In Play To Transform, author Dr. Avinash Jhangiani unveils profound insights, empowering professionals to ignite hope and optimism within themselves before sharing it with others. And leading with confidence, to create a happy, connected environment that fosters steady growth. So let’s discover the power of positive thinking and self-talk as we present these 21 affirmations that will transform you into an authentic, purpose-driven leader.
Ready to play? Let’s begin!
Play to Transform || Avinash Jhangiani
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Play Manifesto for Your Inner Child
Hope and optimism can be effective drivers of change and leaders must understand how to provide these antidotes, not to just others but first to us. To receive maximum benefits in uncertain times, read positive affirmations before sleep or early morning. These are the times when you brain is in a calm, relaxed and programmable state. Note that the secret of making this work is to believe and feel these affirmations intensely in your heart. Your thoughts and feelings have a profound effect on your behaviours.
Here is the play manifesto with twenty-one positive affirmations to keep your inner child alive:
1. I have the power to create positive change.
2. I have a clear vision and bring clarity to everyone at work.
3. I create a happy, healthy, connected environment at work.
4. I create spaces to nurture curiosity, self-expression and creativity without judgement.
5. I create a sense of safety and belonging at work.
6. I set a positive example for others.
7. I am a cheerful, trustworthy, approachable person.
8. I am confident and can handle any obstacle in front of me.
9. I show my vulnerability and manage my emotions very well.
10. I allow others to fail and help them learn from their mistakes.
11. I give high candour, constructive feedback.
12. I inspire others to stretch and reach their truest potential.
13. I empower others to greatness with my infinite enthusiasm.
14. I provide opportunities for growth.
15. I learn something new and useful every day.
16. I make work fun and rewarding for everyone.
17. I am a conscious leader who puts purpose into profits.
18. I am an authentic leader who nurtures diversity, inclusion, and equity in the workplace.
19. I am grateful to my team, family and friends who help me grow as a leader.
20. I am proud of myself and very happy about my accomplishments.
21. With every breath I take, I bring more playful charisma and magnetism into my life
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Get your copy of Play to Transform by Dr. Avinash Jhangiani wherever books are sold.
Let’s explore the flavorful world of Mrs. K.M Mathew, a culinary legend from Southern India whose passion for food, deeply rooted in her multicultural upbringing, led her to become a celebrated cookbook author and editor of the prestigious Vanitha Magazine.
Now seventeen years after her passing, her daughter, Thangam Mammem, shares the story of Mrs. K.M. Matthew’s humble beginnings and her steadfast commitment to sharing the art of cooking across the globe.
Read this exclusive excerpt to know more about the remarkable Mrs. K.M Mathew and catch a glimpse of her finest recipes.
Mrs K M Mathew’s Finest Recipes
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My mother cradled two newborns in her arms in 1955. One was her last child (myself) and the other was her first book. It was a cookbook in Malayalam, titled Pachaka Kala (The Art of Cooking). Amma went on to write 23 more cookbooks, five of which were in English, over the next forty years. She also wrote three travelogues and a book on hair care, and edited the women’s magazine Vanitha for twenty-five years. The book in your hands, Mrs K.M. Mathew’s Finest Recipes, has been published seventeen years after she left this world. She left me more than a thousand recipes which she had collected, discovered or created. Amma had written her first cookery column on doughnuts, two years before I was born. It was published in the Malayala Manorama newspaper on 30 May 1953 along with her recipe for Goan Prawn Curry. These appeared under the name Mrs Annamma Mathew, and she became fairly well-known after a column on Mutton Bafath. Her popularity multiplied after she started using the name Mrs K.M. Mathew. This lucky name change was her own idea and she hardly ever used the name Annamma anywhere again.
It was my grandfather, K.C. Mammen Mappillai, who had spotted her talent while he was visiting my parents in Byculla, Bombay, and asked her to write a column in his newspaper. Fortunately, Amma was familiar with the varied tastes of India. Her parents were from Kerala, but she was born and brought up in faraway Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, where her father was a doctor. He loved making chicken soup (he had made it even on the day he died, at the age of ninety-three) and her mother loved cooking Kerala’s Syrian Christian dishes. The neighbourhood was redolent with the scents of Tamil and Telugu food. Amma had always been partial to Tamil dishes, right from
childhood till long after her college days in Madurai. It was later that she developed a love for Kannadiga delicacies in Chikmagalur, where my parents lived in a coffee estate in the first few years of their marriage. Then they moved to Bombay, and this was where she learnt to cook a variety of local, north Indian and continental dishes.
Amma had another advantage—she spoke fluent English, a gift not so common among Indian women in those days. This helped her enter the kitchens of even the most elite hotels, where she would never shy away from asking for recipes or other cooking advice from the chefs. Amma did it with natural grace, whether she was in India or travelling to other countries, in her forties. She was inspired to share the art of cooking for the sheer enjoyment of delicious food. She did not even recommend any complex or elaborate recipes to her readers because, for her, simplicity and taste came before novelty. She even avoided using words like ‘foodie’ and ‘cuisine’. ‘Simple good
food’ was her motto.
She wrote her recipes early in the morning, after waking up at 3 a.m. No recipe made it to her column before she had tested it at least three times. My father always got the first chance to taste it and to give feedback. Amma made sure she bought all the ingredients herself and measured them precisely. In the early years, she would use cigarette tins as measuring cups and gradually she accumulated all the paraphernalia, including a mallet from abroad for tenderising the meat. When fair reviews of her books appeared in the press, she was ecstatic.
