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Beautiful Country Stories from another India
Beautiful Country is a journey towards understanding India. From the rarefied world of the Jalpaiguri tea estates to the crowded bylanes of Varanasi, from the pristine forests of Andamans to the seething valley of Manipur, from the scattered habitations of Ladakh to the flooded villages of Barmer - these are the roads less travelled. A woman and a girl set out to see India, lugging along the baggage of their pasts. On the way, they Maimunisa, the ancillary weaver from Banaras who has only been able to feed her three-year-old son sabudane ka paani (tapioca water); young doctors from AIIMS who have left behind hefty pay packages and the comfort of city life to provide health care to tribals in the hinterlands of Chhattisgarh; village women who have been able to significantly reduce the number of infant deaths in the tribal peripheries of Maharashtra. The duo chance upon the story of Bon Bibi and Shah Jangolee in the swamps of the Sundarbans, as also the natural, historical and cultural wonders that dot the Indian landscape.This book compels you to experience the hope and despair, misery and triumph, failures and innovations of real India an India that remains invisible to most Indians and does not make it to the front pages of newspapers, and has not been captured by the roving cameras of the 24x7 media channels
- GenresIndiaNonfictionWomens
365 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 3, 2013
The review I wrote for Public Policy IIM-A's blog can be found here: http://wp.me/s2CPxB-131
“Beautiful Country...” is an account of their five year tour (2004-09) across India. It captures the India that doesn’t find its way to the front page news, the India which is full of despair and hope in equal measures; a nation which seems to be ever changing and stagnant at the same time.
“Beautiful Country...” is an account of their five year tour (2004-09) across India. It captures the India that doesn’t find its way to the front page news, the India which is full of despair and hope in equal measures; a nation which seems to be ever changing and stagnant at the same time.
March 23, 2020
Beautiful Country Stories from another India is a book which gives readers an insight into the lives of many Indians whose lives are not represented adequately by the mainstream media.
While reading this book, I learnt a lot about the people belonging to north-east India, whose issues are rarely represented by the national media, which in turn has resulted in them believing that they are not (emotionally) considered a part of India by mainland Indians.
The book talks about the indigenous tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and how their traditions are slowly disappearing due to various issues, including that of illegal migrants. The problems which the tribal women have had to face, ever since the British introduced tobacco and alcohol on the islands, struck me hard.
Along with describing various problems caused due to communal violence, the caste system, poverty, lack of infrastructure, etc. throughout India, the book also points out numerous examples of people working wholeheartedly to solve local issues which plague their respective communities.
This book helped me better understand why policies framed by the administration, even while keeping the best interests of the people in mind, fail to make a significant impact on the ground. This book also helped reaffirm my belief that the solution to all problems faced by human beings in this day and age is 'education'.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the 'other' India and its people, which is a far cry from what we see on television. The book will help you realize the privilege you possess and will make you feel grateful for everything in your life.
While reading this book, I learnt a lot about the people belonging to north-east India, whose issues are rarely represented by the national media, which in turn has resulted in them believing that they are not (emotionally) considered a part of India by mainland Indians.
The book talks about the indigenous tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and how their traditions are slowly disappearing due to various issues, including that of illegal migrants. The problems which the tribal women have had to face, ever since the British introduced tobacco and alcohol on the islands, struck me hard.
Along with describing various problems caused due to communal violence, the caste system, poverty, lack of infrastructure, etc. throughout India, the book also points out numerous examples of people working wholeheartedly to solve local issues which plague their respective communities.
This book helped me better understand why policies framed by the administration, even while keeping the best interests of the people in mind, fail to make a significant impact on the ground. This book also helped reaffirm my belief that the solution to all problems faced by human beings in this day and age is 'education'.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the 'other' India and its people, which is a far cry from what we see on television. The book will help you realize the privilege you possess and will make you feel grateful for everything in your life.
February 11, 2013
I just finished reading "Beautiful Country: Stories from another India". The fairly large book is an output of the travels of two women from the Planning Commission in their quest to understand the efficacy of the centrally sponsored schemes like Mid day meal, National Rural Health Mission, NREGS, etc. Having access to the government wherewithals in the form of state choppers, servile beaurocracy in their travels they have penetrated into remotest corners of the country's fringes; from the Nicobari Islands in the south to Ladhakh and Kashmir in north; from Manipur, Nagaland in the north east to the deserts of Rajasthan in the west. An excellant book for anyone wanting to learn about India.
