The date was October 17, 2007.

I was in Karachi to report for The Hindu on Benazir Bhutto's return to Pakistan the next day from her self-imposed exile after striking a deal with General Pervez Musharraf. Through the day busloads of people were pouring into Karachi for the welcome rally. In Dharavi-like Lyari, a traditional Pakistan People's Party stronghold, there was singing and dancing. After a while, I headed towards 70 Clifton, the historic house that Benazir's father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto built, where an entirely different song was playing. The huge house looked gloomy. I was led in through a large hall to a smaller sitting room, where I met the serious-looking Fatima Bhutto, daughter of Benazir's brother Mir Murtaza, and his (Murtaza's ) widow Ghinwa. Murtaza was shot dead outside this very house on September 20, 1996. Throughout our conversation, both Bhuttos pointedly referred to Benazir as Mrs. Zardari. Fatima was the quieter of the two, letting the Lebanese-born Ghinwa do most of the talking. But she described the people pouring into Karachi that day as rent-a-crowd, contrasting this with the spontaneity of the welcome Benazir got on her first homecoming in 1986. Benazir was a second-time Prime Minister when her brother was killed, and Ghinwa and Fatima said they wanted her to at least take moral responsibility for the killing. Tragic Two months after her return (in 2007), Benazir herself was killed. Her young niece has made sure that in the hagiographic haze over her aunt since her assassination, the story of Mir Murtaza's controversial death during his sister's watch as Prime Minister will not be forgotten. Songs of Blood and Sword by Fatima Bhutto is a profound love story, and a tribute to Murtaza by a daughter who adored him to bits. It is the immensely sad story of a woman's futile search for closure to the violent death of her father. It is the tragic story of

the Bhuttos, whose political aspirations were always at odds with that of the establishment, seen by their supporters as the main reason behind four untimely deaths in that family. It is a book that seeks to blame Zardari for Murtaza's killing. And, it is a bitter, angry and unforgiving condemnation of Benazir, seeing all events through the unique prism of the author's love for Murtaza and her dislike, bordering on hatred, of her aunt. This has led to some problematic and questionably-evidenced assertions in the book. One such is Fatima's conclusion that Mir Murtaza's decision to set up an armed resistance group called Al Zulfikar' against Zia's dictatorship was spurred on by his father from his jail cell; predictably, this has been contested by other members of the Bhutto family. Even though Fatima maintains she does not believe in dynasty, the subtext of her book, oddly, is that Murtaza was the rightful heir to the Bhutto legacy. Glimpse The value of the book is that it is perhaps the first about Murtaza and provides a good glimpse of his life, although it does not give much detail about his politics or about the shadowy Al Zulfikar' group that he and his brother set up to fight Zia. It places on record some of the correspondence between Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the second of his four children, giving fresh insights into the life and personality of the founding leader of the Pakistan People's Party. Fatima writes freely of the political rivalry between her father and his sister, describing how her grandmother Nusrat balanced her love for both, but eventually blames Benazir for Murtaza's death. Daniel Lak of the BBC, who was an accidental witness to Nusrat's terrible grief at losing Murtaza, 12 years after Shahnawaz, told me it was one of the most unbearable things he ever saw in Pakistan, describing her wailing as animal cries. Moving While an Alzheimer-stricken Nusrat may not remember anything now, her granddaughter's vivid account of the events of the day

her father was shot dead is both chilling and moving. The poignant story of the frantic and unsuccessful efforts a 14-yearold girl made to reach her aunt, the Prime Minister, on the telephone, and her futile hope as she waited in the hospital that her father would emerge alive from the operating theatre lays open the wound of loss, as if it all happened just yesterday. A commission of inquiry found that Murtaza's killing was a premeditated murder by the Karachi police on orders from the highest level of government. Zardari and the police officers who stood charged in the case have been acquitted. Fatima points out that on becoming President, Zardari appointed one of those police officers as Intelligence Bureau chief. All in all, this deeply personal and autobiographical book, written with a child's love, anger and helplessness, leaves the reader saddened for both the author and her country. Printer friendly page Send this article to Friends by E-Mail H. RAMAKRISHNAN SUBRAHMANYA SAHASRANAMAM: R.S. Kumar; Sree Theerthapada Ashramam, Theerthapadapuram P. O., Vazhoor686505. Rs. 125. CHANTING THE names of God is an important component of the spiritual activity envisaged for those following the path of devotion (Bhakti). Sahasranamams' (hymns made up of one thousand names of a particular deity) occupy a significant place in Bhakti literature and practice. Since they are based on the divine attributes as mentioned in the Upanishads, Gnanamargis' (those pursuing the path of wisdom) also go for them. Reciting a Sahasranamam', with devotion and a proper understanding of the import of the divine names, is believed to fetch multiple benefits.

This book is on the Sahasramam' of Lord Subrahmanya, perhaps the first commentary of its kind in Malayalam. Although several versions are in vogue, the author has chosen to comment on the one that is most popular in Kerala. Those who want to recite it as a mantra' ought to be properly initiated and guided by a competent Guru, especially about the Nyasa' procedure. It is evident that the author has done a lot of research. He has relied mostly on Skanda Puranam and several works in Tamil for bringing out the hidden meaning of the various names' in the hymn. The Karma-Gnana-Bhakti aspects of the spiritual pursuit run through the commentary as an undercurrent. There is little doubt that the book will be a valuable guide for those engaged in the rigorous worship of Lord Subrahmanya. Printer friendly page SCOOP: by Kuldip Nayar, Translated by Balaraman, Current Books, Thrissur-680001. Rs. 90. IN SCOOP, veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar looks back on some of the events to which he was witness. Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, for instance. He was a fledgling of just three months in the profession when he covered it for a Delhi-based Urdu newspaper. Quite of a few of his reports have had profound influence on political developments. After Jawaharlal Nehru's death, he put out a story on wire for the news agency, United News of India (of which he was the head), saying Morarji Desai has thrown his hat in the ring. The report, based on an interaction with Morarji Desai's son, turned many of the Congress MPs against Desai since they believed he was hankering for power even before Nehru's cremation was over.