Food was sacred for Amma. She never wasted it. If there was anything left over, she would make a delicious new dish out of it. She always taught us to respect food and forbade shoptalk at the dinner table at our home in Roopkala, Kottayam, Kerala. All she wanted was for everyone to enjoy good food. Far from secretive, she took joy in sharing her recipes with everyone. In fact, sometimes she would send the recipe along with the food she would send for her friends and acquaintances and if they ever faced a problem cooking it, she would even send her trained cook to demonstrate the cooking procedure.
Whoever visited Amma, she always gave out a packet of crisp savouries for them to take home. Her wedding gift to her acquaintances was invariably a bundle of her cookbooks. Even today, many people in India and abroad tell me that Amma’s book Nadan Pachakarama was like the Bible to them when they had just started their married life and were learning to cook.
Even when she was in a wheelchair, in her twilight years, she remained engaged and active. When not cooking, she was often found reading books, appreciating art, singing songs, playing the violin, teaching music, raising funds for charity, guiding women’s organizations, or supervising work at Vanitha. As a mother, she practised tough love, with a heart that remained tender inside. This book carries the essence of her soul.
-Thangam Mammen
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Get your copy of Mrs. K.M. Mathew’sFinest Recipes wherever books are sold.
Get ready to clear some space on your bookshelves as we present you our newest releases for the month of August! From riveting political commentaries and self-help books that unlock your true potential to gripping tales of love and transformation and historical explorations, these remarkable reads are set to take over your library and will ignite your imagination and inspire your soul.
Strange Burdens: The Politics and Predicaments of Rahul Gandhi || Sugata Srinivasaraju
Strange Burdens is not a biography but a book of political commentary. It examines and analyses Rahul Gandhi’s ideas and leadership since he officially entered politics in March 2004. It journeys all the way to the conclusion of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Srinagar on 30 January 2023 and captures the dilemmas of his
disqualification a couple of months later.
Unlocked: The Power of You || Gezim Gashi
Unlocked: The Power of You is compelling self-help book will inspire you to pursue your biggest dreams, regardless of your background or upbringing. It illustrates that by unlocking our true, authentic selves, we can unleash our greatest potential in a world without limits, even in the aftermath of a pandemic.
Author Gezim Gashi recounts his extraordinary journey-from escaping the Kosovo genocide to becoming the first Albanian-Swede to launch a high school institute in the United States – Gezim lays out a path to personal success and fulfillment that is accessible to all, regardless of their background. With his mentorship, readers will be inspired to overcome obstacles and achieve their biggest goals.
A Walk Up The Hill || Madhav Gadgil
A Walk Up the Hill is an account of Madhav Gagil’s life walking up and down the country’s hills and dales, watching peacocks dance and elephants prance, living among fisherfolk on the west coast, horticulturists on Western Ghats, and the tribals of Manipur and Maharashtra, all the while being a part of a vibrant scientific community.
Data Science: A Beginner’s Guide || C. Raju
Data science is a perfect blend of 10 per cent maths, 20 per cent statistics, 30 per cent common sense and 40 per cent applied knowledge. While you can learn maths and statistics, you need to accumulate certain experience for common sense to kick in and apply what you have learnt.
This introductory book on data science builds upon an individual’s innate knowledge and arms you with the tools to use this interdisciplinary academic field in everyday scenarios. With straightforward real-world examples and applications, it takes you on a path that may seem daunting but is made simple through Professor Raju’s easy manner. It endows you with a holistic and flawless understanding of the fundamental principles required to build a solid foundation in data science.
Unlocking Unicorn Secrets captures the entrepreneurial journeys of some of India’s new-age founders and looks at the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. It covers themes such as developing an idea, building out the minimum viable product (MVP), finding a co-founder, setting up the founding team, raising funds and scaling the business, among others. Through primary research and a series of interviews conducted with the founders of these billion-dollar companies, the authors weave a narrative that is both accessible and informative.
In Pause, Rewind, Nawaz Modi Singhania writes about the role of fitness, nutrition and good mental health in ageing well. She shares techniques she’s developed over her years as a leading fitness consultant, including facial fitness exercises, muscle work, how to build the immune system and health-promoting foods.
Dhruva || | Gauranga Darshan Das
Discover practical answers to these questions within the pages of DHRUVA, an enthralling narrative penned by Gauranga Darshan Das, an esteemed author, educator and monk, hailing from the prestigious IISc.
Prince Dhruva’s awe-inspiring journey evokes a spectrum of emotions–love, heartbreak, revenge, passion, guilt and devotion. As you immerse yourself in this gripping tale, Gauranga Darshan artfully weaves his realizations as pearls of wisdom that are refreshingly simple yet remarkably effective.
The Memoirs of Valmiki Rao || Lindsay Pereira
The Memoirs of Valmiki Rao the story of Rameshwar Shinde and Ravinarayan Kumar, a young woman called Janaki, and the neighbours they live with, in the shadows of towers. It is a story of families torn apart by bigotry, an unmissable retelling of the epic Ramayana set at a time when blood mixed with the grime of Mumbai’s streets. A tale more pertinent than ever, in a country once again teetering on the edge.
Heart Tantrums || Aisha Sarwari
In this large and messy voice of a memoir, Heart Tantrums artfully describes the scatter of catastrophic losses-the loss of author’s father in early adolescence; leaving behind her family home in East Africa; and trying to fit into a completely different culture in Lahore after marriage. In 2017, when Aisha first held her husband Yasser Latif Hamdani’s brain MRI against the light, she began to also lose the man she loved to a personality-altering brain tumour.
1947-1957, India || Chandrachur Ghose
The first decade after India’s independence, 1947-1957, was probably the most crucial in the nation’s history. Opening a window to this period, this book weaves a story out of the complex ideas and events that have largely remained beneath the surface of public discourse. The transfer of power, the framing of the Constitution and the formation of the governance machinery; the clash of ideas and ideologies among parties and personalities; the beginning of the disintegration of the Congress and the consolidation of political forces in the opposition; Nehru’s grappling with existential problems at home and his quest for global peace; the interplay between democratic ideals and ruthless power play-all these factors impinged on each other and shaped the new republic in its formative decade.