While reading the chapters, I made some questions. If one just reads these questions, it would suffice to give an overview of this magnificient book. Answers given at the end, in reverse order of the questions
1. The riverine islands, called as chars or chaporis found predominantly in Dibrugarh district of Assam, are formed when the silt in the Brahmaputra gets deposited leading to formation of sandbars which eventually get habited by weeds, grasses, animals and humans. The biggest char in the world, also a UNESCO world heritage site, has another notorious claim to fame. From this island Sanjoy Ghose, a young activist (and brother of noted TV news anchor Sagarika Ghose) was abducted and killed in 1997. Name this island.
2. Which state of India is called the Scotland of the East?
3. Khasi are an ethnic group who inhabit the Khasi and Jaintia hills of Meghalaya. According to Khasi legend, once a Bengali and Khasi were caught in a great flood and had to swim to save themselves. The Bengali tied his bundle of books on his head and started swimming. The Khasi, on the other hand, held his books in his mouth. Suddenly a huge wave swept over them and the Khasi accidentally swallowed his books. This ancient folklore is attributed as a reason to what present day linguistic characteristic of the Khasi?
4. In the remote interior hilly regions of Meghalaya, how do the Khasi measure distances?
5. Shah Jahan had given this town the title Dar-us-suroor (Door of Delight). His beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal was originally buried here before her remains where shifted to Taj Mahal in Agra. Which town?
6. The towns of ____ and Kukshi lie near the Gambhiri river flowing in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. Kukshi used to be a renowned centre for hand printing and that the Gambhiri river was intrinsic to its fame. When the dyers used to wash their cloth in its waters, the copper sulphate in the river gave the cloth its characteristic black and red colors. The exact technique was kept a tight secret. As their fame grew, the neighboring town of ____ called the dyers from Kukshi to train local artisans. However, in an ironic twist of fate, today no one remembers Kukshi. The red and black distinctive print, born in Kukshi, has now become famous all over the world as the ____ print. Fill in the blank.
7. In which part of India would one come across the local deity Bon Bibi or lady of the forest and the man eating half tiger demon Dokkin Rai.
8. As per old Ladhakhi tradition, the first two boys of the family are married to the same woman. The fourth and subsequent boys became makpas, that is, they left their father's home to serve in the home of their wife. What typically used to be the fate of the third born boy in the family?
9. The ___ are an agricultural tribe found mainly in Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. It is believed that the British brought them to West Bengal to work in the tea gardens. Who?
10. This place supposedly gets it name from the local word for olive. Some trace its origin to a Bhutanese term meaning a place where warm clothes are bought and sold. Devout Hindus however believe it is named after Lord Shiva, who is the region’s presiding deity. Which is this place?
11. The 130 km stretch between River Teesta on the west and River Sankosh on the east is more commonly known by what name?
12. The royal game Polo originated in this Indian state, earliest recorded citation is from 1300 AD. Sagol Kangjei as Polo is called locally is played with seven players on each side. Every man who can muster a pony plays, and every boy who cannot, plays on foot. Which state?
13. On 20 Nov 2004, the central government announced that Prime Minister would visit Imphal and return this to the people of Manipur. It is a place of great cultural, historical and emotional significance for the Meitei, local inhabitants of Manipur. For many centuries it was the seat of the Manipuri kings. The locals lost access to this place when the British captured it during the Anglo Manipuri war. After, Independence, it continued to be used by the army and the Assam Rifles. Its return had been a long standing demand of the people. Identify the place?
14. The Indian Air Force Base on Car Nicobar Island is spread over two hundred acres. It is said that when Jawaharlal Nehru visited this island, Edward Kutchal, a tribal leader, donated the land to the government. In return, what did he ask for as compensation?
Answers
14. Nehru's Coat
13. Kangla Fort
12. Manipur
11. Dooars
10. Jalpaiguri in West Bengal. ‘Jolpai’ is olive in Bengali, je-le-pe-go-ri is the Bhutanese term and Jalpesh is Shiva
9. Oraon
8. They are sent to monastery to become a lama
7. Sundarbans
6. Bagh
5. Burhanpur in MP
4. The number of betel nuts or supari chewed during the journey
3. Khasi language has no script, unlike Bengali
2. Meghalaya
1. Majauli
While reading the chapters, I made some questions. If one just reads these questions, it would suffice to give an overview of this magnificient book. Answers given at the end, in reverse order of the questions
1. The riverine islands, called as chars or chaporis found predominantly in Dibrugarh district of Assam, are formed when the silt in the Brahmaputra gets deposited leading to formation of sandbars which eventually get habited by weeds, grasses, animals and humans. The biggest char in the world, also a UNESCO world heritage site, has another notorious claim to fame. From this island Sanjoy Ghose, a young activist (and brother of noted TV news anchor Sagarika Ghose) was abducted and killed in 1997. Name this island.