Nayar admits that he was haunted by the question whether (through that report) he inadvertently helped Lal Bahadur Shastri, whom he had earlier served as Information Officer, in getting the Prime Minister's post. Nayar was one of those jailed during the Emergency, and he says an aide of Indira Gandhi later told him that his arrest was intended to intimidate newsmen. It worked, he adds. Scoop, like Nayar's earlier works, is interesting for the light it throws on the goings-on behind the scenes in politics and the corridors of power. Welcome as the Malayalam version is, it suffers from many avoidable errors. Printer friendly page AYALVAKKATHE APARICHITHAR (Janthu Kathakal): Variyath Kuttirama Menon; Current Books, Thrissur-686001. Rs. 195. THIS BOOK is of the kind that is at once interesting and informative. It speaks of the numerous creatures, gifts of Nature', living around the human population and striking a healthy ecological balance. It is a collection of stories authored by Variyath Kuttirama Menon (1891-1965), an accomplished teacher and a librarian not so familiar to the present generation. M.T. Vasudevan Nair, noted Malayalam litterateur, who has provided an introduction to the book, describes how, as a child, he and others of his age were influenced by Menon's writings. The origin and transmutation of a variety of species from frogs to flies including some that are hardly seen these days, are looked at scientifically. Information gathered from authentic sources and research findings have been deftly woven into what the author himself gained from keen observation and investigation. The outcome is thus a solid book of knowledge on zoology presented in a manner that sustains the interest of every reader. By choosing to give funny-sounding but meaningful

names to most of the characters, he has served to enhance the readers', especially the children's, interest. Although the book has been written with children as the target group, as evidenced by the simple and effortless style of writing, it can well be a good source of reference for the adults too. In an era of fast-vanishing greenery, heightened threat to a number of animal/ bird species, and reckless assault on the eco system, the relevance of books of this kind has increased manifold. Printer friendly page MUMBAI SIEGE: Edited by P. C. Dogra; Lancer's Books, PO Box 4236, New Delhi-110048. Rs. 495. The brutal attack on India's financial capital on the evening of November 26, 2008, like 9/11 in the United States, has spawned abundant literature, most of it bordering on the pedestrian and superficial. This book falls in that category. A compendium of talks delivered at a seminar held in Chandigarh within days of the Mumbai horror, it throws up little that is not already known. However, it deserves some consideration because of the eminence of the participants, who ranged from law enforcement officers and Army generals to academicians. Inept The attack on Mumbai demonstrated that we as a nation are inept when it comes to rapid response to terrorism. And this, nearly a decade after 9/11, which had been studied extensively over the years by experts the world over and relevant lessons learnt. The New York City administration, notwithstanding a few minor shortcomings, rose to the occasion and organised quick rescue and relief. Unfortunately, one did not see this level of efficiency in Mumbai on that fateful November evening. Precious young police lives were lost, all because they did not wear quality bullet-proof clothing. Also, the head of the city police, by all accounts, just

stuck to a corner and did not move around to take charge of an evolving crisis. The fire engines were not allowed to approach the Taj Hotel in flames and the NSG commandos could not reach the city until hours after the attack because they were positioned a thousand miles away. And the terrorists holed up in the hotel continued with their defiant presence and held sway for an unbelievably long time, until all but one were killed. The Home Ministry's decision to open regional hubs of the NSG as a response to the 26/11 fiasco is a right step. The Mumbai Police are also now better equipped in terms of weaponry and training. There is however still a lot of scepticism about how they will react to another terrorist attack, should one occur. Intelligence failure What was undoubtedly common to 9/11 and 26/11 was the failure of the intelligence machinery to predict the attacks. Terrorist groups are well aware of the inability of even the best of intelligence outfits, such as the Mossad of Israel, to anticipate an attack. This is so, because infiltration the surest way of collecting live information on terrorist plans into terrorist groups comprising motivated and fanatical individuals is next to impossible. Also, terrorists are so technical-savvy these days that they are adroit in using technology for communicating among themselves and executing attacks, taking care at the same time that their plans are not compromised by careless use of unprotected channels of communication. The focus at the Chandigarh seminar was Pakistan, especially the question, how to blunt the edge of those whom that country protects and unleashes on its neighbour. One of the suggestions was that India should take the war right into Pakistan. If it means that India should use drones the way U.S does, it is dangerous, and has far-reaching implications. The U.S. can get away with such a strategy, but not India, because of

the immense harm it would cause to innocent civilian population and the risk of retaliation from an unscrupulous enemy and also of alienating international opinion. The seminar participant who made the suggestion perhaps believed that desperate situations called for desperate remedies! Negotiation Some others were bitter that India, despite all the evidence of chicanery on the part of Pakistan, continued to engage the latter in negotiations. This criticism, again, is open to question because these are days of transparency, and international reputations are built on a nation's willingness to talk even with adversaries and explore ways of preserving peace. Israeli-Palestinian dialogue is an example, albeit held under the U.S. auspices, that can hardly be ignored. New Delhi may not entertain Washington as an intermediary. But it can definitely keep talking to Islamabad, without giving up the right to retaliate whenever required. Simultaneously, there is need to keep improving the mechanisms to counter the terrorist activities of the LeT genre. There is no alternative to intelligent investment on security infrastructure. Most fundamental however is to carry civil society along in these efforts, mainly through imaginative sensitisation of citizens on what they can do in terms of making our public places more secure than they are now. In other words, security should become an obsession with them. Printer friendly page Send this article to Friends by E-Mail PAMPA, THE THIRD longest river of Kerala, is the holy river of Sabarimala, and the State owes its granary, Kuttanad, to it. As in the case of many other rivers in the country, Pampa too is polluted, particularly up to Kuttanad. This and the indiscriminate sand mining going on in the river basin have been a matter of serious concern for the environmentalists.

