices, to briefing or being debriefed by one’s IT manager or marketing consultant or distribution partner, to being telephoned by the cover designer or book packager, to being pestered for a decision the editor for book A or book Z, and fighting hard to find time to read for oneself, as well as to keep up with a rapidly-changing…

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In his book JNU: Nationalism and India’s Uncivil War, professor Makarand R Paranjape fails to understand the essential irreverence that characterises the premier university

In his book JNU: Nationalism and India’s Uncivil War, professor Makarand R Paranjape fails to understand the essential irreverence that characterises the premier university

  Jawaharlal Nehru University is an idea which is dreamy and irreverent, challenges the stereotypes, breaks traditional moorings, is Leninist in its thought process but Gandhian in ethos and that makes it mystical and intriguing, and, in certain ways, spiritual. For an outsider, JNU is intimidating but for someone who has lived on the campus as a student, not as a teacher, JNU is endearing. I…

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Reverse Gear

I’ve just bought a new car ( in Neerja’s name, naturally, since she uses it 90% of the time. My 10% quota consists of taking it for servicing, refuelling and getting the punctures fixed), and that has primed me to talk about cars this week. It’s a much more interesting subject, you will agree, than our politics which has settled into a groove not unlike the exit drain from your septic tank and (…

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Measuring Happiness

Measuring Happiness can be a tacky matter. After all, happiness is not such a tangible thing. It is like what makes for a perfect holiday – is it the beach or is it the mountains? Beaches it is for me, but for many others, it may be the treks and hikes that mountain trails offer. So it is with happiness. Can one measure it? Well, the world is trying. Gallup, the well-known pollster published the…

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The Life of a Publisher

The Life of a Publisher

My latest title, “Regenerative Learning”, will become available to the general public on a date TBC, but probably sometime in the Autumn. However, one of the contributors to that book, Dr Gunter Pauli, was scheduled to speak at an event in Dubai at which the Secretary of State of the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, was also speaking. Dr Pauli let me know that, if I could get the book to him…

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In an Age of Self-Publishing, why do you need a Publisher?

In an Age of Self-Publishing, why do you need a Publisher?

Yes, anyone can upload anything to Amazon, and indeed anyone can even get anything printed. But is either of these things the whole of publishing?! People soon find out that it isn’t … when their book doesn’t sell, and they begin to think about why it isn’t selling. Naturally, there is no guarantee that a book will sell even if it is published by a professional publisher.  But if a book doesn’t…

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THIS IS TRULY EPOCHAL

THIS IS TRULY EPOCHAL

The electronic media all through the day (10 March 2022) has been waxing eloquent about the stellar significance of the stunning BJP victory in UP. To me, that ranks second to what the Punjab results promise.   Most BJP strategists will agree with me, even if they won’t do so in public. Let me tell you why.   The politician the BJP fears most is Arvind Kejriwal. His spreading beyond Delhi…