Thought-provoking, argumentative and unputdownable, 1947-1957, India: The Birth of a Republicis a must-read for anyone interested in Indian political history.
World’s Best Girlfriend || Durjoy Datta
D and A meet under improbable circumstances in the most unlikely of places-a posh resort in the Andamans. While A is fighting hard to escape the shackles of a lower middle-class existence, D is aimless and unsure of what his future holds. Strangely, they are drawn to each other. Four years later, when they meet again, D’s world has crumbled around him. The burden of caring for his sick father and six-year-old sister has left him with little time for anything else. Yet, despite their diverging paths, D and A find themselves reconnecting in unexpected ways. Their mutual attraction deepens.
Till now, fate has been pushing them together, but what will happen when they decide to take matters into their own hands? Will life be as they’ve imagined, or will destiny take even that away from them?
Operation Payback || Aditi Mathur Kumar
Operation Payback is a thrilling novel about a Veer Nari who proves that she indeed is a yoddah and a hero. This is a story about bravery, about the true meaning of heroism and about making the most of this life even when you thought it has been unfair to you.
Beyond Fear || Ian Cardoza
The stories featured in Major General Ian Cardozo’s book Beyond Fear, stories that inform the reader that fear is not exceptional. It is common to all human beings. The question is: Do we face fear or run away from it? Through these thirteen stories, he reveals to the reader how military personnel conquer fear. He calls it ‘biting the bullet’.
The Book of Vows The Mahabharata Trilogy Volume 1 ||Amit Majmudar
The Book of Vows is the first part of a trilogy on the Mahabharata. Grounded in the original Sanskrit epic, Majmudar recreates the ancient epic for a contemporary audience. It is his finest work yet and is one of the most accessible, magical and unputdownable retellings of the Mahabharata. The Book of Vows will be followed by The Book of Discoveries and The Book of Killings.
Cold War 2.0 || Madhav Das Nalapat
Cold War 2.0 details the crosscurrents of Great Powers’ dynamics in the twenty-first century, and why it is important for a future-focused rather than a past-obsessed approach towards each other by the two biggest democracies on the planet, India and the US. Each needs to reinforce the other to jointly overcome the multi-dimensional challenge posed by the Communist Party of China to the global future. Just as in the case of Cold War 1.0, the democracies need to prevail in Cold War 2.0 as well.
Empire Building The Construction of British India: 1690–1860 || Rosie Llewellyn-Jones
From military engineers and cartography to imported raw metals and steam power, Llewellyn-Jones considers the social and environmental changes wrought by colonialism. This period was marked by a shift from formerly private, Indian-controlled functions, such as education, entertainment, trading and healing, to British public institutions such as universities, theatres, chambers of commerce and hospitals.
Stepping aside from ongoing colonialism debates, Building Empire is a fascinating account of India’s physical transformation during the Company period.
he Quest for Modern Assam : A History || Arupjyoti Saikia
Definitive, comprehensive and unputdownable, The Quest for Modern Assam explores the interconnected layers of political, environmental, economic and cultural processes that shaped the development of Assam since the 1940s. It offers an authoritative account that sets new standards in the writing of regional political history. Not to be missed by any one keen on Assam, India, Asia or world history in the twentieth century.
Mansions of the Moon || Shyam Selvadurai
Drawing on ancient records and historical sources, and weaving it with fiction and mythology, Shyam Selvadurai creates a vivid portrait of Yasodhara, a remarkable woman on a remarkable journey. Mansions of the Moon is an evocative, thought-provoking novel and a must-read for anyone interested in spirituality, mythology and the power of the human spirit.
One Among You || A S Panneerselvan, M K Stalin
One Among You, a translation of Volume 1 of Stalin’s Tamil autobiography, Ungalil Oruvan, is the story of the first twenty-three years of his life, from 1953 to 1976. These formative years were witness to Stalin’s school and college days, his early involvement with the DMK and his integral role in the party publication, Murasoli. But Stalin’s journey extends beyond politics. He also had a profound connection to the world of theatre and cinema, where his passion for art intersected with his pursuit of social change.
On the Edge 100 Years of Hindi Fiction on Same-Sex Desire || Ruth Vanita
On the Edge is a first-of-its-kind collection of short stories and extracts from novels centred on theme of same-sex desire, translated from the original Hindi. The sixteen beautiful and provocative stories featured here (published between 1927 and 2022) include classic works by Asha Sahay, Premchand, Ugra, Rajkamal Chaudhuri, Geetanjali Shree, Sara Rai and Rajendra Yadav, among others. An important anthology, On the Edge shifts the focus on stories and characters who have, for far too long, remained in the shadows and brings them (and us) into the light.
As we bid farewell to the legendary Ratan Tata, his legacy remains etched in the annals of business and philanthropy. Known for his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to ethical practices, Tata’s influence extends far beyond the boardroom. In this tribute, we explore some of the most remarkable contributions and moments that defined his extraordinary life and career.
The Story of Tata || Peter Casey
In 1868, Jamsetji Tata, a visionary of his time, lit the flame that went on to become Tata and its group of companies. This business grew into an extraordinary one. One that some may even call ‘the greatest company in the world’. Over the decades, the business expanded and prospered under the leadership of the various keepers of the flame, such as Sir Dorabji Tata, J.R.D. Tata and Ratan Tata, to name a few. But one day, the headlines boldly declared that the chairman of the board of Tata Sons, Cyrus Mistry, had been fired.
What went wrong?
