Reflections

Orientalism by Edward Said Book Summary Orientalism is a scholarly examination of European {and American} writing on Asia, examining the overall approach of western chroniclers and writers with regard to Asia, or as they prefer to call it, The Orient. It is a detailed exhaustive look at the tendency of the Western writers to look upon Asia with condescension, or rather, adopt a patronizing attitude towards Asian cultures and people in general. It examines the deep link between Western writing on Asia and Imperialism / Colonialism, and traces how it had an imprint right into the Modern world. The book traces through a range of writing on Asia and Asian Peoples, a rising tendency of condescension, and western superiority – which percolated into various aspects and topics of chronicling; indeed it also traces the origin of Eastern Orientalists, as the oppressed were co-opted. It establishes the persistent and now-endemic western penchant for prejudice deep into history...

The Essential Gandhi – An Anthology of his Writings on his Life, Work and Ideas is a collection of the writings of The Mahatma on various topics, throughout his life. This is a Vintage publication, and is edited by Luis Fischer. And, having read the book – I concede that this is a truly masterly collection of his writings, as we shall see in this review. I have to express my heartfelt gratitude to both the publication house and the team that put this together, and brought this to us, the normal people. THE CONTENTS The book is organized into topics, with collections of his writings presented on : his time in England, his early days, the beginning of his method of struggle, his South African experience; subsequently moving on to the later and far more pivotal Indian Freedom Struggle period, wherein we find writings collected on Segregation, Civil Disobedience and how it begins, Non-Violence, Political Views of The Mahatma, Jail time, Independence and his views, Human We...

The Rulers’ Gaze by Arvind Sharma is yet another in the now-long line of books that critically look at, or attempt to look at, the Colonial Legacy. Before I go deeper into the review – let me lay it out : the subject matter is not an easy read; neither is it well presented. This is along the line of those scientific papers that obfuscate everything to the point where it drives even very well informed readers like myself stark mad in frustration. Rated 3 stars : 5 for content, 1 for presentation, average 3 stars. The problem is the vacillating arguments, constant diversion of attention through proofs, links, arguments and what not. That the same proof can be achieved in scientific and research papers without this tardy method has been proven by some excellent papers that cock a royal snook at this style of writing, so much in vogue in The West. High Time we forgot this needless presentation style! THE CONTENT The content is a critical analysis along the Saidian Theory : ...

Disclaimer: This is a work of historical fiction – and if some of it has any basis in facts, I, the reviewer, am not aware of them {insofar as they pertain to underlined word} MY RATING : As a Fiction Book : 4.5 Stars… As a work of Historical Fiction :   2-2.5 Stars… Why this difference? Because I am an amateur historian, and a researcher on the Indian Colonial Period in particular, having studied well over 40 authentic books and manuscripts from all possible viewpoints in a research study that is into its 9 th year now, and will in all likelihood continue for at least another few years to come. The increasing penchant to study the INA is welcome, as its contribution is not known to us Indians. But the rising popular belief that it was only the INA that got us independence does not have basis in the facts so far as I am aware; basis my long study. And that is why I don’t welcome fiction works on the INA, it is way too important a subject.   THE FACTS AS PER...

BOOK REVIEW : AN ERA OF DARKNESS THE BRITISH EMPIRE IN INDIA AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME Each idea has its own time; and each movement requires an inflection point, the point from which the momentum changes rapidly. This book marks one such inflection point in our nation’s history; it is a watershed moment for us. Living in an era where the past was considered to be done with & forgotten; when its lessons in danger of being unlearnt; and when colonialism was all but forgotten – one could not have hoped for anything better than this book. The Author is, first and foremost, a very famous Indian, a very famous international diplomat, an Indian Parliamentarian, and a very well known figure in Indian literary circles with more than several top-notch books to his credit in the realm of fiction as well as non-fiction. And when such a famous and erudite personality puts his knowledge forward through social media and books, it both makes a tremendo...

  INDIA WINS FREEDOM  Maulana Azad / Humayun Kabir   This is the full version, which  was released to the publishers only in Sept 88, as per the events given in this paragraph. The issues arising out of these pages were heard by The Calcutta High Court, The Delhi High Court and The Supreme Court, before Justice B. N. Kirpal of The Delhi High Court directed on 29 th Sept 1988 that a copy of each of the text deposited in the National Archives and The National Library be handed over to Orient Longman. The Court further directed that the material should be published without alteration, after comparing the copies to ensure they were identical. This is an autobiography, though it has been penned by Humayun Kabir. The Preface to The 1959 Edition clearly gives the full sequence of events that lead to this book, readers are requested to read it. People don’t normally read Prefaces – I call on all readers to ensure they read every word. The Author sat wit...