The Enlightened Entrepreneur

The Enlightened Entrepreneur by Bhavarlal H. Jain from Rupa & Co.

It is easy for an entrepreneur to look at data and charts to arrive at a business decision, but extremely difficult to look within his soul to find answers.Bhavarlal H. Jain happens to be someone who can do both with ease. He is the founder and chairman of Jain Irrigation, a 1-billion company which was presented with ‘The Good Company Award’ by Forbes in 2012.

His is a company that nearly went bankrupt four times in the last thirty years of its existence, only to rise again. Despite these ups and down, however, Jain has not wavered from a business model that is based on Gandhi’s notion of trusteeship—wherein wealth belongs not to an individual but is used for the benefit of the community.Which is a compilation of lectures that he has given over thirty years.

Replete with instances and expositions of what constitutes ‘enlightened entrepreneurship’—a notion that, Jain iterates, must be embraced by each and every entrepreneur—this book provides invaluable insights into what successes and failures mean to a businessperson, the tenets of effective leadership, and transformational businesses.

In our Biography section, Rs. 395, in paperback, 185 pages, ISBN: 9788129131942

Savage Attack

Savage Attack: Tribal Insurgency in India by Crispin Bates And Alpa Shah from Social Science Press.

In Savage Attack: Tribal Insurgency in India the authors ask whether there is anything particularly adivasi about the forms of resistance that have been labelled as adivasi movements. What does it mean to speak about adivasi as opposed to peasant resistance? Can one differentiate adivasi resistance from that of other lower castes such as the dalits?

In this volume the authors move beyond stereotypes of tribal rebellion to argue that it is important to explore how and why particular forms of resistance are depicted as adivasi issues at particular points in time. Interpretations that have depicted adivasis as a united and highly politicised group of people have romanticised and demonized tribal society and history, thus denying the individuals and communities involved any real agency.

Both the interpretations of the state and of left-wing supporters of tribal insurgencies have continued to ignore the complex realities of tribal life and the variety in the expressions of political activism that have resulted across the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent.

In our Sociology section, Rs. 725, in hardback , 306 pages, ISBN: 9788187358695

An Introduction to Hindustani Classical Music

An Introduction to Hindustani Classical Music: A Guidebook for Beginners by Vijay Prakash Singha from Roli Books.

An Introduction to Hindustani Classical Music: A Guidebook for Beginners is Vijay Singha's comprehesive guide to savourand appreciate classical music. Written in a simple and easytocomprehend style, this book delves into the understandingof raga sangeet, semiclassical and fusion music, raga sangeet in Hindi films, as well as the future of classical music in India.

In our Music section, Rs. 250, in paperback, 184 pages, ISBN: 9788174369192 

Development on Trial

Development on Trial: Shrinking Space for the Periphery by Sunanda Sen And Anjan Chakrabarti from Orient Blackswan.

Developing countries today are subject to a process of transformation, from what could be identified as a developmental State to one where the market emerges as the major driving force in the economy. Development on Trial analyses the changing links between State policies and corporate structures as the goal of development in these economies weaken, crumble and then fall apart to give way to a steady withdrawal of the State. This goes with the growing and imperious control exercised by big businesses in the process.

The authors unravel the contradictions between the State and the market as has been spelt out in liberal theory. They draw attention to the new pattern usually described as corporate feudalism where corporations replace or co-opt the ruling State in these countries. This volume has been organised in four sections. The first deals with the State and corporatisation of business. The second section deals with colonial trade patterns, trade, employment and structural changes relating to India and other developing countries during the recent years.

The third section discusses aspects of mobile capital, volatility, and financial exclusion in de-regulated capital markets—issues which have of late been drawing a lot of attention in public debates. The last section studies the dimensions of labour market flexibility in India and in the developing areas in general. Bringing together essays by well-known economists from India and abroad, this volume is an indispensable read for students and scholars of economics and development studies.

In our Development Studies section, Rs. 925, in hardback, 468 pages, ISBN: 9788125051305

Babri Masjid

Destruction of the Babri Masjid: A National Dishonour by A.G. Noorani from Tulika Books.

Destruction of the Babri Masjid: A National Dishonour is a sequel to The Babri Masjid Question 1528–2003: ‘A Matter of National Honour’, published in 2003 in two volumes – a compilation by A.G. Noorani of documents and primary source material on various aspects of the Ram Janmabhoomi–Babri Masjid dispute, covering the demolition of the Masjid on 6 December 1992, and the legal proceedings in the civil suits and criminal cases up to mid-2003.

The present volume brings the narrative up to date. It covers the three Allahabad High Court judgments, the Liberhan Commission Report, the tortuous course of the criminal cases, and disclosures and developments in the last decade –from 2003 till the end of 2013. An Introduction surveys the events before and after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, and analyses the judgments delivered by the three judges of the Allahabad High Court in 2010. ‘In the courts of law and justice, the civil and criminal cases concerning the title to the Babri Masjid and accountability for its destruction, on 6 December 1992, have all but run their course.