In this exclusive and authorized book, insiders of the Tata businesses open up to Peter Casey for the first time to tell the story. From its humble beginnings as a mercantile company to its growth as a successful yet philanthropic organization to its recent brush with Mistry, this is a book that every business- minded individual must read.
Jamsetji Tata || Harish Bhat, R Gopalakrishnan
Jamsetji Tata pioneered modern Indian industry. He has been a key catalyst in the economic growth and development of the country.
From Empress Mills to the Iron and Steel Plant, from the establishment of Indian Institue of Science to the building of the Taj Mahal Hotel, Jamsetji’s vision made India stand tall. In this carefully researched account, R Gopalakrishnan and Harish Bhat provide insights into the entrepreneurial principles of Jamsetji that helped create such a successful and enduring enterprise.
For the love of India: The Life & Times Of Jamsetji Tata||
In For the Love of India, R.M. Lala has drawn upon fresh material from the India Office Library in London and other archives, as also Jamsetji’s letters, to portray the man and his age. It is an absorbing account that makes clear how remarkable Jamsetji’s achievement truly was, and why, even now, one hundred years after his death, he seems like a man well ahead of the times.
The Creation of Wealth: The Tatas From The 19th To The 21st Century || R M Lala
The Creation of Wealth is R.M. Lala’s bestselling account of how the Tatas have been at the forefront in the making of the Indian nation-not just by their phenomenal achievements as industrialists and entrepreneurs but also by their significant contributions in areas like factory reforms, labour and social welfare, medical research, higher education, culture and arts, and rural development.
#TataStories: 40 Timeless Tales To Inspire You
A diamond twice as large as the famous Kohinoor pledged to survive a financial crisis; a meeting with a ‘relatively unknown young monk’ who later went on to be known as Swami Vivekananda; the fascinating story of the first-ever Indian team at the Olympics; the making of India’s first commercial airline and first indigenous car; how ‘OK TATA’ made its way to the backs of millions of trucks on Indian highways; a famous race that was both lost and won; and
many more.
#TataStories is a collection of littleknown tales of individuals, events and places from the Tata Group that have shaped the India we live in today.
The Tata Saga: Timeless Stories From India’s Largest Business Group
The Tata Saga is a collection of handpicked stories published on India’s most iconic business group. The anthology features snippets from the lives of various business leaders of the company: Ratan Tata, J.R.D. Tata, Jamsetji Tata, Xerxes Desai, Sumant Moolgaokar, F.C. Kohli, among others. There are tales of outstanding successes, crushing failures and extraordinary challenges that faced the Tata Group.
Tata log || Harish Bhat
From steel to beverages and from supercomputers to automobiles, TATA companies have broken new ground and set new standards of excellence over the past two decades. Tatalog presents eight riveting and hitherto untold stories about the strategic and operational challenges that TATA companies have faced, and the forward thinking and determination that have raised the brand to new heights.
Beyond The Last Blue Mountain: A Life of J.R.D Tata || R.M. Lala
An exhaustive and unforgettable portrait of India’s greatest and most respected industrialist. Written with J.R.D. Tata’s co-operation, this superb biography tells the J.R.D. story from his birth to 1993, the year in which he died in Switzerland. The book is divided into four parts: Part I deals with the early years, from J.R.D’s birth in France in 1904 to his accession to the chairmanship of Tatas, India’s largest industrial conglomerate, at the age of thirty-four; Part II looks at his forty-six years in Indian aviation (the lasting passion of J.R.D’s life) which led to the initiation of the Indian aviation industry and its development into one of India’s success stories; Part III illuminates his half-century-long stint as the outstanding personality of Indian industry; and Part IV unearths hitherto unknown details about the private man and the public figure, including glimpses of his long friendships with such people as Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and his association with celebrities in India and abroad.
The Tata Group || Dr. Shashank Shah
A deepdive into the Tata universe, The Tata Group brings forth hitherto lesser-known facts and insights. It also brings you face-to-face with the most intriguing business decisions and their makers. How did Tata Motors turn around Jaguar Land Rover when Ford failed to do so? Why wasn’t TCS listed during the IT boom? Why wasn’t Tata Steel’s Corus acquisition successful?
The TCS Story and Beyond || S. Ramadorai
The TCS story is one of modern India’s great success stories. In this fascinating book, S. Ramadorai, one of the country’s most respected business leaders, recounts the steps to that extraordinary success, and outlines a vision for the future where the quality initiatives he undertook can be applied to a larger national framework.
he boy who wanted to fly: J.R.D Tata (Dreamer’s Series) || Lavanya Karthik
Before Jeh started India’s first airline and changed the way the nation travelled, he was a boy who dreamt of flying.
Talk of the town and how? Well, you’ve either watched Oppenheimer who you’re planning to, as you try to secure a seat in the fast-filling movie theatres and wait for the magic to unfold on the big screen. The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer has captivated audiences far and wide, leaving them intrigued and fascinated. And now, we’ve got something special for you—straight from the pages that birthed the epic, here’s a glimpse into the enthralling journey of Oppenheimer’s life.
Dive into this excerpt from American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer and witness his fascination with Sanskrit and the Bhagavad Gita, and how this passion for ancient wisdom shaped the mind of the brilliant scientist that reshaped history and forever changed the world.
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer || Kai Bird, Martin J. Sherwin
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“I am learning Sanskrit,” Robert wrote Frank. “enjoying it very much, and enjoying again the sweet luxury of being taught.” While most of his friends saw this new obsession as slightly odd, Harold Cherniss-who had introduced Oppie to Ryder- thought it made perfect sense. “He liked things that were difficult,” Cherniss said. “And since almost everything was easy for him, the things that really would attract his attention were essentially the difficult.” Besides, Oppie had a “taste for the mystical, the cryptic.”
