Rage of the River
The Untold Story of Kedarnath Disaster
On 17 June 2013, a normally calm Mandakini came crashing down from the hills in Uttarakhand and destroyed everything in its path: houses, bridges, dams and the town of Kedarnath. Thousands of people perished and lakhs lost their livelihood.
Three years after the disaster, stories from the valley-of pain and sorrow, the state government's indifference and the corporate goof-ups, and the courage and heroism shown by the locals in the face of an absolute catastrophe-still remain largely unheard of.
सामने आते ही नहीं, एक साहित्यिक संस्मरण
रुकुन और मैं 1970 के दशक में सेंट स्टीफेंस कॉलेज में समकालीन छात्र थे। वह तब तक गम्भीर पुस्तकों में डूब चुके थे जबकि मैं एक खिलाड़ी था जिसका बुद्धिजीवियों से कोई लेना-देना न था। उन दिनों उनके दिल में मेरे प्रति घृणा थी (वह स्वाभाविक रूप से भावी उपन्यासकार अमिताव घोष और दूसरे साहित्यिक सोच वाले लोगों का साथ पसन्द करते थे) लेकिन बाद में, जब मैंने अपनी शैक्षिक यात्रा में बदलाव किया और एक पी-एच.डी. भी की, हम परिचित हो गये और फिर मित्र बने। उन्होंने मेरी सभी शुरुआती किताबें प्रकाशित कर्की और धीरे-धीरे मेरे एक इतिहासकार, एक जीवनी लेखक, एक क्रिकेट लेखक और एक निबन्धकार बनने में उनका महत्त्वपूर्ण योगदान रहा। यह रुकुन ही थे जिन्होंने मुझे ओ.यू.पी. को छोड़कर ट्रेड प्रेस में जाने को उत्साहित किया, जहाँ उन्हें लगता था कि जो पुस्तकें मैं लिखने लगा था, उनके साथ न्याय किया जाएगा। इस बीच उन्होंने खुद भी ओ.यू.पी. छोड़ दी और एक छोटे से हिमालयी क़स्बे से पर्मानेण्ट ब्लैक नाम की प्रेस चलाने लगे, जहाँ वे अपनी पत्नी (उपन्यासकार अनुराधा रॉय) और सड़क से उठाये गये कई कुत्तों की मण्डली के साथ रहते हैं।
Aitken Ka Himalaya
For those who know and understand the Himalayas and are concerned about it, this book by Bill Atkin is like a beautiful starting point full of uncertainty from where they can be projected in any direction. The personality of Bill that emerges in these words is that of a child-like person who loves the Himalayas and its surroundings unconditionally, first of all he is a great storyteller and a wanderer who is constantly engaged in research.
Laal Lakeer
Bheeme, a school teacher from a nondescript village in Bastar, is fighting for the empowerment of ordinary tribal women through education and employment. The Maoist rebels as well as the police consider her their enemy, since she won't give in to a system that resorts to violence to establish its supremacy. In a rather surprising denouement, she decides to fight the election to take the system head on. Laal Lakeer is a heart-wrenching love story set in the war-torn backdrop of Bastar in Central India where Indian forces and police are locked in a fierce battle with Maoist rebels.
TUM CHUP KYON RAHEY KEDAR
Ten years ago a mountain had collapsed. The flood that rushed like a catastrophe had wiped out settlements for hundreds of miles. This was the Kedarnath disaster. When I reached there after this tragedy, there was deathly silence everywhere. Dead bodies were being found behind the mountain rocks, and there were such stories related to the dead bodies that would simply make one cry and scare. I had written this book on that experience then - Tum Chup Kyon Rahe Kedar.