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Indian Library
30 Literary Review DELHI THE HINDU Magazine
Sunday, March 3, 2019
BROWSE NON-FICTION
The State in India: Ideas,
Norms and Politics
Edited by
Vidhu Verma
Orient BlackSwan
₹1,225
• The state’s capacity to
redistribute wealth and
alleviate poverty has been
questioned, along with the
robustness of its institutions
and the negotiation of
boundaries between state and
civil society. This volume of
essays looks at many aspects
like nation, democracy, rights,
security, welfare and so forth.
Gandhi After 9/11
Douglas Allen Open truth The act of voting is viewed as a form of empowerment. K.V.S. GIRI
Oxford University Press
₹845
• What is the relevance of POLITICS
Gandhi for India and the CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
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contemporary world? A
professor of philosophy insists
that we look to Gandhi in order Looking beyond numbers
to move toward a nonviolent
and sustainable future.
Focusing on key themes in
Gandhi’s thinking , he compels
us to rethink our positions Two books on the election process and why Indian voters take it seriously
today.
VARGHESE K. GEORGE collection is by Mukulika Banerjee on free and fair elections in the
Jawaharlal Nehru ‘why does India vote.’ Indian voters sustenance and nourishment of a
lections have a lot to do with
take the act of voting as sacrosanct and
Rudrangshu Mukherjee Download Indian Library App democracy. Chawla tells us about the
Oxford University Press numbers, but they are not only see it as an exercise of their equal lone voter in the Gir sanctuary for
#70929
₹325 about numbers. These two status as citizens, her qualitative survey whom a booth is set up and an election
• This short primer on Evolumes, timed for the 17th suggests. The act of voting itself is a party travels several kilometres, an
Jawaharlal Nehru traces his general election of India that already form of empowerment for them. election team that trekked 45 km up
personalpolitical journey from gives us a sense of foreboding for the Yadav’s essay examines how the the Himalayas through snow for two
being a rich, Westernised fractious social milieu in the country, electorate negotiates its terms with the days to reach a booth in 2009 in
young man to a leader of the prompt us to reflect and engage with state through elections, and also some Jammu and Kashmir — all to ensure
Indian National Congress. We India’s democratic process in an paradoxical features of Indian that the last woman in the periphery
get a glimpse of Nehru's intimate and more responsible way. democracy, where popular aspirations has a say in the affairs of this vast
relationship with Gandhi, his One is edited by S.Y. Quraishi and the are realised in very modest measure country, however imperfect it may be.
role in the birth of a fledgling other is written by Navin Chawla. but the popular trust in the system A lot of Chawla’s recollections are
nation as well as his Both were chief election continues. from the 2009 Lok Sabha election
contribution as the first prime commissioners (CEC) of India, both when he was CEC, but a more
minister of the country. worked together as election Voting patterns evocative section in the current context
commissioners and both have previous Every Vote Counts is Chawla’s is on the Jammu and Kashmir
books that showed their remarkable account from the CEC’s Assembly election of 2008.
A Quantam Leap in ability of storytelling. They do not perch, but it is also laced The author, who otherwise
the Wrong Direction? disappoint us in the latest offerings. with anecdotes and snippets maintains a detached poise as
Edited by from history, court he narrates moments that he
Rohit Azad, Srinivasan Ramani Many facets judgments and engages with is personally involved in, is
& others Quraishi’s edited volume is on a range global concerns such as fake passionate in his description
Orient BlackSwan of electionrelated topics randomly news and unregulated of how he fought the then
₹495 selected and has some unpredictable propaganda that threaten CEC N. Gopalaswamy to
• This volume compares the authors such as Ratan Tata and Naina democracy. While the ECI ensure that elections were
promises made during the Lal Kidwai alongside several well has over the years worked held in time in the troubled
runup to the 2014 general known election experts like Ornit hard to keep the integrity of Every Vote State. The CEC was opposed
elections and the outcomes Shani, Gilles Verniers and the election Counts: The Story to conducting the elections
over the past five years. The Yogendra Yadav. process intact, of India’s then. As it turns out, Chawla
writers examine Two politicians, the late accusations of Elections and Quraishi, both
demonetisation and GST, and Somnath Chatterjee, and tampering is as old Navin Chawla commissioners, pushed
look at sectors like agriculture, Shashi Tharoor, also offer as the elections HarperCollins India ahead with the elections amid
health and education.
their unique perspectives. themselves. One ₹699 turmoil. He also recounts in
Collectively, these essays give news report, some detail how one of his
The Human Tide us enticing glimpses of the without proof, said in 1952 predecessors J.M. Lyngdoh walked the
Paul Morland many facets of Indian the steel ballot boxes could extra mile in 2002 to restore the lost
Hachette India elections, including be tampered without credibility and integrity of the election
₹599 historical, legal and removing its seal! process in the State, which was one
• In 10 chapters, sweeping from comparative. Milan Incidentally, the maximum reason for Jammu and Kashmir’s
Europe to the Americas, China, Vaishnav’s essay on The Great March expenditure a candidate was aggravating alienation from the rest of
East and West Asia, North confronting the influence of of Democracy: allowed in a Lok Sabha India and militancy.
Africa, Morland gives us a money and Rahul Verma’s on Seven Decades of constituency then was In 2008, the ECI built on that to
panoramic view of the last 200 the roll of opinion polls and India’s Elections ₹7,000. Both Quraishi and enhance the popular trust in the
years in history. He explains electronic media deal with Edited by Chawla make the point that system. The line between democracy
how, precipitated by industrial the challenges to the sanctity S.Y. Quraishi the ECI was constituted a day and majoritarianism is breached with
revolution and profound social of the electoral process. Penguin Random before the Republic Day, in violence and impunity these days.
changes , population became a A particularly House 1950 — a fact that These books remind us why every vote
supreme force for change. outstanding piece in the ₹599 underscores the criticality of must count. 
