A Constitution to Keep

AS classically understood within the scheme of the Constitution, sedition is the crime of using the power of words to actually bring about events which result in the destabilisation of the entire Indian State. In ‘A Constitution to Keep’, Rohan J Alva dwells on a wealth of archival material, Constituent Assembly debates as well as Indian and global jurisprudence to trace the history of the law on sedition. He makes a compelling case for putting political critique of governmental affairs beyond the realm of State regulation, as he unravels a novel dimension to the interpretation of the free speech clause.

IN ‘Ayodhya: Past and Present’, Sutapa Mukherjee presents an elaborate and incisive account of its contemporary history, and the complex layers of unity and divisions. Through innumerable personal interviews, the book gives voice to the people of the historic city and tells the Ayodhya story through their struggles, travails and foibles. The work breaks new ground on the changing relationship between the Hindu and Muslim residents. Resonant with details, the book brings alive the reality of this once-quaint town that is on its way to becoming a commercialised pilgrimage destination.

JASMINE VILLA is the family home of the three Hasan sisters. Yusuf’s daughters had been born there, but his wife Amina had not been able to see them grow into beautiful young women, having died of cancer. Tehzeeb was 16 then, Ana 15 and Athiya 14. Yusuf refused to remarry. Andaleeb Wajid pens three books, one for each of the three sisters, capturing their personalities, their resolve, emotions, apprehensions as they negotiate their way through life, and of course their tryst with romance. In ‘One Way to Love’, ‘Loving You Twice’ and the third in the Jasmine Villa series, ‘Three Times Lucky’, the sisters’ unique stories come alive.

FOR far too long, the people of the Northeast have remained an enigma. Conflict and ethnic violence spanning decades have blurred our minds. Author Ashish Kundra, a civil servant who has spent a decade in the region, says the people faced monumental neglect for nearly seven decades as a result of the approach of minimal governmental intervention. However, the young generation is hungry for development, he says, and paints a portrait of the changing landscape. It strikes a personal chord through conversations that capture the pulse of a new Northeast.

WHAT would be a laughable conspiracy theory back in the day is now threatening to become mainstream scholarship. As it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish verifiable information from fake news and made-up history, ‘Don’t Forward That Text!’ attempts to sift fact from fiction. Author Amit Schandillia calls his research ideology-agnostic, indifferent to religious and political sentiments. His only affiliation, he points out, is to the spirit of inquiry. There is also acknowledgement that his work is limited by the resources available, and must be revisited as new discoveries and findings come to light.

INDIA recently overtook the UK to become the world’s fifth biggest economy. In ‘Made in India’, Amitabh Kant takes a look at the post-Independence years, crediting the private sector with driving India’s growth story. It not only introduces readers to formative business leaders (including Jamsetji Tata, Ghanshyam Das Birla and Walchand Hirachand Doshi) and leading firms (Wadia Group, Kirloskar Brothers and Shapoorji Pallonji), but also analyses their presence in the economy. The book brings forth policy lessons and the new challenges before the country, taking a forward-looking view.