With his facility for languages, it wasn’t long before Robert was reading the Bhagavad-Gita. “It is very easy and quite marvelous.” he wrote Frank. He told friends that this ancient Hindu text- “The Lord’s Song”-was “the most beautiful philosophical song existing in any known tongue.” Ryder gave him a pink-covered copy of the book which found its way onto the bookshelf closest to his desk. Oppie took to passing out copies of the Gita as gifts to his friends.
Robert was so enraptured by his Sanskrit studies that when, in the autumn of 1933, his father bought him yet another Chrysler, he named it the Garuda, after the giant bird god in Hindu mythology that ferries Vishnu across the sky. The Gita- which constitutes the heart of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata-is told in the form of a dialogue between the incarnate god Krishna and a human hero, Prince Arjuna. About to lead his troops into mortal combat, Arjuna refuses to engage in a war against friends and relatives. Lord Krishna replies, in essence, that Arjuna must fulfill his destinyas a warrior to fight and kill.
Ever since his emotional crisis of 1926, Robert had been trying to achieve some kind of inner equilibrium. Discipline and work had always been his guiding principles, but now he self-consciously elevated these traits to a philosophy of life. In the spring of 1932, Robert wrote his brother a long letter explaining why. The fact that discipline, he argued, ‘is good for the soul is more fundamental than any of the grounds given for its goodness. I believe that through discipline, though not through discipline alone. We can achieve serenity, and a certain small but precious measure of freedom from the accidents of incarnation . . . and that detachment which preserves the world which it renounces. I believe that through discipline we learn to preserve what is essential to our happiness in more and more adverse circumstances, and to abandon with simplicity what would else have seemed to us indispensable.” And only through discipline is it possible to see the world without the gross distortion of personal desire, and in seeing it so, accept more easily our earthly privation and its earthly horror.
Like many Western intellectuals enthralled with Eastern philosophies. Oppenheimer the scientist found solace in their mysticism. He knew, moreover, that he was not alone; he knew that some of the poets he admired most, like W. B. Yeats and T. S. Eliot, had themselves dipped into the Mahabharata. “Therefore.” he concluded in his letter to the twenty-year-old Frank, “I think that all things which evoke discipline: study, and our duties to men and to the commonwealth, and war, and personal hardship, and even the need for subsistence, ought to be greeted by us with profound gratitude; for only through them can we attain to the least detachment; and only so can we know peace.”
In his late twenties, Oppenheimer already seemed to be searching for an earthly detachment; he wished, in other words, to be engaged as a scientist with the physical world, and yet detached from it. He was not seeking to escape to a purely spiritual realm. He was not seeking religion. What he sought was peace of mind. The Gita seemed to provide precisely the right philosophy for an intellectual keenly attuned to the affairs of men and the pleasures of the senses.
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Get your copy of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin wherever books are sold.
Prepare to be amazed as you discover the world of our courageous Indian Armed Forces and learn about their fascinating facts and untold stories. Naam Namak Nishan: The Ultimate Indian Armed Forces Quiz Book promises to enlighten and evoke a sense of profound respect and appreciation for the indomitable spirit of our nation’s defenders.
So embrace the challenge and immerse yourself in this quiz to learn more about the valorous legacy!
Naam Namak Nishan: The Ultimate Indian Armed Forces Quiz Book|| Anurakshat Gupta, Arnabh Sengupta, Hitesh Mahato,
In the pages of Nowhere Man by Shivalik Bakshi, a profound and urgent story awaits. This is not just a book, it is a call to action, a heartfelt plea to uncover the truth and shed light on the story of Captain Kamal Bakshi who fought in the 1971 Indo-Pak War and went missing at the mere age of 25, after 4 days of intense fighting. His family received clues & evidence in the form of letters from Pakistan over the years indicating that he was alive. However, he was never retrieved.
Captain Kamal Bakshi’s story reminds us of the trials and tribulations he suffered, his courage, and his ultimate sacrifice in service of the nation and we must come together on a yielding quest for justice and give the Nowhere Man the respect he deserves.
Read this exclusive account unveiling the intricate timeline and clues gathered throughout the years that hinted at Captain Kamal Bakshi’s presence in Pakistan.
Nowhere Man || Shivalik Bakshi
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A Timeline of POW Negotiations and Sightings
16 December 1971 – Cease Fire Declared
26 December 1971 India Weighs Bengali Pleas to Try Pak Officials – New York Times Author’s Comments: India found itself between a rock and a hard place immediately after the war ended: on one hand, Bangladesh was demanding that it hand over Pakistani soldiers accused of war crimes. On the other hand, it did not want to anger Pakistan as there was a long list of items that needed to be negotiated with the Pakistanis, including the fate of Indian POWs in Pakistani custody.
9 January 1972
India and Pakistan Submit List of POWs- International Review of the Red Cross, February 1972 Author’s Comments:We now know that Pakistani authorities submitted an incomplete list of Indian POWs to the Red Cross. As for why they did it, the obvious answer was to use the Indian POWs as bargaining chips in case India handed over some Pakistani POWs to the Bangladeshis for war crimes trials.
18 March 1972 India Opens Way for Dacca Trials- New York Times Author’s Comments:Pakistani officials could have used this news as further justification for withholding names of Indian POWs from the list they handed to the Red Cross two months earlier.
30 March 1972
Bangladesh Will Try 1,100 Pakistanis- New York Times Author’s Comments: Now that we know for certain that Pakistani officials withheld names of some Indian POWs, A statement from Prime Minister Zulfikar Bhutto raises a troubling question: What exactly did he mean by ‘point of no return’? Was he referring to the return of Indian POWs whose names were withheld from the Red Cross?