This book is a compilation of the writings of Sukumaran Nair, the founder-secretary of the Pampa Parirakshana Samithy, a nongovernmental organisation dedicated to the protection of the river, on the basis of an environmental study. The author, who is also the Executive Director of the Environment Resources Centre, explains how reckless overexploitation of the river has ruined the entire ecosystem of the region. He wants the pampa action plan to be implemented on a warfooting inasmuch as the river serves as the water source for the millions of pilgrims visiting Sabarimala from across the country. The restoration will also benefit the areas downstream. This well-researched, authentic study of the state of the Pampa and what needs to be done to clean it up will be found useful by scholars and laymen alike. Printer friendly page KA: By Roberto Calasso; Translated by K. B. Prasannakumar, DC Books, DC Kizhakemuri Edam, Good Shepherd Street, Kottayam 686001. Rs. 175. ITALIAN WRITER Roberto Calasso's Ka' is an unusual work woven out of Indian mythology. Delving deep into the Vedas, the Brahmanas, and other ancient literature, he picks out stories that cover a wide range of subjects from the creation of the universe to the passing of the Buddha and puts them together to create a fascinating piece of literary architecture. Calasso's works defy classification. Although billed as a novel, Ka' is really a mythological reconstruct. This is the third of a fivevolume series, which he conceived as something which doesn't belong to any genre. The two earlier volumes were built around the French Revolution and Greek mythology. The later ones deal with the lives of Venetian painter Tiepolo and French writer Baudelaire.

Prajapati, Siva, Krishna, and the Buddha figure as major characters in Ka', with an array of lesser ones like Garuda, Kasyapa, Kunti, and Durvasa in tow. The tales retold in the 15 chapters of the book offer nothing new to Indian readers, but Calasso's simple, direct style of story-telling is sure to hold their attention. Some Indian critics have found fault with him for following the path struck by early European Indologists, but his erudition, which is in evidence in the over 200 quotes given from various works, and his deep understanding of ancient Indian thought are beyond question. Maybe, this unusual work can also help us understand how scribes of yore created our epics out of the myths and folk-tales current in the subcontinent. Printer friendly page BHARATHA PARYATANAM: Kuttikrishna Marar; Pub. by Marar Sahithyaprakasam, Kallai, Kozhikode-673003. Rs. 125. THIS IS a critical study of the Mahabharata and all the 18 pieces in the book are significant expositions of the main events in the epic. Each event is narrated and the characters are analysed from the point of view of an enlightened scholar. The narration and commentary delve deep into the contextual situations. The roles of some of the characters, perceived as evil or godly, are looked at from a new, somewhat unorthodox, angle. The erudition of Kuttikrishna Marar stands out in the way he interprets the Sanskrit text. But the language, idiom and style he employs are simple. Through contextual annotation of the stanzas, Marar elaborates on how silence or inaction proved eventful. He faults Yudhishtira, the eldest of the Pandavas, for remaining silent and not intervening when Draupadi was dragged to the royal court and humiliated. In support of his contention, the author not only cites Bhishmacharya's observation from the text but also points out that Mahatma Gandhi, an apostle of non-violence, did approve of

violence in extraordinary circumstances. The greatness of Karna is brought out effectively and with a poignant touch. Online edition of India's National Newspaper Tuesday, Mar 16, 2010

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Needed: farm sector reforms S. MAHENDRA DEV Shift priorities & strategies to propel Indian agriculture to higher growth trajectory

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AGRICULTURAL GROWTH IN INDIA - Role of Technology, Incentives and Institutions: A. Vaidyanathan; Oxford University Press, YMCA Library Building, Jai Singh Road, New Delhi110001. Rs. 675. There have been concerns about the growth, equity, and sustainability of Indian agriculture in the last few decades, particularly in the post-reform period. The annual growth of agriculture in the long term has been around 2.5 per cent. The business-as-usual approach will not help. Significant reforms in the agricultural sector are needed to accelerate growth and achieve equity. In this context, this book, a collection of essays by A. Vaidyanathan, is timely. A leading agricultural economist of the country, he has written extensively on various aspects of Indian farming.

