Sunday Long Reads: Women in conservation, short story by Shahrukh Alam, book on Icelandic women’s battle for equality, and more

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The life and death of Mohammad Nanhe. And the brief flicker afterwards 

Zainab enjoyed going to school; she would have liked to continue (representational) (Source: Getty Images)

They stumbled out of the old ruins, laughing. They laughed their way past the adjoining mosque, and down the dark street.

Then they reached Imam saheb’s house and the laughter died abruptly. Nanhe, who was at the head of the group, turned around and said, “Eh, quiet! Not in front of Imam saheb’s house.”

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How Devi in New York City showed what human connections can do for food

When we become one with our consciousness, and are conscientious about allowing conscience and not ego to drive our human vehicle, it is then that we are centred and grounded in an unshakable manner and destined for goodness that is all inclusive.

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Former diplomat Rajiv Bhatia’s India-Africa Relations: Changing Horizons, is an essential reader on India’s burgeoning ties with African states

India-Africa Relations Changing Horizons; by Rajiv Bhatia; Routledge; 219 pages; Rs 995. (Photo: Amazon.in)

This book is certainly rare considering the paucity of scholarly writings by Indians on the core issues of Africa. As a scholar-diplomat, who headed Indian embassies in South Africa, Kenya and Lesotho, Rajiv Bhatia has deftly handled changing horizons of Indo-African ties.

Written in a fairly accessible style, the study is replete with interesting insights accompanied by a wealth of empirical details that together provide a balanced perspective on the subject. Without losing sight of Africa in world affairs, Bhatia has situated Indo-African ties within a broader framework of international relations. In the process, he alludes to general trends in Africa including Pan Africanism, Regional Economic Communities and ambitious project of building African Continental Free Trade Area. Keeping these trends at the backdrop, Bhatia craftily teases out India’s burgeoning ties with African states in the realm of politics and diplomacy, security, economy, business, military, health care, education, IT sector, media, culture and tourism.

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Book by Iceland’s First Lady Eliza Reid chronicles how Icelandic women are carrying forward the battle for equality

Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland’s Extraordinary Women and How They are Changing the World; by Eliza Reid; Sourcebooks; 288 pages; Rs 2,400. (Photo: Amazon.in)

The river Hvítá tumbling down a “three-step staircase” and falling into a deep crevice, the sound of the wind and water creating an immersive experience — I am at Gullfoss Falls in Iceland. At the top of the falls, I come across the stone memorial to Sigríður Tómasdóttir, known as Iceland’s first environmentalist. Tómasdóttir is one of the Sprakkar — extraordinary women — whose story is described in the new book, Secrets of the Sprakkar, by Eliza Reid, the First Lady of Iceland.

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Tehemton Udwadia, father of laparoscopy in India, looks back at his life in this delightful memoir, More Than Just Surgery: Life Lessons Beyond the OT

More than Just Surgery: Life Lessons Beyond the OT; By Tehemton Erach Udwadia; Penguin eBury Press; 304 pages; Rs 799 (Source: Amazon.in)

The amazing advances in surgery over the last century are interwoven into this engrossing autobiography of one of the country’s most eminent surgeons, Tehemton Udwadia, father of laparoscopy in India. The charm of the book lies in the surgeon’s easy writing style, candour and complete lack of ego. He admits that some of his big breaks were as much luck as planned.

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‘Deve Gowda was pragmatic about the fact that you need society to be inclusive, without it you cannot progress’

Forging Connections: HD Deve Gowda was the Indian Prime Minister between June 1, 1996, to April 21, 1997 (Source: Penguin Random House)

Twenty-five years after he was ousted as PM, why do you think it was important to write HD Deve Gowda’s biography?

After the 2019 victory of Narendra Modi, the question on my mind was: What is the real alternative to Modi? The Congress was not able to put its act together, but a federal challenge could be mounted. And that’s when I thought I should look at HD Deve Gowda’s life. Because he was one of the finest examples of a chief minister who became a Prime Minister. There were others before him. But unlike Morarji Desai, who had been a part of national politics, or Narasimha Rao, who was a part of the Delhi establishment, he was a politician with a great grassroots experience. As a prime minister, his democratic engagement was very deep. The federal spirit was reflected in the work he was doing as PM.

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Who’s got the best eyesight in the world?

The compound eye of a Robber Fly (Credit: Ranjit Lal)

At first, it even left Charles Darwin temporarily bemused: How could something as perfectly designed and complex as the living eye, ever have evolved? Creationists led by English philosopher William Paley in 1802 claimed that the eye was yet another example of creative design. Darwin stuck to his guns though and bit by bit, the story of what went on in Mother Nature’s optical workshop over the last 500-600 million years came to light.

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