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poojasinghco's review
4.0
"In a violent land" bring forth essays and stories, panning the length of our vast country of India, a collection of some of the best fiction and non-fiction stories that have been written on the violence that infiltrate all sections of the Indian society.
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As you go through each recital, you hear the cries of the Babri Masjid incident, the pangs of the Gujrat riots, experience first hand the brutality shown in the name of casteism, the atrocities meted out in the Naxalite bound regions of North East India, or the sadism exhibited in the garb of social status.
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In a country which inhabitants populace of such varied characteristics, divided by religion, caste, gender, language, class or geography, clashes are bound to happen and more so in a place where politics thrive on the differences between people.
Such are these tales that reminds you of the catastrophic past that has scarred the land for centuries now and acts as a constant reminder of the folly of not being tolerant of each other's differences, even in this time and age.
🌻
Stories featured comes from writers like
Khushwant Singh, Mahasweta Devi, Udayan Ghosh, Anna Bhau Sathe, Manoj Mitta, Harvinder Singh Phoolka, Salam Bin Razzaq, Suketu Mehta, Vijaydan Detha, Sonia Faleiro, Barkha Dutt, Shahnaz Bashir, and Sanjoy Hazarika.
🌻
So one cannot doubt how beautifully woven each narrative is, in it's all entirety.
Some stories are more impactful than others but there is no doubt that every single one of them is equally alluring.
Pick this one for a pretty hardcover coupled with powerful and compelling tales that blotch the history of our glorious nation.
.
.
.
.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: essay, shortstories, politics, IndianLiterature, cultural
🌻
As you go through each recital, you hear the cries of the Babri Masjid incident, the pangs of the Gujrat riots, experience first hand the brutality shown in the name of casteism, the atrocities meted out in the Naxalite bound regions of North East India, or the sadism exhibited in the garb of social status.
🌻
In a country which inhabitants populace of such varied characteristics, divided by religion, caste, gender, language, class or geography, clashes are bound to happen and more so in a place where politics thrive on the differences between people.
Such are these tales that reminds you of the catastrophic past that has scarred the land for centuries now and acts as a constant reminder of the folly of not being tolerant of each other's differences, even in this time and age.
🌻
Stories featured comes from writers like
Khushwant Singh, Mahasweta Devi, Udayan Ghosh, Anna Bhau Sathe, Manoj Mitta, Harvinder Singh Phoolka, Salam Bin Razzaq, Suketu Mehta, Vijaydan Detha, Sonia Faleiro, Barkha Dutt, Shahnaz Bashir, and Sanjoy Hazarika.
🌻
So one cannot doubt how beautifully woven each narrative is, in it's all entirety.
Some stories are more impactful than others but there is no doubt that every single one of them is equally alluring.
Pick this one for a pretty hardcover coupled with powerful and compelling tales that blotch the history of our glorious nation.
.
.
.
.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: essay, shortstories, politics, IndianLiterature, cultural
reethu_ravi's review
4.0
In A Violent Land is a collection of stories and essays written around the violence that prevalently exists in Indian society. With works of some of India’s celebrated authors and journalists like Khushwant Singh and Barkha Dutt, the book is a painful reminder of all the violence that has swept the country, and continue to do. It briefly touches upon the brutality arising from issues of religion, caste, gender, language, class, and geopolitics.
The book is a part of Aleph Book Company’s series – Aleph Olio. Centred around various Indian themes – from the diverse cultures to the great cities – Aleph Olio showcases some of the finest writings from some of India’s best writers. The amount of work that has gone into the compilation of this book is evident in the quality of the stories; hats off to the publisher for this.
From the India-Pakistan Partition of 1947 to the 1984 Sikh riots and the 1992-93 riots following the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya, these stories touch upon some of the worst violence India has ever witnessed. While some of these stories are literary fictions, others are real, harrowing accounts of some of the brutalities that occurred.
The book starts with Khushwant Singh’s infamous ‘Train To Pakistan,’ which takes us through the Partition of India in the perspective of Mano Majra, a fictional village bordering India and Pakistan. Suketu Mehta’s Powertoni gives a glimpse into the narrative of a couple of men from the Shiva Sena party who mercilessly killed Muslims during the ’93 riots. Meanwhile, Sonia Faleiro’s 13 Men talks about the horrific gang rape of a Santhal tribe woman in West Bengal, as a village council given punishment for having an affair with a married man from a different community.
At a time when India is witnessing communal riots and massive protests, In A Violent Land becomes a very important and relevant read. The book is a horrific reminder that violence in the name of religion, caste, and gender has been existing in the country since time immemorial, and it is far from over.
I highly recommend In A Violent Land if you’re on the lookout for a great collection of stories and essays. However, be warned that some of the stories have graphic details of rape and violence.
Rating: 3.5/5
The book is a part of Aleph Book Company’s series – Aleph Olio. Centred around various Indian themes – from the diverse cultures to the great cities – Aleph Olio showcases some of the finest writings from some of India’s best writers. The amount of work that has gone into the compilation of this book is evident in the quality of the stories; hats off to the publisher for this.