As Vaidyanathan says, there have been serious gaps in an analytical understanding of agricultural growth and its determinants. In an attempt to correct this lacuna, this book examines the trends of agricultural growth in India and provides an in-depth analysis of the role of technology, incentives, and institutions in facilitating this growth. The discussion on technology also covers irrigation and fertilizers, while the one on incentives includes price policy and input subsidies. The chapter on institutions deals with agrarian structure, land and water management, research, infrastructure, marketing, and credit. Apart from highlighting the deficiencies in all these areas, the author discusses what lies in prospect for Indian agriculture. Hardly affected Vaidyanathan, who is critical of government policies, says: There was hardly any change in the strategy for agriculture. It was hardly affected by the reforms. Policies continued as before to focus on large investments in irrigation and other infrastructure, and special programmes to increase rural employment. In the concluding chapter, easily the best of the lot, Vaidyanathan discusses the prospects of reversing the recent decline in agricultural growth and sounds a note of caution against assessing the growth prospects in the light of the slowing down in domestic demand and the risks of trade liberalisation. He argues that the current perceptions about inadequacy of investments as the main reason for low

growth and its apparent slowdown are quite misplaced. But many agricultural economists in India may not agree with this line of argument. For example, the Steering Group for the 11th Plan contends that public investment is one of the major sources of agricultural growth. As the author says, non-price factors are more important for boosting agricultural growth. However, going by the interaction the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices had with representatives of the State governments and agriculturists as part of mid-term evaluation of 11th Plan it would appear that farmers have responded to higher minimum support prices with higher yields in rice and wheat. In fact, the high growth rate during the period 2003-04 to 2007-08 was associated with improvements in terms of trade for agriculture. That could be a coincidence, but it warrants a deeper study and analysis. Role of public sector Vaidyanathan rightly lays stress on the important role public sector plays in agricultural research. It is known that private sector confines its research to developing varieties that will fetch profits. Therefore, it is necessary to revamp public sector research. He is critical of the 11th Plan targets for expansion of irrigation. On this, he says that in the case of irrigation, the focus has been, and remains, almost exclusively on investment for expansion of area with little attention given to ensuring efficient, prudent,

and sustainable water. One cannot but agree with Vaidyanathan's argument for improvement in the over-all efficiency of investments. He attributes the poor quality of public investments and services to several factors. They are: too much centralisation, although agriculture is a State subject, leaving little scope for adapting to local conditions; laxity in the preparation, scrutiny, and approval of projects, in monitoring the use of funds, and in adhering to the estimated cost and time-schedule by States; indiscriminate subsidies to inputs, much to the detriment of their efficient production, distribution and sustainable use; pervasive interference in the constitution and functioning of public sector organisations by those in power leading to manipulation and outright corruption; and the absence of effective and transparent performance audit mechanism to ensure public accountability. According to the author, unless there is a significant shift in strategies and priorities, and major reforms are undertaken to correct the above-mentioned institutional deficiencies, agriculture cannot be propelled to a higher growth trajectory that also ensures widely diffused growth of incomes and employment. The courage of his conviction comes across when he puts forth his case for these reformist measures. At one place, he says that social scientists recognise the adverse effects of subsidies but do not raise a strong voice for a radical change on the ground that a change is politically unfeasible.

This comprehensive, lucid, and masterly analysis is a must read for all those interested in Indian agriculture and inclusive growth. In the preface, there is a suggestion by Vaidyanathan that he was putting together his work on agriculture in this volume before calling it a day. I hope he would not call it a day and thereby deprive the benefit of his writings to all the stakeholders in agriculture. Printer friendly page Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

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A bollywood story K. KUNHIKRISHNAN

BOLLYWOOD: Translation of Sashi Tharoor's novel, Show Business; Translator S. Remya, Published by DC Books, Kottayam-686 001; Price Rs. 175. THIS IS the story of a superstar, Ashok Banjara, and of the illusory world of images and sound. The chapters are in six takes' to use the jargon of the tinsel world and the narration takes the form of scripts spoken by different actors and is interspersed with lyrics. The lives, on-screen and off-screen, get intermingled and the result is a potpourri of commercialism, politics, emotions, sentiments, betrayals, jealousies, et al. A full paragraph is devoted to the state of contemporary politics corruption, contempt for law, intimidation of opponents, use of hirelings, and so on. There is also a clinching observation: it is no wonder that the actors follow the rulers (politicians)' The super star, son of a principled politician (a junior Minister), uses his father's name to grab roles in films and finally manages even to take his seat in Parliament, but is compelled to resign following allegations of tax evasion. Nemesis ultimately catches up with the star who uses every one else to climb the ladder only to let them down without any compunction.The research-based reflection on greed, deception, immorality, contempt, and decadence of ethical values in the Bollywood glamour world does not, however, transcend superficiality. RANDAM YAMANGALUDE KADHA: Translation of Salmas Novel by Attoor Ravivarma; DC Books, DC Kizhakemuri Edam, Good Shepherd Street, Kottayam-686001. Rs. 175. SALMA WRITES about women who bear the primary responsibility of carrying forward traditional values but find it difficult to reconcile themselves to the norms set by society. In a declaration that sounds like her literary manifesto, she says: I shall not write one word to suit anyones convenience; nor shall I cause inconvenience to anyone.

This work is a translation of her first novel Irandaam Jaamangalin Kathai, which appeared in 2005, and Attoor Ravivarma has taken great pains to ensure that the Malayalam version retained the flavour of the original in Tamil. The novel reveals a hidebound society characterised by intense religiosity and irrational restrictions. The story is presented from the perspective of a few women characters, chiefly Rabia, a young and inquisitive girl whose innocence lends a rare charm to the narrative. Writing with infinite compassion, Salma makes a powerful plea for a morality that liberates, not suppresses, woman. As M. N. Karasseri points out in the introduction, the Malayalam version of her novel has contemporary relevance. Printer friendly page Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