2. Which state of India is called the Scotland of the East?
3. Khasi are an ethnic group who inhabit the Khasi and Jaintia hills of Meghalaya. According to Khasi legend, once a Bengali and Khasi were caught in a great flood and had to swim to save themselves. The Bengali tied his bundle of books on his head and started swimming. The Khasi, on the other hand, held his books in his mouth. Suddenly a huge wave swept over them and the Khasi accidentally swallowed his books. This ancient folklore is attributed as a reason to what present day linguistic characteristic of the Khasi?
4. In the remote interior hilly regions of Meghalaya, how do the Khasi measure distances?
5. Shah Jahan had given this town the title Dar-us-suroor (Door of Delight). His beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal was originally buried here before her remains where shifted to Taj Mahal in Agra. Which town?
6. The towns of ____ and Kukshi lie near the Gambhiri river flowing in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. Kukshi used to be a renowned centre for hand printing and that the Gambhiri river was intrinsic to its fame. When the dyers used to wash their cloth in its waters, the copper sulphate in the river gave the cloth its characteristic black and red colors. The exact technique was kept a tight secret. As their fame grew, the neighboring town of ____ called the dyers from Kukshi to train local artisans. However, in an ironic twist of fate, today no one remembers Kukshi. The red and black distinctive print, born in Kukshi, has now become famous all over the world as the ____ print. Fill in the blank.
7. In which part of India would one come across the local deity Bon Bibi or lady of the forest and the man eating half tiger demon Dokkin Rai.
8. As per old Ladhakhi tradition, the first two boys of the family are married to the same woman. The fourth and subsequent boys became makpas, that is, they left their father's home to serve in the home of their wife. What typically used to be the fate of the third born boy in the family?
9. The ___ are an agricultural tribe found mainly in Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. It is believed that the British brought them to West Bengal to work in the tea gardens. Who?
10. This place supposedly gets it name from the local word for olive. Some trace its origin to a Bhutanese term meaning a place where warm clothes are bought and sold. Devout Hindus however believe it is named after Lord Shiva, who is the region’s presiding deity. Which is this place?
11. The 130 km stretch between River Teesta on the west and River Sankosh on the east is more commonly known by what name?
12. The royal game Polo originated in this Indian state, earliest recorded citation is from 1300 AD. Sagol Kangjei as Polo is called locally is played with seven players on each side. Every man who can muster a pony plays, and every boy who cannot, plays on foot. Which state?
13. On 20 Nov 2004, the central government announced that Prime Minister would visit Imphal and return this to the people of Manipur. It is a place of great cultural, historical and emotional significance for the Meitei, local inhabitants of Manipur. For many centuries it was the seat of the Manipuri kings. The locals lost access to this place when the British captured it during the Anglo Manipuri war. After, Independence, it continued to be used by the army and the Assam Rifles. Its return had been a long standing demand of the people. Identify the place?
14. The Indian Air Force Base on Car Nicobar Island is spread over two hundred acres. It is said that when Jawaharlal Nehru visited this island, Edward Kutchal, a tribal leader, donated the land to the government. In return, what did he ask for as compensation?
Answers
14. Nehru's Coat
13. Kangla Fort
12. Manipur
11. Dooars
10. Jalpaiguri in West Bengal. ‘Jolpai’ is olive in Bengali, je-le-pe-go-ri is the Bhutanese term and Jalpesh is Shiva
9. Oraon
8. They are sent to monastery to become a lama
7. Sundarbans
6. Bagh
5. Burhanpur in MP
4. The number of betel nuts or supari chewed during the journey
3. Khasi language has no script, unlike Bengali
2. Meghalaya
1. Majauli
May 20, 2012
Syeda Hameed and Gunjan Veda book "Beautiful Country stories from another India" is a collection of beautifully written reports based on the two author's journey to different parts of the country. While the purpose of these reports were to capture the day today issues and problems faced by people, gauge the efficacy and reach of the various development programs initiated by the government and present them to the planning commission, they have now been brought to a wider audience in the form of a book.
These collection of poignant tales shows a completely different perspective of a country which most of us are blissfully unaware of, thanks to the cocooned and comfortable life we lead, or choose very conveniently to ignore. It is heart wrenching to realize that things which most of us take for granted in our life is nothing sort of a luxury for a large part of our population, which even now is struggling to have access to basic amenities like primary education and basic healthcare. This book will definitely make you uncomfortable. There is no doubt about that.
However at the same time it's not a depressing book. There are numereous examples of individuals whose efforts have brought welcome changes and have touched the lives of many people, while assuring the rest that with dedication and effort miracles do happen. There is also a certain vividity in the writing which brings to life all those marvellous and exquisite places the authors have visited. It will certainly appeal to the traveller in you and fill your heart with a longing to visit if not all then at least a few of those amazing places.
