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BLOOD
BROTHERS: A FAMILY SAGA
BY M J AKBAR |
Blood Brothers is M.J. Akbar’s amazing story of three generations of a Muslim family – based on his own – in Telinipara and how they deal with the fluctuating contours
of Hindu-Muslim relations.
Telinipara, a small jute mill town some 30 miles north of Kolkata along the Hooghly, is a complex Rubik's Cube of migrant Bihari workers, Hindus and Muslims; Bengalis, poor and 'bhadralok'; and Sahibs who live in the safe, 'foreign' world of Victoria Jute Mill. Into this scattered inhabitation enters a child on the verge of starvation, Prayaag, who is saved and adopted by a Muslim family, converts to Islam and takes on the name of Rahmatullah. As Rahmatullah knits Telinipara into a community, friendship, love, trust and faith are continually tested by the cancer of riots. Incidents - conversion, circumcision, the arrival of plague or electricity - and a fascinating array of characters - the ultimate Brahmin, Rahmatullah's friend Girija Maharaj, the workers' leader Bauna Sardar, the storyteller Talat Mian, the poet-teacher Syed Ashfaque, the smiling mendicant, Burha Deewana, the sincere Sahib, Simon Hogg, and then the questioning, demanding third generation of the author and his friend Kamala - interlink into a narrative of social history as well as a powerful memoir.
Blood Brothers is a chronicle of its age, its canvas as enchanting as its narrative, a personal journey through change as tensions build, stretching the bonds of a lifetime to breaking point and demanding,
in the end, the greatest sacrifice. Its last chapters, written in a bare-bones, unemotional style are the most moving, as the author searches for hope amid raw wounds with a surgeon's
scalpel.
- The Asian Age |
“A
skilfully crafted family saga down
three generations packed with
information of events in the
country and the world,
particularly changing Hindu-Muslim
relations. It could be a textbook
on how to write, mix fact, fiction
and history. It is beautifully
written; it deserves to be in
Category A1.” |
Khushwant
Singh
Author & Historian |
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“I
enjoyed M.J.Akbar’s
Blood
Brothers
[as though it were] my own
biography... It is an exquisitely
written narrative of truth
disguised in fiction and ends on a
note that is deeply moving and
unforgettable.” |
Sunil
Gangopadhyay
Pre-eminent Bengali novelist |
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| “M.J.
Akbar’s Blood
Brothers
is a marvellous work of history in
the form of a deeply engaging
story of a Muslim family in
Bengal. The exploration of the
complex interface between Muslims
and Hindus over the last 150 years
has the freshness of a
first-person experience which it
actually is. A work of
considerable charm, grace and
insight. A worthy companion to his
earlier book shade of swords on
the Islam/West encounter.” |
Shyam
Benegal
Renowned film-maker |
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E-mail the
Author : mjakbar@mjakbar.org
E-mail your Reviews
:ilaxi@mjakbar.org
|
Blood
Brothers a hit in Pak
-
By Shafqat Ali
Islamabad:
M.J. Akbar’s book
Blood Brothers: A Family
Saga is already a bestseller
in Pakistan within a week of
its launch in Lahore with
many saying it will promote
better understanding between
the two countries.
The
book of memoirs — a
non-fictional account of
three generations of a
Muslim family — is selling
like hot cakes among
politicians, academics and
media personalities. "I
have personally purchased a
copy of Mr Akbar’s book
and found it very, very
interesting. It is a mixture
of reality and
fiction," Pakistan’s
education minister Javed
Ashraf Qazi said. "The
book is bound to let the
younger generation know
about our history. The story
is so interesting that one
gets captivated. I will make
sure every Cabinet member
gets it. I will even try (to
ensure) that the President (Pervez
Musharraf) and Prime
Minister (Shaukat Aziz) read
it," Mr Qazi told IANS
here.
Makhdoom
Amin Fahim, a Pakistan
People’s Party (PPP)
leader and deputy to former
Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto, has got a copy of
the book, which also
delineates the fluctuating
contours of Hindu-Muslim
ties. "The book is
indeed a good addition to my
collection. I have gone
through it and would like to
read it at least 10
times," said Mr Fahim,
who is also a poet. The PPP
leader said the launching of
the book and Bollywood
movies would bring the
people and governments of
the two countries closer.
"I will send a copy to
(PPP chief Benazir) Bhutto
in Dubai," he said.
