Reader's Paradise discussion
Monthly Copy Cat Challenge
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Aparna and Arpit: Jan copy cat challenge... Edit: India After Gandhi discussion
Completed Apples in the Basket. Never realised this was such a BIG pain to the formation of India. Very insightful.I now curse my school time History curriculam!!!
Yeah I used to curse it in school days too... but for a different reason then :P
Midway through the valley.... Breaking some myths on where does Kashmir actually belongs... contrary to the biased Indian side view that it belongs to India and Pak's view vice versa.
There is no black and white distinction here... but very interesting points (provided the ones mentioned in this book are factual and not biased!)
Regarding the unbiased book you wanted to read on Jinnah, the upcoming chapters have some references on his biographer from Great Britain.
Completed Apples in the basket!! My god, it was funny. Especially all those stubborn princes. Well, it must have been painful at that time, but, honestly, it feels so amusing right now :P
Gorab wrote: "Completed Apples in the Basket. Never realised this was such a BIG pain to the formation of India. Very insightful.
I now curse my school time History curriculam!!!
Yeah I used to curse it in scho..."
I was aware of Patel's effort, but didn't know about V. P. Menon.
Patel wasn't much mentioned in school books, I suppose.
I now curse my school time History curriculam!!!
Yeah I used to curse it in scho..."
I was aware of Patel's effort, but didn't know about V. P. Menon.
Patel wasn't much mentioned in school books, I suppose.
Have started Valley. Just one chapter though. Will take some time to complete it. I'm reading it kinda slow, I hope you won't mind it
Even if I mind it, what can happen :P [Just kidding!]Off course this has to go slow or else we wont be able to digest this Indian digest :)
On the last chapter of Part 1 - Ideas of India.The refugee wala part was a bit familiar. Saw it in movies. Pinjar. And some more.
Plight of women was most depressing.
Completed the Kashmir chapter. Even though very informative, this gave only vague idea about the problem. Of course, it could not have been covered in a small chapter. Now I have to read more books on this topic. All with different opinions. Ugh!!
My god, those Pathans!! WHO were they? I don't remember their mention in my history books, or maybe I didn't read well. Mountbatten gave great suggestion then. This book is telling me that there was great chemistry between Nehru, Mountbatten, and Patel.
Read the wikipedia page of Shiekh Abdullah. Didn't know too much about him. He was very popular, it seems. Did you know he was the father of Farukh Abdullah?
Oh, somebody in my neighbourhood has already started those patriotic songs. Love such days!!!
Happy republic day, everybody!!
Happy republic day, everybody!!
Ah Pinjar- I wanted to read the novel, but it's in Punjabi!! Don't want to read the translation, at least not English. Will check if there's any Hindi version.
about Kashmir - he's mentioned there are no concrete evidence (written or even visual) to know whether or not those Pathans were sent by Pakistan.i don't know what other material I'd look out to....
Nehru, Patel, Mountbatten - didn't realise the very crucial role played by each. have recently heard all negative things about Nehru but here in this book I'm liking him. he seems logical.
Pinjar by Amrita Pritam was written in Hindi only. no? let me check. i thought so.
haven't known about Abdullahs. is Omar Abdulla related to this family? should be. let me check.
the missing info I'll seek out if regarding union territories of India... and why they could not be included in States.
Completed the refugee part. Haven't seen movies on it, but had read about it at many places, Waiting/Mahatma being the recent one.
Gorab wrote: "the missing info I'll seek out if regarding union territories of India... and why they could not be included in States."
Oh, yeah Interesting one. I'll check about it too.
Oh, yeah Interesting one. I'll check about it too.
Gorab wrote: "haven't known about Abdullahs. is Omar Abdulla related to this family? should be. let me check."
Omar Abdullah is the grandson of Shiekh Abdullah. He was very popular in that region.
Omar Abdullah is the grandson of Shiekh Abdullah. He was very popular in that region.
Gorab wrote: "Nehru, Patel, Mountbatten - didn't realise the very crucial role played by each. have recently heard all negative things about Nehru but here in this book I'm liking him. he seems logical."
That's what I was wondering. There's so much negativity around Nehru nowadays. People blame him for not handling the Kashmir issue properly. That's stupidity. People don't know future, do they? He did what he thought was best at that time. How could he have known about the future?!
That's what I was wondering. There's so much negativity around Nehru nowadays. People blame him for not handling the Kashmir issue properly. That's stupidity. People don't know future, do they? He did what he thought was best at that time. How could he have known about the future?!
Also it's kinda weird that right wing parties in India are trying to sell us Patel as a replacement of Nehru. Recently, I'm noticing, they are trying to present Patel like a Hindu leader!! -_-
One of the reason for ppl hate Nehru was the luxury life style of him, I guess.
lots and lots to discuss in the coming chapters too... kindling interest in history this!
will come back on this thread elaborately from next week ...