A must read for people who would like to have a first hand account of a different India, probably the real India.
These collection of poignant tales shows a completely different perspective of a country which most of us are blissfully unaware of, thanks to the cocooned and comfortable life we lead, or choose very conveniently to ignore. It is heart wrenching to realize that things which most of us take for granted in our life is nothing sort of a luxury for a large part of our population, which even now is struggling to have access to basic amenities like primary education and basic healthcare. This book will definitely make you uncomfortable. There is no doubt about that.
However at the same time it's not a depressing book. There are numereous examples of individuals whose efforts have brought welcome changes and have touched the lives of many people, while assuring the rest that with dedication and effort miracles do happen. There is also a certain vividity in the writing which brings to life all those marvellous and exquisite places the authors have visited. It will certainly appeal to the traveller in you and fill your heart with a longing to visit if not all then at least a few of those amazing places.
A must read for people who would like to have a first hand account of a different India, probably the real India.
April 6, 2013
From Kargil and Varanasi to Greater Nicobar and Manipur the authors visited it all. And in the process they saw glimpses of India that no amount of reading or media browsing or internet surfing had shown us.
I feel this book should be read by all Indians and I say it unabashedly. Students from Metro cities should read about students in Sankoo Higher Secondary School in Kargil, J&K. Hasan and Murtuza, bright young boys walk over two hours in sub zero temperatures to reach school where they don’t find teachers. Urban youth may relate to Nathulal, a sixteen year old from Tribal Boys School, Jhadol who will never live his dream of becoming a vet because there are no science teachers in his entire district. And what no one can even dream of, there are Onge children of Dugong Creek in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with pure African features and hair. These children have the same rights as students of elite public schools but have lost out on all counts.
The book is essentially about the asymmetries of India, a land blessed and cursed as if by the same breath. The good and the bad, cohabit. And the motive behind the book – is to share these stories, these successes and at times, failures, the despair and the misery, the joy and the hope so that we too can think of how one little action, one deed, one acknowledgement can change a life for the better.
I feel this book should be read by all Indians and I say it unabashedly. Students from Metro cities should read about students in Sankoo Higher Secondary School in Kargil, J&K. Hasan and Murtuza, bright young boys walk over two hours in sub zero temperatures to reach school where they don’t find teachers. Urban youth may relate to Nathulal, a sixteen year old from Tribal Boys School, Jhadol who will never live his dream of becoming a vet because there are no science teachers in his entire district. And what no one can even dream of, there are Onge children of Dugong Creek in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with pure African features and hair. These children have the same rights as students of elite public schools but have lost out on all counts.
The book is essentially about the asymmetries of India, a land blessed and cursed as if by the same breath. The good and the bad, cohabit. And the motive behind the book – is to share these stories, these successes and at times, failures, the despair and the misery, the joy and the hope so that we too can think of how one little action, one deed, one acknowledgement can change a life for the better.
March 8, 2013
This book is a remarkable tale of Syeda and Gunjan's travels through India as a pat of there planning commission role. It highlights the plight of many [generally] smaller populations throughout India who are suffering from malnutrition, poverty and lack of healthcare and educational resources. It is eye opening and at times very sad, but it is lifted by the hope that is generated by government representatives actually visiting on the ground and listening to the concerns of the local people. It also contains uplifting stories of local and international initiatives which are lifting communities up and generating hope for the poorest. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves India and cares for the forgotten, then go and do something!
March 9, 2013
Well, what I love most about the book is the raw, direct facts about the country said as they are. You don’t see words being sugarcoated, or incidents downplayed. The starting of each chapter and each part of the country is with a nice piece of poetry (I think it is Urdu) and in between the book, there are some beautiful color photos. This is what India is, we might not choose to believe it, but it is there for all to see. The honesty in the book is what I feel makes it wonderful.
My complete review here: http://wp.me/p2J8yh-2cq
My complete review here: http://wp.me/p2J8yh-2cq
January 4, 2013
A very thoughtful and insightful and inspiring stories from allover our country. Gives you a glimpse of gazillion of issues our country faces head on, loads of inspiration for those people who thrive to give something back to the motherland.
IMHO, This is a MUST READ. Don't miss this.
IMHO, This is a MUST READ. Don't miss this.
April 12, 2012
An amazing book which is informative and eye opening. Extremely poignant, heart-rending to a point where it brings tears in your eyes
Want to Read
February 11, 2013Too good
March 1, 2015
A nice book that describes ground reality from various regions of India.Made me feel even more passionate to work for this country by joining the system.
April 28, 2017
Interesting stories, but the writing style is boring. Many a time I had this urge to leave the book because of the way it was written but some story used to crop up and would hold me back.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews