Prem'sJourney

What Anirudh Kanisetti has Presented in his Magnum opus, “ Lords of the Deccan” is a dramatic and sensational narration that keeps you on the edge of your seat trying to finish the book at one go. Make no mistakes, Kanisetti is no academic Historian. He is a History writer who builds a chosen narration out of historical research by others. So it is natural it comes with a POV that is built on his interpretation and supposition. In this narration, Kanisetti purports to present a view on Medieval Deccan Powers, their rise, their expansion and their sunset. The Powers he means are the Chlaukyas and Rashtragudas. Every other Dynasty is presented from the viewpoint of the above mentioned Dynasties. He also Speaks about Cholas but about that, much later. So with that in mind, he sets out to outline the Rise of Vatapi Chalukyas, and their Conquests over Pallavas. The popular narrative of Narasimha Varma Pallava taking revenge on Pulikesin II and the Sacking of Vatapi after which popular narra...

Few Years back I was on a weekend Trekking trip with a diverse group who were all extremely passionate about nature and Mountains. All along the trip to the Starting point of the Trek from the Club, all of them Looked Exciting and always spoke about how they aspire to trek along the Lush North East mountains and Specifically about Khasi and Jaintia Hills. On the early morning after the successful completion of the trek, while we were gathered around for the Breakfast, I struck up a conversation with a Young lady who was from Bangalore and was part of the group that was very vocal about their passion about the North East. The conversation moved along the Common interest of Nature, Books, Animals and hovered around the Pets. While Sipping the Morning Coffee, Casually she mouthed out " Our Pets are not safe from the North East people who have infested the city". To say that I was shocked would have been a gross understatement. The shock must have shown in my face. So she backed ...

What comes to your mind when you think of the first travelogue you have ever read? For me, it was a lot of condescension, and a display of superiority which now I think as Naivety and bluster, fit to impress only an innocent 5 year old, whom I was then. My first experience of reading Travelogues was at that early age in my mother tongue Tamil. Written by some of the popular writers of those times who always bragged about their visits to Europe and the West, in an effort to impress the masses who did not have means to travel themselves. Later years, as I grew up and started travelling to all those places, I realised how shallow their narratives were. By then, my reading had expanded into much deeper subjects and I wanted to see more from a travelogue. Particularly, I wanted Travelogues to provide me with historical background on behavioural aspects of the people and the culture of the places I read about. All the while I was looking at places outside my Country, thinking those are the p...

காந்தியின் அடையாளங்கள், கொள்கைகள், குறியீடுகள் ஆகியவை முன்னெப்போதும் இல்லாத வகையில் இன்று, தவறாகவும், குறுகிய நோக்கங்களுடனும் சித்தரிக்கப்படுவது வழக்கமாகிவிட்டது. அதனால் இன்றைய காலகட்டத்தில் அவரைப் பற்றிய உருவகம் மீளக் காட்சிப்படுத்துதல் அவசியமாகிறது. அவரைப் பற்றிய நிகழ்வுகளின் வழியே அவரைக் கண்டடைவதும், அதன் வழியாக அவரைப்பற்றிய புரிதலை அடைவதும் இன்றைய தேவை. அவ்வகையில் இந்தப்புத்தகம் ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட அளவில் ஆவணமாகவே கருதலாம். அனுபவக் குறிப்பாக ஆரம்பிக்கும் இந்நூல், சில நேரங்களில், மூன்றாம் நபரின் பங்களிப்பை, செவிவழி சம்பவங்களாகக் கூறினாலும், பெரும்பாலும் அண்ணலின் கூடவே பயணித்த காகாவின் அனுபவங்களின் ஊடே செல்வதால், சம்பவங்களின் உண்மைத்தன்மைக்கு பெரிதும் சேதம் நேராமல் பதிவு செய்யப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. ஒரு புத்தகம் என்ற வகையில், நீதிக்கதைகள் (fables) போல் இருந்தாலும், அந்த சிறு சம்பவங்களின் வழியே அவரின் ஆளுமையும், அது உருவாகிய வழியையும் தெள்ளத்தெளிவாக படம் பிடிக்கிறது. இந்திய சுதந்திரப் போராட்டத்தில், கிலாபத் கிளர்ச்சி ஒரு முக்கியமான திருப்பு முனையாகும். அதன் தொடர்ச்சியாக, வைசிராயுடன் நிகழ்ந்த ப...

I started reading “Curfewed Nights” by Basharat Peer after reading “Our Moon Has Blood Clots” by Rahul Pandita. Both are of about the same age and are talking about the same time, landscape, and issue. But what struck me like a thunderclap on my head is, I was looking at two different windows into their world which show completely different scenes. I know it is the same land they are talking about, Kashmir. But the views they presented were completely diverse. While Rahul Pandita chooses to focus only on the issues of Pandits and pointing to religious bigotry of the Muslim brethren as a crux of the issue, without any larger context thus blinding out the organisational apathy and atrocities on Kashmir on whole, Peer tries to cover a larger picture. Both choose to go silent on the pains, atrocities, and ravages the other side faced. To be fair to Peer, he tries to walk around the Hindu Pandit issue with fragility and tenderness it requires, but he never delves into what triggered it or ...