Former
federal minister Aitzaz
Ahsan said the book’s main
theme, which he described as
the "golden
thread" of the book,
was a message of hope,
coexistence, brotherhood and
tolerance between Pakistan
and India.
Najma
Najam, vice-chancellor of
the Fatima Jinnah Women
University, wants at least
100 copies for the varsity
library. "I have found
it to be interesting and
worth reading in one
go," she said. Jamil
Mirza, a professor of the
Quaid-e-Azam University in
Islamabad, said: "Mr
Akbar’s book is set to
bring people closer."
Salim Bokhari, editor of the
News daily, said in Lahore:
"I have always liked
the way Mr Akbar writes.
This book is very unique. I
have got 10 copies, one for
me, one for my wife and some
for my friends."
The
book is also doing brisk
business in all major
bookstores of the country.
"I think it will lead
the top-10 listing soon. It
is already a
bestseller," said
Mohammed Taj, a bookseller
in Lahore. Abdullah Janoon,
another bookstore owner in
Islamabad, said: "The
marketing has been good and
the book is selling
well."
In
Blood Brothers, Mr Akbar
narrates the story of a poor
child, Prayaag (in the
persona of the writer’s
grandfather), who is adopted
by a Muslim family, converts
to Islam and takes on the
name of Rahmatullah.
As
Rahmatullah knits Telinipara
into a community,
friendship, love, trust and
faith are continually
tested. Incidents —
conversion, circumcision,
the arrival of plague or of
electricity — and a
fascinating array of
characters interlink into a
narrative of social history.
(IANS)
MJ
Akbar's Blood Brothers launched
BY OUR STAFF REPORTER
Nation.com
LAHORE
- Celebrated Indian journalist and writer MJ
Akbar's book 'Blood Brothers' was launched at
Alhamra Hall on Thursday evening. The event
organised by Roli Books, New Delhi, and Liberty
Books, Karachi, was attended by leading
personalities from different sections of society
including writers, journalists and politicians.
Chairman PCB Shehryar Khan, PPP leader and writer
Aitzaz Ahsan, Indian High Commissioner Shiv
Shankar Menon, Editor The Nation Arif Nizami,
Publisher Dawn Hameed Haroon, Roli Books owner
Pramodh Kumar and the author shared their views at
the book launch which was also attended by famous
cricket star Wasim Akram. A number of friends of
MJ Akbar had come from India to attend the event.
The author's wife Malika and daughter Diya were
also present.
"The book is a story of three generations of
a Muslim family. It is also about two cities -
Calcutta and Lahore. My earliest memories can be
divided into two phases - school days and
holidays.
"My mother's family was here in Lahore and
all our holidays were spent here. She would
eagerly wait for holidays. Lahore was very much
part of our lives but it disappeared after 1965.
Partition was a reality no one could change or
should change. But for us the second partition was
imposed in the shape of war imposed by two
governments. All links between the two countries
ended.
"Therefore, the launch of book in Lahore has
special significance. Time for change has come
when we stop playing blame games. There is no need
for them," Akbar said while sharing his
views.
Arif Nizami said a number of book launchings and
other events involving the Indians are taking
place. "But the relations between Pakistan
and India seem not be making any forward movement.
It seems they are like taking one step forward and
two backwards or they seem to be going around in
circles. Kashmir is the unfinished agenda of
partition. Pakistan has made a number of moves to
settle the core issue of Kashmir but India has not
shown any flexibility in this regard.
"It is high time we settle the issue to save
our energies for dealing with other pressing
issues like increasing poverty," he
maintained.
Nizami praised Akbar for his research in
presenting the historical aspects of the book.
"The Deoband movement and many other subjects
dealt with in the book are revealing. He has
presented the dilemma of Muslims in India. He has
powerfully presented the spirit of his father,
which reflected that of Indian Muslims.
"His father was declared a Pakistani agent
before the start of 1965 war and arrested. His
mother had prayed and avowed that he would be
released in 19 days time. He was released on the
19th day as the war ended after 17 days.
"The Muslims had to face jingoistic treatment
and this was the reason Akbar wanted to be a
journalist. He can be called a success story. Is
his success a token exercise or is this the surge
of Muslims in India making great progress? The
record of India's treatment to its minorities is
not so good. Akbar can prove to be a bridge in
improving relations," he said.
Nizami said he first met Akbar in Bangalore during
the SAARC summit with Mushahid Hussain and Kuldip
Nayyar. "He was quite a rebel then," he
commented.