Neither legality nor justice has been conspicuous in the proceedings or in the many judgments delivered. On past form, there is little hope for redress in legal proceedings after that grave and utterly wasteful crime. . . . The forces of India’s secularism can ignore the challenges ahead only at the nation’s peril. At stake is the survival of India’s democracy and its corollary, secularism.’

In our Religion section, Rs. 995, in hardback, xiv+506 pages, ISBN: 9789382381471


The Babri Masjid Question 1528-2003, (Vol-I): 'A Matter of National Honour' by A.G. Noorani from Tulika Books.

The Babri Masjid Question, 1528–2003: ‘A Matter of National Honour’ is a compilation by A.G. Noorani, in two volumes, of primary source material on various aspects of the Ramjanmabhumi–Babri Masjid dispute. The documents, chronologically arranged under thematic chapter heads and covering historical, archaeological, legal and political ground, clearly reveal why and how an issue that had been settled in the nineteenth century was revived in the twentieth century, and exploited for sordid political ends.

They bear evidence to the fact that the demolition of theBabri Masjid on 6 December 1992 was a criminal deed that redefined the politics of India. They show how the movement that led up to the demolition and its continuing efforts to justify the building of a Rama temple at the very site of the mosque are driven by the politics of power and religious fundamentalism.

For the Sangh Parivar, raising the Ayodhya issue has a wider aim than that of building a temple at Ramjanmasthan. That aim is the establishment of a Hindu rashtra. What is at stake, therefore, is the survival of secularism, democracy and rule of law in this country. It is a battle for India’s soul.

In our Politics section, Rs. 650, in paperback, xl+416 pages, ISBN: 9789382381457


The Babri Masjid Question 1528-2003, (Vol-II): 'A Matter of National Honour' by A.G. Noorani from Tulika Books.

The Babri Masjid Question, 1528–2003: ‘A Matter of National Honour’ is a compilation by A.G. Noorani, in two volumes, of primary source material on various aspects of the Ramjanmabhumi–Babri Masjid dispute. The documents, chronologically arranged under thematic chapter heads and covering historical, archaeological, legal and political ground, clearly reveal why and how an issue that had been settled in the nineteenth century was revived in the twentieth century, and exploited for sordid political ends.

They bear evidence to the fact that the demolition of theBabri Masjid on 6 December 1992 was a criminal deed that redefined the politics of India. They show how the movement that led up to the demolition and its continuing efforts to justify the building of a Rama temple at the very site of the mosque are driven by the politics of power and religious fundamentalism.

For the Sangh Parivar, raising the Ayodhya issue has a wider aim than that of building a temple at Ramjanmasthan. That aim is the establishment of a Hindu rashtra. What is at stake, therefore, is the survival of secularism, democracy and rule of law in this country. It is a battle for India’s soul.

In our Politics section, Rs. 500, in paperback, xii+320 pages, ISBN: 9789382381464

Art And Craft Of Harappans

Art And Craft Of Harappans by Deo Prakash Sharma from Kaveri Books.

This work is a masterpiece on archaeological material related to Harappan sites, belonging to both Indian and Pakistan. It provides an exclusive documentation of Harappan artifacts and other articles as found in various sites of one of the most ancient civilization of the world. The contents of the material provided herein sprawl from the excavated sites in the north west south Asia, including mineral sites in the region to script to seals, sealing and tablets and last, but not the least, to different types of objects discovered.

The book gives a vivid and lucid description of the settlements, miniature figurines made up of stone/bronze/ceramic, pottery, terracotta articles, jewellery along with appropriate and eye catching illustrations and details which are easy to comprehend and remember. Not only this, the author has even touched on the subject of varied trys, tools implements and weapons existing in that period apart from delving in the than prevailing religious rituals.

This pictorial presentation is not only valuable for a student of ancient history but also for all those who have tendency towards and taste for peeping into the annals of the hoary past.

In our Art and Architecture section, Rs. 2500, in hardback, xviii+238 pages, ISBN: 9788174791375

Hindustani Music in Colonial Bombay

Hindustani Music in Colonial Bombay by Aneesh Pradhan from Three Essays Collective.

This book focuses on Bombay’s role in modernising the world of Hindustani music in the colonial era and in moulding the ethos surrounding this musical tradition. Changing patterns of patronage, performance and pedagogy, are elaborated upon, and adaptive strategies employed by musicians to cope with the new colonial urban environment are examined.

The author discusses the interface between Hindustani musicians and theatre and cinema, and the impact of gramophone recordings and broadcasting on Hindustani music, in the context of Bombay.

Based on primary and secondary source material, and oral histories, this book will be of academic interest to scholars working in the fields of colonial history, music history, urban studies, and musicology, and, of course, to all lovers of Indian classical music.


In our Music section, Rs. 750, in hardback, xii+348 pages, ISBN: 9788188789962