BHARATHAKESARI MANNATHU PADMANABHAN: by N. Sumathykutty Amma; Edited by P. Balashankar Mannathu; Poornna Printing & Publishing House, Muttappalam, Varkala. Rs. 300. THIS BIOGRAPHY of Mannathu Padmanabhan (1878-1970), written by his grand-daughter, stands out for its comprehensiveness and authenticity, and for the insights it provides into the life of a leader who was known for his simplicity, austerity, and selflessness. A towering personality in Kerala politics and campaign for social reforms during his life-time, Padmanabhan was a co-founder of the Nair Service Society and the uplift of the decadent Nair community was his mission in life. By his dedication and unrelenting effort to the development of the NSS, Padmanabhan demonstrated to the world that one could, if

determined, build up a mass movement from a scratch. His formal education was limited to the school level, but his tools of achievement were worldly wisdom, grit, and oratorical skills. Much of the credit for the growth of the NSS, which emerged as one of the most powerful social entities, with a well-defined corporate structure and a large number of educational institutions under its management, is assigned to him and his commitment to the Societys cause. Yet, it is his leadership role in the liberation struggle to oust the Communist government that made Mannathu Padmanabhan a leader of the masses. His inspiring life story is well narrated. Biography of a crusader K. K. GOPALAKRISHNAN A. K. GOPALAN: Biography by Payyannur Kunhiraman; Pub. by Kerala State Institute of Children's Literature, Sanskrit College Campus, Thiruvananthapuram. Rs. 30. THIS IS the fourth in the series that aims at introducing legendary personalities of Kerala to children. For the people of Kerala, the name A.K. Gopalan or AKG' (1904-1977) is synonymous with the independence struggle as also the communist movement. Although born in an aristocratic Nambiar family of the erstwhile North Malabar, AKG echoed the feelings of the less fortunate and fought for them. His very first protest was against his own maternal uncle who administered the family assets under the matriarchal system. AKG nourished the fire of protest' throughout his life for the betterment of the labour class and other exploited sections. Often hailed as the true commandant of the oppressed', he truly practised the ideology he preached. The author gives an authentic account of his personality. Giving up his profession of teaching, AKG plunged into the struggle for independence by participating in the salt agitation of

the 1930 that landed him in jail. Later he joined the Congress Socialist Party and, over time, became a strong advocate of communist ideology. Post-Independence, AKG was arrested and jailed for his leftist views and protests. He breathed his last on March 21, 1977, soon after the withdrawal of national emergency. The lucidity of Payyannur Kunhiraman's narrative, in sketching AKG's biography in 13 small chapters, should appeal not just to children but adults as well. Printer friendly page LADY CHATTERLIYUDE KAMUKAN: D. H. Lawrence, Translated by K. P. Balachandran, Green Books, Little Road, Ayyanthole, Thrissur-680003. Rs. 170. BANNED IN England and the United States when first published in 1928, Lady Chatterley's Lover, which the author, D.H. Lawrence, himself once described as the most improper novel in the world, has now gained legitimacy, thanks to changes in the social mores as well as notions of obscenity. The main characters are a nobleman, his wife and a gamekeeper caught in a destiny they cannot control. At a primary level, the story is that of a set of people alienated from life. The explicit treatment of sex Lawrence defended it saying I want men and women to be able to think sex fully, completely, honestly and cleanly somewhat clouds a true appreciation of the novel's basic theme it has to do with the way the powerful forces in society work and how the hapless individuals respond to them. At a deeper level, it is a story of people seeking to rebuild their lives amid the ruins of a devastating war. In Nobel Prize-winning novelist Doris Lessing's view, this is one of the most powerful anti-war novels ever written.

Balachandran's translation makes smooth reading. However, the reader is likely to miss some aspects of the novel for want of a proper understanding of the context in which it is set. Printer friendly page MALGUDI DINANGAL Translation of R.K.Narayans Malgudi Days: Translated by Roy Kuruvila; DC Books, DC Kizhakemuri Edam, Good Shepherd Street, Kottayam-686001. Rs. 140. R. K. NARAYAN AND his masterpiece Malgudi Days are famous not only in India but the entire world. This book is a translation of that anthology of 32 stories made up of selections from his An Astrologers Day and Lawley Road and some new stories. They bring to life ordinary people of Malgudi (the fictional world of Narayan) in an interesting, humorous, and simple style. Although the people whose tales are unfolded in the stories were ordinary, most of the central characters get into crisis or bizarre situations that are quite extraordinary. Eventually, of course, they learn to live with them or manage to pull themselves out in their own ways, but not, every time, the way the reader expects them to do. Contradictions in human behaviour as depicted in stories such as Vaiki Ethiya Vaartha (The missing mail), Leelayude Changathi (Leelas friend), and Selvi; confrontation with the self as well as other fellow beings as in Joolcian (An astrologers day); and second opinion, even with a dog as in Anthan Naaya (The blind dog) or with a snake as in Nagan (Naga) these are among his favourite themes. Punnagavaraali (The snake song) is an exceptional story, which is woven with a mystical thread. In the last story Emden, the life story of a man in his nineties, who yearns for one of his old mistresses, a dancer, and tries to meet her secretly with gifts is presented interestingly. It is to the credit of Roy Kurivila that he has been successful in translating the salient features of the fluent style of the original.