Aitzaz Ahsan said the golden thread of the book
was co-existence. "When an incident like that
of Gujrat or Babri Mosque happens we forget that
across the sub continent many religions have
co-existed through most of the time. The book
gives us the message of hope. We must not be cowed
down by extremism," he maintained.
He praised fast paced narration of the book.
"The power of the women is beautifully shown
in the book. For example when there was issue of
making cow sacrifice, it was Akbar's grandmother
and mother who took the cow away and defused the
situation," Aitzaz said.
Shehryar Khan said his family migrated from Bhopal
and he had seen the horrors of partition that
Akbar had written about in his book. He identified
three themes in the book. "First was the
courage in the face of death as well as courage of
your convictions and beliefs. The second theme is
that of human bonding while the third is of making
of blood brothers in the face of insanity
prevailing around," he said. Shehryar read
some excerpts from the book to explain the themes.
Shiv Shankar Menon said he read the book as a work
of history. "The strongest part is about
partition. It asks very difficult questions and
that is its strength. But it leaves you with
hope," he averred.
He said on February 14 last there were 2,800
Indians in Lahore for the cricket match.
"There was violence but not even a single
Indian was touched when they identified themselves
as Indians," he revealed.
Hameed Haroon said Akbar writes straight to the
point and does not hide behind symbols. He
lamented that not many quality books were being
published in the country. He stressed on
protection to authors and writers by ensuring due
royalties and urged the civil society to care more
for intellect. 
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Saga
of courage, faith, friendship and partitions
Staff Report
Daily
Times
LAHORE: The launch of a book by celebrated Indian
author and journalist M J Akbar at the Alhamra Art
Centre on Thursday was an occasion to celebrate
courage, faith, history, friendship and partitions
– past, present and future—and instill hope in
the younger generations of enduring peace between
warring neighbours.
A galaxy of “friends of MJ” – sans Mushahid
Hussain who is doing more important things
organising the PML-Q as per editor Arif Nizami –
paid glowing tributes to the Indian Muslim author,
and the glittering audience of intellectuals and
peaceniks rose to the occasion by applauding their
every sentence.
Among the luminaries who spoke on the occasion
were Aitzaz Ahsan who was as dramatic as ever; the
irrepressible Hameed Haroon of Dawn; the dapper
Arif Nizami of The Nation, the gallant Mian
Sheharyar Khan of the Pakistan Sports Board, and
the eloquent Shivshanker Menon, the current Indian
High Commissioner to Islamabad.
The book in question, Blood Brothers – A Family
Saga, was published in India last month and,
according to the publisher Pramod Kapoor, sold out
even before it was formally released! However, a
couple of our speakers admitted that they had not
fully read the book, prompting a backbench wit to
quip “presumably because they didn’t want to
prejudge it before the book launch.”
MJ, as he is affectionately known, said the book
was neither fact nor fiction, but the truth.
Actually, it is a bit of both fact and fiction,
weaving the amazing story of three generations
originating from the time MJ’s Hindu grandfather
Prayag converted to Islam in Telinipura, a small
jute-mill town north of Calcutta, acquired the
name Rehmatullah and married a Muslim girl, to the
time of the family’s escape to Dhaka at the time
of partition in 1947, and return to Calcutta
later. As a personal, political and historical
chronicle, it is MJ’s first dip into the world
of the novel, having previously authored seven
books of non-fiction and biography.
Mian Sheharyar said it required courage to
acknowledge the poverty-shrouded origins of MJ’s
family. Aitzaz Ahsan pointed out how the book is a
veritable tract of feminism in which women are the
real heroes. Arif Nizami and Hameed Haroon regaled
the audience with vignettes from MJ’s personal
life while Shivshanker Menon exclaimed that there
could be no better introduction to the wondrous
and multi-coloured land that was India than this
book.
MJ decried two historical partitions that tore the
fabric of human relations and love in the
subcontinent. One was in 1947 and the other in
1965 when a draconian visa regime was imposed on
travel between the two countries. “My mother was
a Lahori as much as she was a Kashmiri from
Amritsar”, he said, “and she couldn’t return
to Lahore after the 1965 war ruptured relations
between the two countries.” “I couldn’t put
it down,” claimed Mian Sheharyar, mocking a
chiller thriller. It’s not an easy book, argued
Shivshanker Menon because it spans so much
knowledge. The long queue of eager book beavers
for MJ’s autograph on the title page of the book
after the event testified to the impact of his
heroic endeavours. Buy a copy and travel his
family’s remarkable journey over the last
century.