14 June 1972 India to Deliver 150 POWs to Bangladesh to Face Trial- New York Times Author’s Comments:India made a statement a couple of weeks before Pakistani President Bhutto was to arrive in Simla to begin negotiation talks. It probably did so to increase pressure on Bhutto to come to a settlement. However, once again, Pakistani officials probably saw this as justification for holding back names of some Indian POWs.
29 July 1972 India Ratifies Pakistan Pact- New York Times Author’s Comments:Also called the Simla Agreement, this pact was a peace treaty between India and Pakistan, and set the framework around which further negotiations were to take place to resolve all open issues, including POW repatriation. In hindsight, this was another missed opportunity for India to ensure all its POWs were accounted for before signing this agreement.
29 November 1972 POWs to Be Freed Friday- New York Times Author’s Comments: This exchange was only for prisoners of the western front. Captain Kamal Bakshi should have been a part of this exchange.
31 January 1973
90,000 Prisoners- New York Times Author’s Comments: This is referring to the Pakistani prisoners of war captured in East Pakistan (now called Bangladesh)
7 April 1974 India Talks Hinge on POW Issue- New York Times Author’s Comments:This news, once again, shows that the fate of Pakistani POWs accused of war crimes was the central issue of postwar negotiations. And once again, Pakistani officials would have used this as justification for their decision to withhold names of some Indian POWs from the list they handed over to the Red Cross after the war.
10 April 1974 India, Bangladesh and Pakistan End Prisoner Dispute- – New York Times Author’s Comments:This is the moment the fate of the missing Indian POWs was sealed. Indian officials did not have any leverage for negotiating their release after this point.
1 May 1974 India Completes Return of Pakistani Prisoners- New York Times Author’s Comments:This was Pakistan’s opportunity to come clean. With all their POWs freed, they could have easily released the Indians they had held back. Unfortunately, they chose not to, as the following events make clear.
7 December 1974
First letter from Major Ashok Suri to his father, R.S. Suri Text on slip: ‘I am okay here’ Text on note: ‘Sahib, valaikumsalam. I cannot meet you in person. Your son is alive and he is in Pakistan. I could only bring this slip, which I am sending you. Now going back to Pak.
-M Abdul Hamid.’
Author’s Comments:At least one honourable Pakistani citizen named M. Abdul Hamid (likely an alias) believed that it was wrong for Pakistan to keep holding Indian POWs after India had returned all remaining Pakistani POWs earlier that year.
13 June 1975
Second letter from Major Ashok Suri to his father, R.S. Suri ‘Dear Daddy. Ashok touches thy feet to get a benediction. I am quite OK here. Please try to contact Indian Army or Govt of India about us. We are 20 officers here. Don’t worry about me. Pay my regards to everybody at home, especially mummy, grandfather. Indian Govt can contact Pakistan Govt for our freedom. Your loving son.
-A.Kumar Suri
Author’s Comments:Clear proof that at least twenty Indian military officers were being detained in Pakistan after India had released all Pakistani POWs. It is also interesting to note that the letter originated in Karachi, and not some city in the hinterland of Pakistan, where it would have been easier to keep the POWs hidden. Sometime between 1972 and 1974, Inspector General of the Border Security Force Ashwini Kumar had learnt from his contacts in Pakistan that some Indian POWs were being detained secretly, outside the purview of Red Cross officials, in prisons on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Why would Pakistani officials shift them from a remote location on the Afghan border to Karachi which lies on the Arabian Sea coast? Were they trying to ship the men out of the country by sea?
1976-77- At least three Indian POWs transferred by sea from Pakistan to Oman
12 April 1979– The Government of India releases a list of names of Indian military personnel still believed to be in Pakistani custody. Included in the list is Captain Kamal Bakshi.
1980 onwards- Several civilian prisoners repatriated to India mention meeting or seeing or hearing about Indian Army POWs in prisons across Pakistan.
5 July 1988- Mukhtiar Singh, a civilian prisoner repatriated to India on 5 July 1988, claims to have seen Captain Kamal Bakshi in prison in Pakistan.
23 September 2012- Television news report about the existence of an Indian POW in a prison in Oman. Sepoy Jaspal Singh told the carpenter that he and four other soldiers were imprisoned in Pakistan for five or six years before being transferred to Oman by sea. That means Jaspal and his companions were shipped to Oman in 1976 or 1977.
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Get your copy of Nowhere Man by Shivalik Bakshi wherever books are sold.
Half the year has gone by and feeling like you need a dash of inspiration to power through the remaining months of 2023? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Tune in to these inspiring audiobooks as you spring clean your house, finish up mundane tasks or even take a refreshing walk. We promise you’ll leave feeling motivated and ready to conquer the rest of the year. What’re you waiting for? Let’s dive into this extraordinary audiobook adventure and make the most of what’s to come!
Ask the Monk || Nityanand Charan Das
In Ask the Monk, celebrated monk Nityanand Charan Das lucidly answers over seventy frequently asked questions-by young and the old alike-on topics such as karma, religion versus spirituality, mind, God, destiny, purpose of life, suffering, rituals, religion, wars and so on. These answers that are extremely crucial to help you, the reader, embark on the journey of self-discovery and self-realization.
Don’t Lose Your Mind Lose Your Weight || Rujuta Diwekar
Don’t Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight has revolutionized the way Indians think about food and their eating habits. Funny, easy to read and full of great advice, it argues that we should return to our traditional eating roots (yes, ghee is good for you), nutrients are more important than calories (cheese over biscuits) and, most importantly, the only way to lose weight is to keep eating. In the ten-year anniversary edition of this classic, read about the simple steps you can take towards maintaining a healthy and proper diet and understanding your body and its nutritional requirements.