From the India-Pakistan Partition of 1947 to the 1984 Sikh riots and the 1992-93 riots following the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya, these stories touch upon some of the worst violence India has ever witnessed. While some of these stories are literary fictions, others are real, harrowing accounts of some of the brutalities that occurred.
The book starts with Khushwant Singh’s infamous ‘Train To Pakistan,’ which takes us through the Partition of India in the perspective of Mano Majra, a fictional village bordering India and Pakistan. Suketu Mehta’s Powertoni gives a glimpse into the narrative of a couple of men from the Shiva Sena party who mercilessly killed Muslims during the ’93 riots. Meanwhile, Sonia Faleiro’s 13 Men talks about the horrific gang rape of a Santhal tribe woman in West Bengal, as a village council given punishment for having an affair with a married man from a different community.
At a time when India is witnessing communal riots and massive protests, In A Violent Land becomes a very important and relevant read. The book is a horrific reminder that violence in the name of religion, caste, and gender has been existing in the country since time immemorial, and it is far from over.
I highly recommend In A Violent Land if you’re on the lookout for a great collection of stories and essays. However, be warned that some of the stories have graphic details of rape and violence.
Rating: 3.5/5
surabhichatrapathy's review
4.0
In a violent land is a collection of essays and short stories that stitch together the underbelly of Indian history. In popular discourse, India is presented as a peaceful nation. But what often gets covered up is the violence that premiates the many layers of Indian society.
The book brings together some of the finest writers of the country and their powerful stories speaking about the fault lines that define the country.
Be it partition, the emergency, the Sikh riots, the Bombay riots, Gujrat riots, the Babri Masjid riots etc. These stories and essays also weigh in how religion, the caste system are one of the biggest driving force of the violence in the country. It also weaves in the troubles surrounding gender, language and class.
For many of us who grew up in a sheltered and pervilaged environment, this collection is a strong insight into the lives of those who don't grow is such protected spaces.
An extremely powerful collection, it's a good reminder of our history, of how our State has failed in numerous instances to stand for its people, even worse at times perpetrate violence against civilians through an unaccountable and corrupt form of governance.
With the current political climate, that sits on the edge of violence and war constantly, I would urge each one of you to read this book and get some much needed perspective.
The book brings together some of the finest writers of the country and their powerful stories speaking about the fault lines that define the country.
Be it partition, the emergency, the Sikh riots, the Bombay riots, Gujrat riots, the Babri Masjid riots etc. These stories and essays also weigh in how religion, the caste system are one of the biggest driving force of the violence in the country. It also weaves in the troubles surrounding gender, language and class.
For many of us who grew up in a sheltered and pervilaged environment, this collection is a strong insight into the lives of those who don't grow is such protected spaces.
An extremely powerful collection, it's a good reminder of our history, of how our State has failed in numerous instances to stand for its people, even worse at times perpetrate violence against civilians through an unaccountable and corrupt form of governance.
With the current political climate, that sits on the edge of violence and war constantly, I would urge each one of you to read this book and get some much needed perspective.
shelfadmirer's review
4.0
‘In A Violent Land’, as the name suggests, is a collection of stories about terrible times in the history of India. Be it the ‘2002 Gujrat riots’, or the other kinds of ‘war’ happening throughout the country, these stories bring us the gruesome details and the mindset of the people who actively participated in these events.
These riots are mostly community driven. The Babri Masjid incident, or the massacre of Sikhs after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the brutal rape of thousands of women in the name of violence and the ineffectiveness of the politicians and public servants to do anything about it or their role in instigating these fights.
The authors whose stories are a part of this collection include Barkha Dutt, Khushwant Singh, Suketu Mehta, Sanjoy Hazarika etc. My most favorite story would be ‘Powertoni’ which is based on the authors account of his experience while doing research on the 1992-93 riots in Mumbai. The story gives us a glimpse of the mindset of a Hindu activist who murders numerous Muslims in cold blood and the irony is that he also needs this community to earn money and make an easy livelihood.
This collection is a very powerful and compelling one. It is also full of raw violence, cheap and double standard mindset and stories which only see the light of the day through one particular narrative-the one who emanates power.
These riots are mostly community driven. The Babri Masjid incident, or the massacre of Sikhs after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the brutal rape of thousands of women in the name of violence and the ineffectiveness of the politicians and public servants to do anything about it or their role in instigating these fights.
The authors whose stories are a part of this collection include Barkha Dutt, Khushwant Singh, Suketu Mehta, Sanjoy Hazarika etc. My most favorite story would be ‘Powertoni’ which is based on the authors account of his experience while doing research on the 1992-93 riots in Mumbai. The story gives us a glimpse of the mindset of a Hindu activist who murders numerous Muslims in cold blood and the irony is that he also needs this community to earn money and make an easy livelihood.
This collection is a very powerful and compelling one. It is also full of raw violence, cheap and double standard mindset and stories which only see the light of the day through one particular narrative-the one who emanates power.
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