 
M J Akbar is a leading Indian journalist and
author of several bestsellers. He is the founder
and Editor-in-Chief of The Asian Age, India’s
first multi-edition daily newspaper with a global
perspective, and is also the Editor-in-Chief of
the Deccan Chronicle, a Hyderabad-based news
daily. He comes from Bihari Muslim ancestry. He
was recently in Lahore for the book launching
ceremony of his latest (seventh) book, Blood
Brothers: A Family Saga.
We found him sitting in the lobby of the hotel he
is staying at, having coffee with some guests.
After bidding them farewell, he greeted us with a
warm and hearty ‘hello’. Dressed casually in a
white summer shirt and trousers, M J exuded an
aura of coolness mixed with exuberance. After the
formalities, we sat down for a chitchat session.
M J started to talk about his latest book with
such passion that it was clearly visible how
strongly he feels about it. He said that this book
holds a special place in his heart, though this
was not to say that his other books meant any less
to him. “Every book is like maternity and to a
mother every child is equally beautiful, though
one may be more of a favourite than the others.”
M J has a penchant for writing. When asked how he
makes time for writing books with his extremely
busy schedule, he says, “Time nikalta nahi, par
nikaalana parrta hai yaar,” (There is no time,
but I have to take time out). “It’s an
addiction! I can’t get enough of it,” he says
with a hearty chuckle. He said he gets plenty of
time when travelling to keep writing. M J said he
gets his inspiration from everyday experiences,
and as he himself puts it, “No text is possible
without context.” He wants to leave his books
behind as a legacy, as a treasure of knowledge
from which others would learn.
M J’s strength as a writer comes from two
things. One is his strength of expression and the
other is the strength of his craft. To put a story
in a way that puts it in the exact light of what
one wants to say is how a writer masters the art
of storytelling. He believes that simplicity is
the key to success for any writer. “Otherwise
there are hundred different ways of saying things,
you can make it dense and opaque or clear yet
keeping it simple – depends on the way you tell
the story.” He does not like to write in a
difficult manner, with difficult words thrust in
all over the page, making it difficult for the
readers to grasp what the writer is saying. “It
does a writer no good when the reader can’t go
beyond certain pages. What’s the use of writing
a book? You are not here to show off your
vocabulary. A writer’s job is to capture the
attention of the reader till the very end, not to
lose the reader midway.”
“It is very cruel to ask a writer when he will
write the next book,” quipped M J when queried
about his future work. “You cannot ask a mother
when she would give birth to her next child, only
when the seed is impregnated inside her will she
give birth – just like the seed of a new idea
would impregnate my mind and the next book will
follow.” Let’s wait and see how long it takes
for M J to get impregnated (with an idea for his
book of course!)
Talking about what keeps him ticking, he said, “It
is just belief in myself. The worst kind of defeat
is to be defeated by stupidity, to be defeated by
evil, to be defeated by pettiness. I accept that I
am just a pawn in the large game, but the moral
framework of any human being should be such that
he is never overwhelmed by events.” M J said
that he is not afraid of confrontations. “Why
enter life if you cannot confront things? Never be
afraid of anything.”
About his brief foray into politics, M J says he
wants to “experience everything in life”.
Asked if he left politics because he got
disillusioned, he said, “No, no, not at all. You
can only be disillusioned if you have any
illusions. And I don’t have any illusions.” He
said that venturing into politics had been a good
experience, “but the term ended too soon,” he
laughingly tells us. “There are no regrets, but
I am not cut out for politics. I don’t even know
how to make money through politics!”
The secret of his success as a journalist is
fearlessness and honesty. “The simplest way to
deal with anything is to not want anything in
return. If I go somewhere, I don’t want to be
invited again. If they invite me again, that’s
thir prerogative, but I never asked for it. I
never try to embellish the truth, never put a spin
on it. I write what I perceive to be right.”
When asked whether he is close to the religion
Islam, he said, “Of course I am! I have full
faith in my religion, but I do not impose my
beliefs on others. And I certainly do not believe
in the Islam preached by the maulvis.” He said
that these mullahs are not ignorant, but want the
people to remain in ignorance. “Ignorance is the
breeding ground for the subjugation of women.