On second part of the book- Nehru's India.
On 7.3
You remember the elections in ASB? I guess those were the '52 election. Nehru thinking about quitting Congress and what not!!
On 7.3
You remember the elections in ASB? I guess those were the '52 election. Nehru thinking about quitting Congress and what not!!
Hey, are you imganing all this in colour or B&W? With me, it's B&W :P
I would love to read a Pak non-fic book on Partition and all the aftermath. Lemme search if I find any.
don't remember ASB. imagining all in multicolor mode!took parents for shopping and got a decent reading time....
only read IAG... somewhere in chapter 9 or 10. Absolutely loving it.
premonition that union territories will be discussed as well...bcoz formation of Bombay is detailed.
is the author biased towards Congress?? doesn't looks like it... but somewhere inside feels like it...
Gorab wrote: "is the author biased towards Congress?? doesn't looks like it... but somewhere inside feels like it..."
Not towards Congress, but he IS biased towards Nehru sir. I was surprised that why did I never come across such a positive portrayal of Nehru as I'm reading in this. But it seems, and many articles and Quora answers say so :(
But since I'm also biased towards Congress and Nehruji, I wouldn't mind it. ;P
In fact, I love it when he (Guha sir) talks about the communalist agenda of RSS and directly accuses them ;)
Not towards Congress, but he IS biased towards Nehru sir. I was surprised that why did I never come across such a positive portrayal of Nehru as I'm reading in this. But it seems, and many articles and Quora answers say so :(
But since I'm also biased towards Congress and Nehruji, I wouldn't mind it. ;P
In fact, I love it when he (Guha sir) talks about the communalist agenda of RSS and directly accuses them ;)
Also the book won the Sahitya Akademi award in 2011, during UPA govt. For his Nehru bhakti? I guess :p
Arpit wrote: "Also the book won the Sahitya Akademi award in 2011, during UPA govt. For his Nehru bhakti? I guess :p"Oh yeah! Thats a nice catch! Didn't think of it earlier!
I'm not against Congress or BJP per se... but idea wise I am inclined against Congress... Mainly bcoz they run it like a family business. I hate it when only family blood runs in as the next heir instead of most capable.Now that you've mentioned the Sahitya Akademi during UPA, I will pay more attention while reading.
Argh...still stuck on chap 9 (or 10)
Hope to make some progress soon.
Hope to make some progress soon.
Gorab wrote: "I'm not against Congress or BJP per se... but idea wise I am inclined against Congress... Mainly bcoz they run it like a family business. I hate it when only family blood runs in as the next heir i..."
Better family than communalism. I can't tolerate politics on religion. It instantly puts me off, and I know INC is not better either, but at least they "pretend" to be secular.
PS: This family thing will destroy them now. There were nice politicians in the family in past (Indira, Rajeev and even Sonia was/is a strong woman), but there's no hope with Rahul.
Better family than communalism. I can't tolerate politics on religion. It instantly puts me off, and I know INC is not better either, but at least they "pretend" to be secular.
PS: This family thing will destroy them now. There were nice politicians in the family in past (Indira, Rajeev and even Sonia was/is a strong woman), but there's no hope with Rahul.
Interesting. Its a never ending debate and good to see we are BRing it fending for the opposite sides :)
Read chapter 9.
Where are you?
Where are you?
It seems that Gandhi's charm faded as the British left. He doesn't look much like a "politician". And here Nehru shines, or Guha sir says so.
You know miss Arundhati Roy too does not have a good opinion for Gandhi, but then she criticise, like, every Indian thing. My best friend hates him. He says she doesn't have that national pride.
Arpit wrote: "It seems that Gandhi's charm faded as the British left. He doesn't look much like a "politician". And here Nehru shines, or Guha sir says so."May be because we are reading the part titled "Nehru's India".
Guha sir has written a few other books too based on Gandhiji. Gandhi before India...
Arpit wrote: "Read chapter 9. Where are you?"
Chapter 10 Part 4
So far all the decisions taken by Nehru ji are very logical and patriotic. Especially the struggle to avoid creation of a separate state of Andhra.
I don't have the links ready with me now, but there have been alligations that when Chacha Nehru won Bharat Ratna, he nominated himself. Same for Indira Gandhi.Ok here it is : http://indiafacts.org/the-story-behin...
Plus there have been many degrading stories floating around the family tree of Nehru-Gandhi.
Reader's Paradise
Books mentioned in this topic
The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century (other topics)Salt and Sawdust (other topics)
Cracking India (other topics)
Cracking India (other topics)
India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy (other topics)
On part 2. We will get to read about Patel here, I guess.