Energize Your Mind || Gaur Gopal Das
In Energize Your Mind, bestselling author and life coach Gaur Gopal Das decodes how the mind works. He combines his anecdotal style with analytical research to teach us how to discipline our mind for our greater well-being. Throughout this book, he provides interactive exercises, meditation techniques and worksheets to help us take charge of our mind.
Let Me Hijack Your Mind || Alyque Padamsee, Vandana Saxena Poria
Let Me Hijack Your Mind is Alyque’s parting gift to Indians, exhorting them to throw out the old and embrace new ways of approaching everything, which will lead them towards a more exciting and contented life-and a better society and country. It is a way to open windows in their mind to think about life aside from greed, power and money. This is a book designed to throw everyone off-balance in a good way, because it is crammed with fresh ideas on how to live, how to dream and how to completely reset our mindset and attitudes. As Alyque says in his inimitable style: ‘Get people out of stuffy thinking.’
50 Toughest Questions Of Life || Deepak Ramola
50 Toughest Questions of Life invites people to have a conversation about themselves with themselves. Deepak Ramola’s quest began after he was inspired by the life lesson of a young girl who said, ‘Life is not about giving easy answers, but answering tough questions.’ Over the years, Ramola has amassed life lessons from inspirational sources across the world: from the women of the Maasai tribe to young girls in Afghanistan and sex workers in Kamathipura; from the lessons of earthquake survivors in Nepal to Syrian refugees in Europe, among many more.
India’s Most Fearless 3 || Shiv Aroor, Rahul Singh
An army medic who went beyond the call of duty amid a frenzy of treacherous bloodletting in Ladakh’s Galwan while his fellow soldiers fought the Chinese to death; the crew of an Indian Navy destroyer that put everything on the line to rescue hundreds from Cyclone Tauktae in the Arabian Sea; an Indian Air Force pilot who ejected from his doomed fighter less than two seconds before it hit the ground, only to find he was missing a leg.
India’s Most Fearless 3 presents their accounts, or of those who were with them in their final moments. The book also features ten true stories of extraordinary courage and fearlessness, providing glimpses of the heroism Indian soldiers have displayed in unthinkably hostile conditions and under grave provocation.
Life can be chaotic right? But how often does it transform into something truly ‘Filmi’? Author Kunal Basu in his book Filmi Stories has vowed to do just that. Get ready to explore this story-telling masterpiece, where we encounter unforeseen terrors and adventures, surreal comedies, and apocalypses that will shake you to the core. And amidst it all, you will discover the sublime poetry of everyday life.
So get into a comfortable spot, grab some popcorn, and read this excerpt from Filmi Stories that rival the excitement of watching a thrilling movie.
Filmi Stories || Kunal Basu
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As he sat on the bus travelling from the city’s western suburb to the airport, the morning’s events flashed through Rishi’s mind like the madly spinning reel of a film. Like all days that spelt chaos, the morning had been deceptively calm. He had risen to the sing-song of his neighbour’s bird, jumped the queue to the communal toilet complaining of an upset stomach and then secured a seat, miraculously, on the congested local train on his way to work. Haste was a common refrain in the life of Bombay residents, and his morning was no different from that of millions who found peace in the daily hassle of the city. On that day though he was doubly keen to reach his office before the padlock had been opened by the talkative security guard, ever ready to offer a rundown of noteworthy events—from bank heist to waterlogging. It was Rosy’s, Rosalind Yasmin de Rosario’s, birthday, and Rishi wished to reach her cubicle next to their boss’s plush office before the employees arrived. He had spent a whole week scouting for a proper birthday card and struck gold with one shaped like a pink rose that allowed the petals to be opened to pen one’s greetings inside. May you always feel happy and never sad, he wrote, signing off with your loyal friend Rishi.
Most of the day was spent waiting, Rishi recalled, while travelling on the airport bus. From his own cubicle, a good 50 yards away from Rosy’s, her face was visible only in profile. True to Monday morning rush, she could be seen stacking up files for the boss to sign, taking calls, reaching inside her purse for a breath freshener after her tea. Had she dropped the card, left by Rishi on her table, into the wastepaper bin, mistaking it for junk mail? He sat through the whole morning, forfeiting a cigarette break, just to keep an eye on her. By noon, waiting had turned to despair. His thoughts strayed over to several birthday cards he’d left for female colleagues in the past, hoping for a favourable outcome. For an out-of-state person like him, who hailed from a city far from Bombay, without family or friends who might assume the task of matchmaking, he saw the birthday card as his only hope. A card followed by an invitation to tea, a stroll in the nearby park, trips to the mall in the guise of shopping, ending with the final arrangement.
By 3 in the afternoon, he had given up on his prospect and returned to the thorny business of balancing the firm’s monthly ledger when Rosy walked down those fifty yards to his cubicle. Taking just a moment to recover, Rishi was about to wish her on her special day, when she cut him short.
‘Mr Manjrekar is waiting to speak with you. He has asked you to come at once.’
Me?’ Rishi stuttered.
‘Yes, you,’ Rosy answered in a matter-of-fact way and walked a step ahead of him to the boss’s office.
Like all employees, past and present, Rishi feared his boss. He had the habit of asking awkward questions, giving his employees no time to think before providing the answer himself with an air of disdain. As an MBA, he assumed a rightful superiority over his graduate employees and fell into lecturing them on topics that had nothing to do with their daily business. Normally, he allotted no more than 3 minutes to Rishi whenever he was summoned to his office, but on that day, he asked him to take a seat and came around to lay a hand on his shoulder.
He will fire me, Rishi thought, offer some kind of business logic that was beyond his comprehension.Maybe he’s found out about the birthday card and the several before this one and concluded that he was a threat to his female staff.