These maulvis just want to maintain their power
over women through this ignorance. They do not
want anyone to introspect the religion, when in
fact all the big scholars of Islam believe that it
is always open for introspection. “It is not
wrong to introspect, especially in religion. How
can you follow something that you are not
comfortable with, that logic defies? You should
always be willing to introspect when you are in
doubt.” He says that intention matters the most,
not deeds. “If you have good intentions, don’t
worry even if it brings about a bad result.” “Islam
teaches you everything. There is a beautiful
hadith: ‘The Quran is the speaking teacher,
while the silent teacher is death’, so we must
learn from the Quran.”
On the condition of Muslims around the world, he
said, “Muslims are facing injustice in many
cases, but at the same time they themselves are
the perpetrators of many injustices. Some of the
greatest injustices against Muslims are done by
other Muslims.” “I am comfortable with my age.
But one should never sneer at time, for it passes
fast,” when asked if he is afraid of old age. M
J is 55 years old. He is very close to his family,
especially his daughters.
People’s power is the solution to the Kashmir
problem in his opinion. “In the end, the
solution will not be found by the Pakistani or
Indian governments, but by the people.” We
wanted to talk a bit more about the political
scenario of Pakistan, but M J made it clear he was
here to talk about his book and not Pakistani
politics.
M J Akbar believes in learning from moment to
moment as living is learning. He comes across as a
serious man, yet his sense of humour is highly
visible during the whole conversation. M J truly
lives the fearless way.
The
DAWN, PAKISTAN
Blood Brothers launch today
-By Shehar Bano Khan |
|
LAHORE, May 10: Dressed in his summer crisp white
shirt and trousers, M.J. Akbar looked quite
untouched by the searing temperature outside the
comfortable hotel environment. Sitting in the
lobby of the hotel where he is
staying, he talked with such motivated spirit
about his latest book ‘Blood Brothers’ that
its contents started coming to life in the
listener’s mind.
“This is the first time I’m doing a book
launch in Pakistan and if you read the book you’ll
realise why I’ve chosen Lahore as the city for
its launch in Pakistan. It forms an integral part
of my narrative,” explained the
journalist-author.
Blood Brothers is M. J. Akbar’s sixth foray into
book writing and going by the reviews in India,
other than being translated into six different
languages, it has
already claimed a place on the bestsellers’ list
in Akbar’s home country. “It has received
tremendous response from the people. Without
sounding too cliched I’ll say this is one book
which is close to my heart because of the passion
involved in writing it. It’s about my identity
as an Indian Muslim, about my parents, my
grandfather and what being a Muslim means in
India,” he elaborated.
Writing in an autobiographical narrative, M. J.
Akbar has no hesitation in conceding that Blood
Brothers is a mixed account of history interlaced
with fiction to make it interesting.
“Though the events and characters in the book
are based on reality, I’ve used the colourful
fictional element to capture the reader’s
interest. Reality and truth can be very
monotonous. I had to use my craft as a writer to
expand reality in a way which would not compromise
its factual contents.”
Covering a period of three generations, M. J.
Akbar starts off with Prayaag, his grandfather,
who converted to Islam of his own free will and
became Rahmatullah. “It’s in Telinipara, a
small jute-mill town north of Kolkata, where the
family saga began. My grandfather was barely 11
and on the verge of starvation when he was given
shelter and food by a Muslim family. Since the
couple had no children of their own, they adopted
him,” narrated M. J. Akbar.
“There wasn’t any forced conversion. My
grandfather did it out of love for the people who
cared for him like they would for their own son. I’ve
written this book keeping in mind the people of
the subcontinent and how they’ve existed despite
upheavals to create the social history of this
region.”
Akbar is one of the best known journalists of
India; he has gained international recognition for
the crispness of style arising from accepting
facts rather than nurturing politically convenient
bitterness perpetuated by the manipulated history
of the subcontinent. He is the founder and
editor-in-chief of The Asian Age, a multi-edition
national daily, and The Deccan Chronicle, besides
being a Dawn columnist.
M. J. Akbar has already won critical acclaim for
The Shade of Swords: Jihad and the Conflict
between Islam and Christianity, Jawaharlal Nehru’s
biography Nehru:
The Making of a Nation, Kashmir: Behind the Vale,
The Siege Within, Riot After Riot and a collection
of his articles compiled under the title of
Byline.
The formal launch of Blood Brothers will take
place today (Thursday) at the Alhamra Hall III on
The Mall at 5pm.