Printer friendly page THIS NOVEL has a historical background, but is not a chronological document. It is rather a family lore, with an interesting mix of fiction, autobiography and history. Authored by an uncle-nephew duo, the book seems to be the brainchild of Omer. The narration of a mid-night raid on a house in Chembukkavu, Thamarakkadu, by the police who were on a hunt for traitors and terrorists, is as exhaustive as it is agonising. The raiding squad had an Inspector (an Englishman) and eight or nine constables. Despite being told that the menfolk were away on business, the men in uniform insist on going ahead with the search, only to draw a blank, at the end of it all. They leave empty-handed but not before sounding a warning to the inmates: If ever we get at them, they wouldn't be alive. Much of the storyline sounds so familiar that the reader is bound to get nostalgic about his own experience. Mithondi, Enukutty and Abdu exist not somewhere in Thamarappuram, but very much in one's own neighbourhood. It has elements of a travelogue as well as of a historical novel, and this makes reading a breathtaking journey of sorts. The use of native dialect adds to its home-grown feel. AZHEEKODINTE AATMAKATHA: Sukumar Azheekode; DC Books, DC Kizhakemuri Edam, Good Shepherd Street, Kottayam686001. Rs.125. AN ORATOR and thinker par excellence, literary legend, and social critic, Sukumar Azheekode is a multifaceted icon in Kerala. He is a celebrated teacher and distinguished philosopher and scholar in Sanskrit, English and Malayalam. He has been constantly critiquing the social, cultural and political developments and laying stress on the Gandhian principle of probity in public life.

His autobiography starts with an account of his meeting the apostle of nonviolence in Wardha. The other person who moulded his thoughts is Vaaghbhatananda, whose life and speeches inspired Azheekode to take to the study of Vedas and Upanishads, the outcome of which was Tattvamasi, a masterpiece that brought him laurels more than any of his other works. In this biographical account, Azheekode gives a reverential, affectionate and vivid recollection of the teachers and speaks of the influence of his parents and siblings. And he recalls the sacrifice his elder brother made so that he could pursue higher studies. His association with Calicut, during his days as a teacher and a trainee, lingers all through. His achievements in the literary field and the defeat he met with in the elections are detailed with commendable detachment. ABHINIVESATHINTE THADAVARA: Translation of Shobha D's Strange Obsession by Kabani C; DC Books, DC Kizhakemuri Edam, Good Shepherd Street, Kottayam-686001. Rs. 125. THIS NOVEL is about a beautiful girl from Delhi who is bent upon making a career in advertising and whose strange companionship struck through an accidental fall on the roadside develops into a weird relationship. Amrita Aggarwal, pretty daughter of a well-to-do couple, is dead set to conquer the pinnacles of modelling world, and she arrives in Mumbai in pursuit of her ambition. She falls into the vicious grip of a minx, daughter of an Inspector General of Police and a sadist. Amrita is physically and sexually abused and tortured; wherever she goes the minx follows her, including to her parents' home in Delhi. The story has many bizarre and inexplicable twists. The pulp fiction has to have a happy culmination in the form of marriage, with a dash of gunfights, kidnapping, and escape thrown in. As the saying goes, All's well that ends well. In between, the chapters are filled with

stories of the rags-to-riches variety and from the underworld of modelling. The novel is well-translated. That the writer had been a model herself lends credibility to the storyline which speaks of all the jealousies, conspiracies, and intrigues that are associated with the modelling world. Infested as it is with such traps and pitfalls, the glittering world of fashion is not easy for a novice to traverse and realise her ambition. The novel however has little literary merit and it is unlikely to strike a chord with a sensitive reader. Printer friendly page MY LIFE WITH THE TALIBAN: by Abdul Salam Zaeef; Translated by Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn; Hachette India, 612/614, Time Tower, MG Road, Sector 28, Gurgaon-122001. Rs. 495. After Ahmed Rashid's definitive book on the Taliban, there have been few studied accounts of the movement that has managed to keep the U.S. military tied down in Afghanistan for a full nine years. But the war has ensured that, in the decade or so since the publication of Rashid's book, the world has come to know much more about this phenomenon called Taliban. To this knowledge, a gripping insider account of how the movement emerged, took power in Afghanistan, and ruled until the U.S. mounted attacks after 9/11 adds an unmatched perspective. Abdul Salam Zaeef aka Mullah Zaeef, author of this fascinating memoir a Mujahid who fought the Soviets in the first Afghan war was an important player in the Taliban, right from its early days up to the time its regime was swept away by the American attack on Afghanistan. Zaeef's narrative is often self-serving which autobiography is not? But it gives an insight into the internal dynamics of the movement, especially in the days immediately before and after 9/11.

Face of the Taliban In those tumultuous days, Zaeef was the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan, emerging as the face of the Taliban. Pakistan was one of the three countries that recognised the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the other two being Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Zaeef speaks of the pressures that were building up on the Taliban-run Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan specifically on him from the U.S. and Pakistan, in the months before the Twin Tower attacks: how the Americans wanted the Islamic Emirate to hand over Osama bin Laden, and the Taliban's response to this demand; how the U.S. diplomats and the ISI repeatedly met him to say that Osama was planning a big attack on American soil from Afghanistan, and warn of U.S. retaliation; and how, when 9/11 happened, Mullah Omar, the one-eyed Taliban leader, believed there was less than a 10 per cent chance that the U.S. would attack Afghanistan. A fierce Mullah Omar loyalist, Zaeef pours water on current efforts to separate moderate Taliban from hardliners and says trying to make such distinctions is useless and reckless. Even back then, he writes, days after the war in Afghanistan started, the ISI approached him with the proposal that he should assist in separating the fundamentalists from the moderates. He was encouraged to rebel against Mullah Omar and take up the leadership of the moderate Taliban. But he knew the real intention behind this plan was to split and weaken the Taliban. He writes that the same intentions inform the present efforts. [The Obama administration and President Hamid Karzai] think that the Taliban exist for the sake of money or power, [and] so logically it would seem that they can be destroyed with money and power, [but] in reality, the Taliban movement is one based on Islamic ideology, struggling for holy jihad under the principle of itta'at or obedience, and samar or listening, as well as that of dialogue. Afghanistan has never been subjugated by invaders, he asserts.

Zaeef, who leads a quiet life in Kabul after his release from Guantanamo, is not optimistic about peace returning to Afghansitan. He is emphatic that a solution can be found only through Islam. The only way to find a solution is to respect Islamic values The political vacuum that has ensnared our nation must be filled. Islam can guide us. He is bitter that Pakistan turned him over to the Americans, despite his having diplomatic accreditation. There is a graphic description about the time he spent in Guantanamo as Prisoner 306. He is also angry about the ISI's, and more generally Pakistan's, efforts to control the Taliban government. Evidently, he seems to have conveniently forgotten how the ISI had helped the movement, financially and in every other way, to get to Kabul. He accuses Pakistan of spoiling the Taliban's relations with the U.S., and says, that while in Islamabad, he tried to get across the message that diplomats of Western countries should meet directly with him instead of approaching the Pakistan Foreign Ministry to set up appointments. Humour Zaeef says the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas was unnecessary and a case of bad timing. Even in those tiresome times, he showed a sense of humour, something not usually associated with the Taliban. When the Japanese Ambassador in Islamabad met him about saving the Buddhas, he told Zaeef that Afghans had been the founding fathers of Buddhism and that the Japanese were only following in their footsteps. As such, he pleaded that the Afghans must do everything to preserve Buddhist monuments. Zaeef says he told the envoy, half-joking, that it was interesting to hear that Afghans were considered the founding fathers of Buddhism and, now that they had seen the light of Islam, perhaps the Japanese should consider following their lead once again.

The book, originally written in Pashto, was translated by a multimember team, and painstakingly edited by Kandahar-based Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn, who are the founders of AfghanWire, an agency dedicated to raising awareness of Afghan issues and opinions that are ignored by the international media. The detailed notes provided to each chapter fill the gaps in Zaeef's narrative. For anyone with even half an interest in Afghanistan, this book is a must read. Printer friendly page PENNAKANGAL: Sethu; DC Books, DC Kizhakemuri Edam, Good Shepherd Street, Kottayam-686001. Rs. 195. NARRATIVES PORTRAYING six women characters of earlier novels spanning more than three decades are recreated in this book. No two characters are alike. They have different moorings and come from different social strata, though some aspects are universal. There is Kadambari, an orphan whose adopted parents want to make her a doctor; she leaves home and takes to selling flowers. Then there is Catherine, an extra' artiste in films who, cheated by her lover, turns into a sex worker, and eventually finds mental solace and fulfilment in Bhakti. A management expert, whose sexual relationship with a stranger, turns her daughter hostile; and a specialist doctor, but somewhat eccentric, goes to Germany looking for her lover and dies there, and her friends try to make her dreams come true. One could discern some common elements in their lives and attitudes frustration and dissatisfaction in family life; fantasies and unrealised dreams that haunt them; contempt for males; and above all yearning for love and understanding. Characterisation is powerful, and the protagonists are products of a complex web of factors that go into the shaping of their outlook. The novelist has provided commendable insight and sustained the same standard in craft and technique. It is notable that the male characters fade into oblivion as he makes it abundantly clear that he is more sympathetic to the females than all feminist writers.

Printer friendly page MUMBAI POLITICAL ECONOMY OF CRIME AND SPACE; By Abdul Shaban; Published by Orient BlackSwan Pvt. Ltd, 3-6-752, Himayatnagar, Hyderabad-500002. Price not mentioned. In this book, Abdul Shaban uses statistics related to crime and its relationship with the spatial distribution of communities to comprehend and better appreciate the socio-economic disparities prevailing in Mumbai. In the process, he places crime in a sociological perspective and discusses why people in the lower socio-economic strata are more prone to it. There are urban centres that serve, on the one hand, as the engines of economic growth and, on the other, as places where much of the deviance and crime are learned. Loose social control, anonymity, indifference, and lack of social support systems contribute to criminalising individuals and creating deviants, he concludes. Shaban, who presents a detailed and graphic analysis of the crime scenario with supportive tables and maps, links crime to the economic upsurge in the city and to the marginalisation of communities such as Muslims. The incidence of crime is seen to have a direct correlation with such factors as congestion and lack of schools, playgrounds, etc. He lists the hot spots where the underworld dons have emerged and risen to command fear and clout for instance, Temkar Mohalla in south Mumbai, Mahim, Matunga, and Bandra. As for the nature of crimes, the trends show a distinct variation. Homicides and crimes against women have risen, with women becoming more vulnerable to violent attacks. Economic crimes do not show any marked fluctuation, while motor vehicle thefts have increased sharply. Shaban sees a nexus between the changing crime graph and the growth of neo-liberalism, which he argues divides and excludes people on the basis of socio-economic status. Apart from intensifying economic disparities, it instils a sense of fear in the weaker sections that their limited resources

would be usurped by the rich and the dominant and creates economic and cultural anxieties. Nothing could be more true for Mumbai. He goes on to point out that communal/ethnic polarisation and increasing social inequality pose a big challenge to governance. Zero-tolerance' While examining the methods adopted to contain crimes, the author speaks of muscular policing' and zero- tolerance' approach as the two that have yielded results. The police crackdown on the underworld elements following the 1993 serial blasts and the encounter killings led to the decimation of criminal gangs. But the zero-tolerance' policy has had adverse repercussions for the poor and weaker sections. Increased unemployment due to the closure of mills and organised violence in the name of religion, caste, and class combined to cause the ghettoisation of Muslims, who were denied several basic rights. Poverty, informality and social exclusion have become inescapable urban phenomena for them. About 60 per cent of the city's population lives in slums and shanties and these settlements occupy hardly seven per cent of the city's 437.71 sq km area. That the living conditions in these habitations are subhuman has been acknowledged in the city's development plan. It is by no means surprising, says Shaban, that most underworld dons of the city have originated from these areas and sections of populations. Sustainable and safe city societies, he argues, can emerge only from a situation where economic growth is accompanied by equitable distribution of resources, income, and employment. This seems to be a far-away dream for Mumbai, what with its proliferating ghettoes and slums, on the one side, and the multiplexes and posh bungalows and high-rise residential complexes for the middle and upper middle class families, on the other, presenting a striking contrast.

Forget the graphs, the tables, the figures, and the calculations that fascinate the experts, the book has enough material to sustain the interest of even a lay leader who wants to know and understand what is happening in Mumbai today as the city veers towards a neoliberal Shanghai avatar. The message that comes out loud and clear is this: unless these disparities are addressed seriously and corrected, deviance and criminality are bound to hold sway over the disadvantaged sections. Printer friendly page K. K. GOPALAKRISHNAN ISLAMUM STHREEKALUM: By K. M. Venugopalan; Olive Publications (P) Ltd., East Nadakkavu, Kozhikode-673011. Rs. 180. THE TREATMENT of women in Islam and the interpretation of Islamic laws applicable to women are always matters of interest and debate for both feminists and human right activists. Fatema Mernissi's The Veil and the Male Elite, which offers a feminist interpretation of women's rights in Islam, is at once informative and thought-provoking. And the book under review is a translation of her work. In her book, an outcome of deep research into Islamic ideologies, Mernissi sagaciously addresses some of the basic issues related, for example, to the belief among the fundamentalist elements that Islam and democracy cannot go together and the tendency of Islam to resist change. Based on her research findings and systematic analysis, she argues with remarkable clarity and conviction that such regressive theories and trends are attributable to those elements in Islamic clergy that have a vested interest in exercising dominance over the community. In the chapter on Prophet and Women, she effectively silences the fundamentalists.

The book, which interrogates and exposes the crooked efforts of the Islamic clergy to exploit the ignorance of the ordinary people and mislead them in the name of faith, is a must read for activists and for Muslim women. Its reach has been widened, thanks to the translation by Venugopalan It is an axiom of the prevailing security discourse that the definition and related policy interpretation of the elements that constitute national security have to be inclusive and comprehensive. The Chanakyan formulation of the Mauryan period (circa 350 BC) emphasised an equitable approach to the production and distribution of the different elements of national security so that the sustained well-being (yogakshema') of the people was ensured. This book, a compilation of as many as 20 essays and articles by some of the better known names in the field, tackles the theme of comprehensive security with admirable sincerity. In a magisterial overview of the challenges before India, K. Subrahmanyam, the doyen of security studies in the country, offers a compelling summary of the past and spells out the opportunities that beckon the nation, if it is able to strategise appropriately and act collectively. Anamolies Some empirical facts are irrefutable and, in a lucid summation of the challenges, Kapil Kak, who has edited the volume, draws pointed attention to the contradictions and anomalies punctuating the world's largest democracy. As the most recent IMF projections indicate, India's GDP will grow at more than 9 per cent this year and this indeed is creditable, given the turbulence and downturn associated with other major economies. But the distribution of India's wealth and prosperity remains skewed and very inequitable, and the contrast is striking. As Kak points out, Jawaharlal Nehru invoked the imperative of ensuring true yogakshema' as far back as December 1928 in

Pune where he observed: We shall have real security and stability only when it has come to signify the well-being of the vast majority of the people, if not all, and not of small groups only. National security To its eternal shame, 82 years later the successive governing dispensations of free India have not been able to realise the Gandhi-Nehru dream of wiping every tear' if anything, the number of the tearful has increased manifold. The book quotes Bimal Jalan to highlight this reality. He notes: The total value of the assets of the country's five billionaires equalled those of the bottom 300 million people. The volume covers the entire spectrum of national security from the politico-military domain, including the core values and principles such as democracy and non-alignment to nuclear weapons and defence modernisation of the three armed forces, the so-called traditional sinews of national security. While the internal security challenge gets adequate attention, the non-traditional issues such as energy, food, water and climate change also find mention, which is praiseworthy. The enlightening debate on the linkages between these strands will be of benefit to the interested reader. Among the innovative additions are: an informed discussion on globalisation and economic growth (Arvind Virmani); the correlation between economics and strategic relations (Sanjaya Baru); and the salience of information in the realisation of comprehensive security (Wajahat Habibullah). India's security challenges are many and terribly tangled. The civil-military relationship is both limited and brittle. Eminently desirable reforms mooted in the wake of the Kargil War remain elusive; structural problems persist; and, over the last decade, the izzat'(honour) of the military as an institution has been sullied. Evidently, a single volume cannot do justice to all the relevant issues. Kak has done a commendable job in putting together the views of experts in various domains. The final results, however,

are uneven, with some contributors opting for a long piece and some others culling out material from earlier publications. Radical changes India's reactive security culture needs radical systemic changes, and this can come about only if the elected representative gives national security the kind of attention it deserves. The manner in which the defence budget is debated and voted in Parliament year after year is illustrative of the indifference of the Indian political class. As Subrahmanyam points out, while India has the attributes and the wherewithal to take its rightful place in the global comity in the 21st century, the constraints should not be ignored. Institutional integrity and rectitude must be restored across the board, and only then can India realise comprehensive security that is both equitable and sustainable for its teeming and far-from-secure millions. Printer friendly page Send this article to Friends by E-Mail