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Saturday, September 28, 2024
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Book Excerpts

How Xi Jinping, whose father was expelled from Communist Party, became China’s ‘Dada’ Xi

When Xi took over as general secretary of Communist Party in 2012, western media portrayed him as a ‘compromise candidate’ with little qualification to run China.

What Indian politicians, bureaucrats and military really think about each other

Tensions between civilians and the military are not new in India. However, the proliferation and reach of social media has only amplified differences.

Bisibele bath to rava idli: How Bengaluru’s MTR mixed tradition and innovation perfectly

MTR today does not want to change its core product – even though, ironically, its founders kept innovating in early 20th century to make it what it is today.

How Tihar jailers protected Sikh inmates after Indira Gandhi’s assassination

Sunil Gupta began working in Tihar Jail in 1981. In a new book, he tells all about being a jailer in Asia's largest prison.

Amartya Sen & Jean Drèze are Left heroes but it would be wrong to call them simple statists

Amartya Sen’s emphatic plea for liberating Indian entrepreneurship has not received attention. Neither has Jean Drèze’s concerns over a hostile state.

Why the police class of 1983 was feared by Mumbai’s underworld

In the late 1980s, there was only one destination of choice for ambitious, young policemen: Mumbai. And 90 cadets from the infamous Nashik 1983 batch was posted there.

Expensive rabbits, men as Geishas, honeymoon fashion: Seeing Japan through Pico Iyer’s eyes

Author Pico Iyer spent 32 years in Japan. In his book, ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Japan’, he gives tiny insights into Japanese culture, observations, conversations and anecdotes.

How Arakan mosque symbolising Muslim-Buddhist unity was destroyed to rewrite Myanmar history

Habiburahman is a Rohingya who escaped detention, torture and persecution in Myanmar on a boat. He recounts how the Rohingya identity was erased.

Trying to define Bhagavadgita through narrow silos is a sterile attempt, at best

Books and papers are still being written on the Bhagavadgita, subjecting it to analysis and vivisection.

US idea that India and China must share blame for heating earth is environmental colonialism

US WRI data itself shows India and China cannot be held responsible even for a single kg of carbon dioxide or methane accumulating in the earth’s atmosphere.

On Camera

Dear Bengal govt, don’t steal our memories, land, and clean air by removing trams

Nostalgia, romance, and a love of heritage alone cannot make the beloved trams of Kolkata sustainable. Simple science can. Transport Minister, are you with us still?

10 yrs ago, battery leasing failed to boost demand for EV cars in India. Now, it’s making a comeback

Under this model, battery is provided to EV owners on a subscription basis or lease. With more people open to buying EV cars, the lower upfront cost could likely drive wider acceptance.

Army gets high-altitude artillery firing range in Arunachal, 2 more to come up in the north

The artillery regiment has incorporated simulators in a big way for various functions like driving & weapons training, especially for Agniveers to get realistic training.

Lesson from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan: if you have no patience, you don’t deserve democracy

Sri Lankan transition was smoothly managed. Check Bangladesh for contrast. They forced their incumbent into exile, installed a mostly unelectable govt of non-political people.