Pradeep E

“A map is a two-dimensional representation with arbitrary symbols and incised lines that decide who is to be our enemy and who is to be our friend, who deserves our love and who deserves our hatred and who, our sheer indifference. Cartography is another name for stories told by winners. For stories told by those who have lost, there isn’t one.”
― Elif Shafak, The Island of Missing Trees

“Words are powerful, and they have the capacity to normalise hate. To call a human being illegal is not only racist and inaccurate, but also dehumanising. No human being is illegal. Existing is not illegal.”
― Suchitra Vijayan, Midnight's Borders: A People's History of Modern India

“Modern Bombay, in a sense, has its genesis in the poppy fields of Bihar.”
― Amitav Ghosh, Smoke and Ashes: A Writer's Journey through Opium's Hidden Histories

“What I meant was, some people stand in front of a tree and the first thing they notice is the trunk. These are the ones who prioritize order, safety, rules, continuity. Then there are those who pick out the branches before anything else. They yearn for change, a sense of freedom. And then there are those who are drawn to the roots, though concealed under the ground. They have a deep emotional attachment to their heritage, identity, traditions …”
― Elif Shafak, The Island of Missing Trees