This day marks the 19th anniversary of the Twin Tower tragedy. However, what followed was a sheer abuse of power. In January 2002, the U.S. governmentThis day marks the 19th anniversary of the Twin Tower tragedy. However, what followed was a sheer abuse of power. In January 2002, the U.S. government began the transfer of suspected terrorists to a naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. As on January 2019, 40 prisoners remain in Guantanamo. They haven’t been charged yet.
‘Guantanamo Voices’ is a graphic collection of true accounts edited by Sarah Mirk which highlights the lack of basic fundamental rights ‘detainees’ at Guantanamo suffer from. Divided in eleven chapters, the first and the last chapter are Sarah’s experiences while the other nine are interviews of people associated with Guantanamo in one way or the other. 12 artists have worked to bring uniqueness and authenticity to every story illustrated in the collection.
The facts highlighted in the beginning of the book sets the face about what are about to read next. Did you know that 80% of the Guantanamo prisoners were turned over to the U.S. for bounties or that the American forces had the right to imprison anyone on the battlefield without a hearing? Forget a hearing, the names of prisoners were not released for the maximum period of time so that prisoners could not apply for Habeus Corpus! With horror stories on one side, we also have accounts of those who have fought for human rights — the lawyers, the social workers and we have stories of those who made it out. What is their life after making it out, with no citizenship of the country which accepts them or no rights. What are the lives of these innocent people who have detained just on suspicion without even a hearing. It reminds one of the Polish detention camps Stalin used near the end…
While all accounts were equally eye-opening at hard-hitting, what left a deep mark on me as a reader was Thomas Wilner’s account who narrated the story of Fred Korematsu, an American Japanese who refused to flee the city after the Pearl Harbour attack in 1941 and fought for his civil rights despite the tension. The Government did apologise for the atrocities after 40 long years, we wonder how long will it take for them to acknowledge the atrocities done on this account.
An attempt has been made to cover diverse viewpoints in the collection which helps an ill-informed reader like me form my own perspective about the gravity of the situation. A must-read for anyone interested in current affairs or human rights, I hope this book receives the wide audience it deserves....more
History is written by the victors. Whether be it in ancient history or World War II. Dresden, the ‘Florence of the Elbe’ was raised to dust by the AllHistory is written by the victors. Whether be it in ancient history or World War II. Dresden, the ‘Florence of the Elbe’ was raised to dust by the Allied Forces and was not even recorded in the Air Force history?
Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five has been on 'to be read’ list since forever…since the time I didn’t even know it’s about the Dresden bombing. I started reading the graphic novel since I thought it’s the best way to decide whether I would land up reading the actual book or not. The above introduction was enough for me to rush through the novel only to turn back and pause on pages, again and again, to see its richness in detail.
Illustrated by Spanish graphic novelist and illustrator, Albert Monteys and written by Ryan North for the graphic adaptation, this book is a keeper for World War II readers. The Dresden illustrated before and post the bombing were the two stark images I kept going back to and the one in which Billy Pilgrim is sitting on the horse carriage while going through the ruins. Hauntingly beautiful, it just makes me want to read the novel all that more....more
A power-packed, 162-page novel, 'Kim Jiyoung, Born in 1982' questions the patriarchal value system which creates gender inequality. Peppered with statA power-packed, 162-page novel, 'Kim Jiyoung, Born in 1982' questions the patriarchal value system which creates gender inequality. Peppered with statistics of gender inequality in Korea, the novel might have been about any Indian girl in her 30’s as well. 'Normalising compromise’ as not ok has found a voice in Cho’s narrative. From sharing her room with her sister while her younger brother gets a room of his own to being publicly humiliated for having a cup of coffee in the afternoon with her child, Kim Jiyoung represents every woman who has been shushed for speaking their mind. For me, the book verbalises the feelings I’ve grown up. It gives me the words with which I can hold conversations without getting angry or bursting into tears.
If you do want to read the novel after reading this, I just suggest you keep stickies, a ruler and a pen/pencil handy. You might want to keep coming back to re-read portions. ...more
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