Dreams, shadows and time
♦ WHY INDIA NEEDS THE PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM (HarperCollins, Rs 550) by Bhanu Dhamija is a commentary on Indian politics. B.R. Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi and a host of other leaders had strongly opposed the idea of adopting the British parliamentary system of governance for India. Dhamija cites the reason behind such an opposition. The author rightly argues that because of its diversity and size, India needs a federal set-up. The centralized unitary control, which the parliamentary system offers, has failed. Dhamija notes the benefits of the presidential system. When politicians fail, a strong executive authority - like the president - is needed to lead the country during the darkest hours. The author provides interesting snippets from history. In 1953, when parliamentarians had raised doubts about the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha, Ambedkar had famously said, "I shall be the first person to burn it out. I do not want it. It does not suit anybody..."
♦ IN OTHER WORDS (HarperCollins, Rs 399) by Javed Akhtar is a collection of some of his best-known poems, which are translated from Urdu by David Matthews and Ali Husain Mir. Defying the conventional labels of "revolutionary" or "romantic", the poems paint a picture of a mind that is intrigued by the world around. They emerge from some deep crevice in Akhtar's soul. The poet wonders, "What is time?/ What is this thing that goes on without pause?/ If it did not pass/ Then where could it have been?" The book disappoints on one count. The profundity of some of the poems has been lost in translation.
♦ BHIMA: THE MAN IN THE SHADOWS (Westland, Rs 350) by Vikas Singh is a fascinating account of the life of Bhima. In spite of possessing amazing strength, fierce loyalty and great tenderness, the second Pandava had always been eclipsed by his brothers, Yudhistira and Arjun. By depicting Bhima's obsessive love for Draupadi, his deeply conflicted emotions regarding Arjun, the author shows how even heroes are not infallible. The Mahabharat has a rich array of characters. They make the epic tale one of the greatest stories ever told. The author tries to narrate a more modern and scientific version of the epic by introducing scientists, technologists and sociologist. This helps him make the events of the epic seem more earthly than divine.
Dubbed as the "Destroyer of the Kauravas", Bhima reflects on his role. The guilt of slaying his kin and wiping out a generation of his brethren - all for the love of one woman, who did not love him back - may be thought of as the reason behind his volatility. Singh retells parts of the Mahabharat through the eyes of the hero who was never given his due credit. The book is interesting to read.
♦ MEN AND DREAMS IN THE DHAULADHAR (Niyogi, Rs 395) by Kochery C. Shibu is the author's debut novel. It contain a host of characters, who have all assembled at a hydropower plant construction site in a remote hill in Himachal Pradesh. The first few chapters in the book present each of the characters and explain their past lives. Although the book is a work of fiction, Shibu narrates the life of each character convincingly. The main characters, Nanda, an engineer from Kerala, Khusru, a Kashmiri migrant working as a labourer at the dam, and Rekha, the wife of Khusru and a doctor by profession, find their ways in life through numerous twists and turns. There are too many characters in the book - which may end up confusing the readers. The book is an average read. The author includes too much technical jargon to describe how dams are made. Although Shibu tries his best to explain the process, this part of the story may bore readers.
