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Saturday, July 19, 2025
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Book Excerpts

In jails, underworld dons had a liking for Naxalites due to Robin Hood image: Kobad Ghandy

In ‘Fractured Freedom’, Communist Kobad Ghandy writes about the 10 years he spent in the prisons of Delhi, Hyderabad, Patiala, Visakhapatnam, Hazaribagh and Surat on terror charges.

Indian women voters prefer door-to-door campaigns — not motorbike rallies, roadshows

In ‘Her Right to Equality’, Tara Krishnaswamy writes on efforts needed to create a gender-balanced Parliament and politics in India.

A leopard walked into Delhi’s Yamuna Park. Then an AAP minister illegally took it out

In ‘Wild and Wilful’, Neha Sinha writes that the re-wilding of the barren Yamuna Biodiversity Park was so successful that an apex predator walked in — only to be removed for ‘its own safety’.

No Mujib, armed ‘mukti juddhas’ and tension —The year after Bangladesh’s liberation

In ‘Untranquil Recollections’, economist and freedom fighter Rehman Sobhan writes about the challenges faced by the newly independent Bangladesh in the early years.

Bhagat Singh wasn’t just hanged, but was chopped and stuffed in sacks

In ‘The Execution of Bhagat Singh’, Satvinder Singh Juss writes how Bhagat Singh’s hanging was ‘one of the bloodiest deeds ever undertaken by the British Labour Government’.

Ramps to reservations — Karunanidhi’s political legacy includes infrastructure for disabled

In ‘Karunanidhi: A Life’, A.S. Panneerselvan writes about Muthuvel Karunanidhi, the man who became a metaphor for modern Tamil Nadu.

Why China has pinned its South Asia hopes on this train from Tibet to Nepal

In ‘All Roads Lead North’, Amish Raj Mulmi writes that the Gyirong–Kathmandu train has been in China-Nepal talks for over a decade. But who will it really help?

A police surgeon writes about his first exhumation and post mortem — of a Malayali actress

In ‘Dead Men Tell Tales’, Dr B. Umadathan — also known as Kerala’s Sherlock Holmes —wrote about his years as a forensic surgeon uncovering the most interesting cases.

What analysts and opposition don’t realise — A new RSS is emerging on the ground

In ‘The Republic Of Hindutva’, Badri Narayan writes that the RSS is like the tip of an iceberg, exerting its influence much beyond what is visible.

In India, violence is no longer politics by other means. It’s political life itself

In ‘The Law of Force’, Thomas Hansen writes that violence has now become a completely routinised part of political life in India.

On Camera

Critical minerals are the new oil. India can’t afford to depend on China

Mineral security is no longer just an economic concern but a national security imperative, underpinning the country’s ambitions in clean energy, defence self-reliance, and advanced manufacturing.

India-US set to ink mini trade deal soon, reach understanding on agricultural & dairy products

Mini deal will likely see no cut in 10% baseline tariff on Indian exports announced by Trump on 2 April, it is learnt, but additional 26% tariffs are set to be reduced.

Not just AK-203, India & Russia to jointly manufacture AK-19 and PPK-20 for domestic use and export 

India-Russia JV is also racing to deliver 7,000 more AK-203 assault rifles by 15 Aug. These are currently being made with 50% indigenisation and this will surge to 100% by 31 December.

Joys of Trumplomacy: India & the world are learning US President’s 99 moods and 1 goal

Public, loud, upfront, filled with impropriety and high praise sometimes laced with insults. This is what we call Trumplomacy. But the larger objective is the same: American supremacy.