Deep Ties

  The 24th of January is #NationalGirlChildDay . Our children are precious assets, even in a country like ours, where patriarchy has ruled over centuries. In many places, boys are idolised while girls are looked upon as burdens, meant to be given away in marriage. Boys are considered the wealth of the family, while girls are dubbed 'paraya dhan'. All this has done is to make society a skewed one, where the chips are firmly in favour of the boy. Everywhere we look, we find that girls have to prove their worth, and come up the hard way, their 'hard' way being harder than it is for their male counterparts. The world has become an immensely hazardous place for them. What can we do to make the world safer for the girl child and the woman she grows up to be? There is only one long-term solution. Educate parents across the board. Prove to them that boys and girls are equally precious. Both need nurturing, both need protection. Both need to be taught the right values of life ...

  With the 73 rd Republic Day round the corner, and 75 glorious years of Independence, what better tribute could there be than a bilingual anthology of poems dedicated to the trials and the tribulations, the valour and the spirit of this wonderful powerhouse known as the Indian Armed Forces? Who else could know better about the sacrifices made by our brave warriors than the people who make up this esteemed universe – the veterans, the serving officers and their family members? ‘Unkahi: The Unsung’, a remarkable volume of poems has been conceptualized, curated and edited by the intrepid Dr. Pragya Bajpai, and co-edited by Lt. Col. Salil Jain. The foreword, and the first few inspiring poems, are by Major General (Dr.) G D Bakshi, SM, VSM (Veteran), himself a poet and motivational speaker. The book has been endorsed by several senior officers, who call the effort an inspiring one that brings out the essence of the Armed Forces. Sketches and photographs by various officers enhance t...

  Delving into the past is always intriguing, given the immense wealth of knowledge and folklore that resides there, both in the oral and the written tradition. Sifting through these timeless gems and putting them down in the form of stories that can be savoured by readers today is a task truly praiseworthy. That is exactly what the talented Anupama Jain has taken it upon herself to do. Kings, Saviours & Scoundrels is the result of meticulous filtering, and the stories shine forth, free and unfettered. The exquisite purple cover immediately catches the eye, and as one browses through the book, the illustrations, done artfully by the author, add to the value of the book, and its stories. The narrator is Somadeva, the poet-courtier of King Ananta of Kashmir, and the stories themselves originate from his most famous work – Katha Saritha Sagara, extolling qualities like bravery, faith, sagacity and friendship. When moral wisdom is imparted in the form of entertaining content, i...

  “Seamen are basically simple men. They have faith in God and their superiors. In that order.” The Hijack The title and the cover image are reminiscent of the shore and the sea; the tagline brings in the salty tang of the blue waters. Twelve stories leap off the page and keep the readers engrossed, their themes ranging from love and romance to adventure and intrigue. The first story titled ‘The Piano Man’ sets the stage for all the others to come, with a twist that brings a smile on the face. It reminds one of Coleridge’s famed ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’, a reminder that is carried on in another story titled ‘Transition’, which throws up a contrast between the past and the present, the Ancient and the Modern Mariner, as seen through the eyes of a young boy, Keenan, who loves the adventurous tales narrated by his lively ‘ grampa ’ .   Beetashok Chatterjee’s love of the sea comes out vividly in the way his protagonists find themselves at home on board. His descript...

  The cover leaps out at you in all its glory as a smirking Miss Scaly cracks her whip at a snarling black panther. The illustrations, that follow in quick succession, have been drawn by the author's daughters, Gia and Anita, and create an image in the readers’ minds as they gear on to enjoy another intriguing adventure from the undaunted four – Ethan, Lucy, Penny and Jack. The Circus Trap by The Write Place is a sequel to The Hunters’ Trap, a book that introduced the children to their readers through another fast-paced adventure. Sequels are always a difficult act, and the author needs to hang on, tooth and nail to pull it off. However, Sindhu John seems to have done the unimaginable by not only holding the interest, but once again, whetting the appetite for more. She receives requests from young fans pleading with her to write her next book, a good idea, no doubt! The names of the chapters are intriguing – ‘Make Him Jump!’, The Big Little Secret” and ‘The Rat-t-t-t-t-t-t-t Atta...