‘Word has come from our Patna office about your mother,’ Mr Manjrekar paused, rubbing his hand on Rishi’s shoulder blade by way of a massage. ‘Your uncle has been trying to contact you by phone from your hometown, but something appears to be wrong with your number. He is trying to pass on an urgent message to you.’
‘What message, Sir?’ Rishi managed to ask.
‘Your mother is sick,’ Mr Manjrekar’s voice turned a touch gentler. ‘She has been taken to the hospital. Maybe it’s nothing very serious. Could be the pathogenesis of a condition beyond the patient’s bandwidth.’
Rishi’s eyes widened, unable to follow what Mr Manjrekar meant. Standing beside him, he could sense Rosy nodding her head in agreement.
Returning to his seat, Mr Manjrekar adjusted his tie and spoke calmly. ‘No matter her condition, you must go to Patna and assess the situation first-hand. Rosy has already bought your ticket, and you can leave now to collect your things from home and head off to the airport.’
The flight leaves at 7.45 p.m. It’s the only one to Patna from Bombay this evening.’ On cue, Rosy handed Rishi his ticket and turned on her heels to return to her cubicle.
‘I’m sure things will be fine back home,’ MrManjrekar concluded his 5-minute meeting with Rishi, adding, ‘We’ll consider your absence as a casual leave.’
Dazed by the event, Rishi took the wrong turn as he left MrManjrekar’s office, reaching the staff toilet at the end of the corridor, which was shut for cleaning. Then he retraced his steps back to his seat, passing by Rosy’s desk. The birthday card,he found to be still sitting at the exact spot he’dleft it, yet unopened.
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Get your copy of Filmi Stories by Kunal Basu wherever books are sold.
Step into the revolutionary world of political biographies, where we uncover the personal stories and untold struggles behind the influential figures who shaped our history. From the halls of power to the battlegrounds of rebellion and change, journey alongside these 8 trailblazers in Indian Politics whose stories continue to inspire and provoke thoughtful reflection.
Madam President || Sandeep Sahu
Madam President is the first-ever comprehensive and authentic biography of Droupadi Murmu, the fifteenth President of India, by senior journalist Sandeep Sahu. Murmu’s long and eventful political journey is a story of true perseverance and inspiration. Having battled early years of struggle in securing quality education, being struck by a series of personal tragedies such as the loss of her husband and two sons in quick succession,
and suffering electoral victories and losses, Murmu has risen through her circumstances with grace, fortitude and resilience that make her the well-revered leader she is today.
Maverick Messiah || Ramesh Kandula
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, widely known as NTR, was not merely a film star who strayed into politics and captured power in Andhra Pradesh. The actor-politician redefined the political culture in the state and scripted a new political idiom.
His rather dramatic entry into politics, the profound impact he left on the people of Andhra Pradesh and the vital role he played in national politics during his relatively short political life, however, have not received deserving recognition. Maverick Messiah captures the different facets of NTR’s life in all their varied hues and puts in perspective the significant contribution of the actor-politician to the Indian political tapestry.
Kannur || Ullekh N.P.
Born in Kannur and brought up amidst some of the tallest political leaders of the state, author Ullekh N.P. delves into his personal experiences while drawing a modern-day graph that charts out the reasons, motivations and the local lore behind the turmoil. He analyses the numbers that lay bare the truth behind the hype, studies the area’s political and cultural heritage, and speaks to the main protagonists and victims. With his journalistic skills and years of on-the-field reporting, he paints a gripping narrative of the ongoing bloodbath and the perceptions around it.
Ullekh’s investigations and interviews reveal a bigger game at work involving players who will stop at nothing to win.
Sunrise Over Ayodhya || Salman Khurshid
On 9 November 2019, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous verdict, cleared the way for the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.
As we look back, we will be able to see how much we have lost over Ayodhya through the years of conflict. If the loss of a mosque is preservation of faith, if the establishment of a temple is emancipation of faith, we can all join together in celebrating faith in the Constitution. Sometimes, a step back to accommodate is several steps forward towards our common destiny.
Through Sunrise Over Ayodhya, Salman Khurshid explores how the greatest opportunity that the judgment offers is a reaffirmation of India as a secular society.
Bose || Chandrachur Ghose
Was Bose really a Nazi sympathiser? Knowing very well about the strong public opinion that existed among the political leadership and the intelligentsia in India against Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and imperial Japan, why did he risk his own political image by allying with the Axis powers?
Pacey, thought-provoking and absolutely unputdownable, Bose: The Untold Story of an Inconvenient Nationalist will open a window to many hitherto untold and unknown stories of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Probably the first critical biography of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose till date.
Savarkar A Contested Legacy from A Forgotten Past || Vikram Sampath
This two-volume biography series, exploring a vast range of original archival documents from across India and outside it, in English and several Indian languages, historian Vikram Sampath brings to light the life and works of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, one of the most contentious political thinkers and leaders of the twentieth century.
Comprehensive, definitive and absolutely unputdownable, this two-volume biography opens a window to previously unknown untold life of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
Furrows in a field || Sugata Srinivasaraju
Furrows in a field narrative is instructed by Gowda’s rich parliamentary record, archival material and interviews conducted with people associated with him at various stages of his life. The layered narrative is further nuanced by Gowda’s own voice, gargantuan memory, a close reading of the time when he made history and the currents of destiny that preceded it. Although Gowda has spent most of his years in Karnataka and has become a symbol of the federal idea, this book argues that the diverse national imagination and sincerity that he deployed as prime minister had magically lit up different corners of India.
Hisila || Hisila Yami
In this fascinating book, Hisila Yami traces her journey from being a young Nepali student of architecture in Delhi in the early eighties to becoming a Maoist revolutionary engaging in guerrilla warfare in Nepal. Yami was one of the two women leaders who were a part of the politburo of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which led the People’s War in the country that changed the course of its history forever.
