Burning Pyres, Mass Graves and a State That Failed Its People: India’s Covid Tragedy

The Covid-19 pandemic swept much of India into a frenzy. The official figures of sickness and death, however, are widely believed to have been underreported. Harsh Mander’s book is a comprehensive account of the humanitarian crisis and the appalling state response. The first part describes the events of 2020, which pushed the urban poor to the brink of starvation. It shows how this was a direct consequence of public policy choices, particularly of imposing the lockdown at four hours’ notice. The second part records the horrors of the following year, when everything, from hospital beds to medical oxygen and essential medicines, fell disastrously short. Combining ground reports with hard data, Mander chronicles the catastrophe. 

The hair-raising tales of unimaginable bravery against all odds set Special Forces (SF) a class apart. Swapnil Pandey’s ‘Balidan’, a result of 200 interviews conducted over a year and multiple trips to various SF units, brings out these stories. The legacy of these warriors is shrouded in mystery and legend. So secretive are their missions that little is known about them beyond code names. Pandey lifts the curtain on some of the acclaimed Special Forces officers and introduces readers to Col Santosh Mahadik, Capt Tushar Mahajan, Brig Saurabh Singh Shekhawat, Sub Major Mahendra Singh and others. Hailing from an Army family herself, the author has interspersed the chapters with the role that the families back home play.

It had just been two months since her marriage when Shikha’s husband, artillery officer Captain Akhilesh Saxena, had to join the Kargil War. Hit by Pakistani artillery shelling, he survived, but spent months in hospital, with Shikha by his side. She depicts her own experiences as well as those of Akhilesh, who took part in various missions. What does a soldier go through when marching off to a near-suicidal mission? What does it take to survive, having sustained injuries in battle? The memoir shows the boundless bravery of the Indian troops, as well as the emotional tumult experienced by their families. ‘Nation First’ is a story of grit, determination and heroic patriotism shown by the men and women who give their all to safeguard the country.

What are the Yoga Sutras? Instructions for bearded rishis who lived in the forests of ancient India? Or a complete manual of asanas? Neither, says children’s author Roopa Pai. She says that the text, in fact, may well have been called ‘Maharishi P’s Ultimate Handbook of Mind Control’, for it is really a set of techniques to help us all of us awaken and harness the explosive power of our minds, through our actions, our attitudes and our awareness. And not through asanas? That too, but not in the way you imagined it. In this book, Pai unravels the secrets of Patanjali’s compact 2,000-year-old text in ways both fun and accessible. She exhorts you to walk into a dazzling world where a new version of yourself awaits you.