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Author traces roots of Hindu-Muslim ties |
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The
Pioneer
New
Delhi, 17 April 2006
History can disappear in a paragraph’
- Shana
Maria Verghis
A
state of neither elation, nor anger is a
good base to write a book. Because you
need calm to see beyond prejudices, says
MJ Akbar, editor and author. ?After my
parents died years ago, I thought it
important to put the story down. And wrote
it drained of all passion?
His
novel Blood Brothers is a family saga
based loosely on the life of Prayaag, his
paternal grandfather, a Bihari Hindu, who
migrated to Bengal, fleeing the famine.
Prayaag
was taken in by a Muslim family. He
converted, was circumcised, married a
Muslim girl and became a successful
businessman. The book splices fragments
from history pre and post-1857. Wajid Ali
Shah's excesses, selling out to the
British, growth of Deoband Muslims,
cholera epidemics to Partition,
discussions on Urdu, Jawaharlal Nehru's
death.
 Concluding
in the late 60s, the book covers three
generations of a Muslim family living in a
jute mill town called Telinipara.
Akbar
says, I’ve known this story all my life.
.rom tales told by aunts, myths and
memories.?
Your
choice of language is very lucid...
The
merit of narrative fiction is craft and
enables you to communicate through the use
of right words. Rather than write for
yourself. It's alright for James Joyce,
but my objective is to include the reader
in the story. There is a line from Ghalib
in the book explaining this credo.The poet
does not discover truth on my behalf. He
deftly draws strokes on a page and leaves
me to complete the portrait, for in the
unwritten lies the reader's freedom.
The
chapters are a series of vignettes...
The
anecdotes are a metaphor for larger
stories of Indian Muslims in a kasbah.
About causes and consequences of how in
the same street, history forces itself. A
street where people want to observe Id,
work, draw salaries, get out of poverty
and don't want history.
Were
you close to your grandfather?
He established a sense of memory in the
family through friendship. The only
distinction we had with Hindus was of
faith. This was true for everyone in those
days. Now with ghettoism, we live
separately and have stopped understanding
joys and pleasures of others. A festival
like Muharram used to be a common pageant.
It was meant to remind us of injustice
which affects both Hindus and Muslims. Of
course women would walk under tazias.
What
was the inherited legacy?
A belief system passed on to my father.
Attachment to soil.
Since the book looks at Indian Muslims, we
are going to ask a cliche question about
?clash of civilisations?
No such thing exists. In fact, Huntingdon
quoted me in the original essay, where I
spoke of a clash of colonisation, as
opposed to clash of civilisation. At
moments of change, a familiar metaphor
used is the image of a storm. Leaves
flying in the breeze. That was how Gandhi
described communal violence. We measure
history in timespans. But it can disappear
in paragraphs. We are in the process of
evolution. Of creating a modern state. The
notion of this ideal is in conflict with
reality. To find solutions is the search
of a lifetime.
You
constantly revert to history...
I had to go back to see where to depart
from. .or reference points on human
behaviour. Its dignity, joys, brief
timespans. Instead of moving towards
elimination of what was necessary in the
1950s. Not at the same point of what
happened to Dalits. That was horrible,
though some termed it positive
discrimination. Good is ending
discrimination, not institutionalising it.
What
is the role of Muslim leaders?
What is a Muslim leader? A leader of
Muslims does not become a Muslim leader.
Lalu will serve anyone of interest to him.
Bengalis voted in favour of CP(M), the
godless believers. Kerala for the Left.
These are healthy signs. As for Hindutva,
each idea peaks, lasts itself, then
strengthens or weakness.
What
is your writing method?
I let an idea germinate, then get
confidence to write if I like it. I knew
the beginning and end of Blood Brothers
before I started.
What
language do you think in?
In weaker moments, Hindustani and English.
Writers
you admire?
My professor at Presidency College. I
refer to him in the book. I admire the
sibilants and sounds of Milton. I have
read Book II of Paradise Lost. I also
enjoy Shakespeare and Urdu poetry. You
can?t use it in book-keeping though. Or it
may have been the language for commerce
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INDIAN
TOP 10 BESTSELLERS:NON-FICTION
3. Delhi: A Thousand Years of Building By Lucy
Peck Lotus Roli, Rs 500
6. Blood Brothers: A Family Saga By M.J. Akbar
Lotus Roli,
Rs 395
First Week of its launch
1. Blood Brothers: A Family Saga by M J Akbar
First & second week of May 2006
(Source: Bahri Sons, New Delhi) |
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M J AKBAR'S
POWERFUL AND COMPELLING HISTORY
AS FAMILY NARRATIVE |
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