The Ivory Throne by Manu Pillai ;
Published by Harper Collins ; Pages 694 ; Price Rs 699/-
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This book is quite an astonishing achievement. The author Manu Pilllai is only 26 years and this is his maiden book. He has dug into the archives of the India Office at the British Library in London and waded through the long dispatches of British residents in Travancore .This book is In fact “three-books-in one “.
We have the chronicles of the life and times of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi who for seven years ( 1924—1931 ) was the ruler of the State of Travancore. She was beloved of her 5 million subjects who held her in high esteem. Manu has recounted her sparkling reign on behalf of the minor Sri Chitra Thirunal. She was an able administrator who gave special attention to education, trade which led to the high social development of Kerala. She upheld the rights of the modern woman.
There was a regular war between Sethu Lakshmi Bayi and her sister Sethu Parvathi Bayi. The latter’s son ascended the throne in 1931.
A second book is a clinical analysis of the theory and practice of the matrilinear system in Travancore.
The third book is a thorough study of the history of the social change in the 20th century leading inevitably to the vanishing of the way of life practised by Royalty and accepted by the subjects.
“ Ivory Throne “ begins with the dramatic entry of Vasco da Gama whose retinue was composed of “ the scum of the earth”—convicts and criminals of Portugal. Driven by formidable ambition and undaunted spirit Gama landed on the shores of Kerala. The team was summoned by the Hindu Raja Manavikrama—the Zamorin of Calicut. The Portugese were allowed as ordinary traders and got no special treatment. Cabral followed Gama and was thrown out by the Zamorin. Pillai gives a grand account of the role of the Zamorin and their loss of importance.
Trade was followed inevitably by Religion. Christianity established its first roots in Kerala after the landing in Cranganore of St.Thomas the Apostle .
The emergence of a house known as “ Kupaka “ led to the carving up the south into small principalities among their various offshoots, with the extreme south in the hands of of the Rajas of Travancore. One Prince Martanda Varma dramatically revitalized the Kupaka dynasty resurrecting their pride. He emerged as the new fountain of power along the coast.
This book analyses the fascinating times from the era of Martanda Varma down to India’s liberation from colonial rule two centuries after his death. The story is recounted of one of the most distinguished rulers of Travancore in the modern period. Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, who was the penultimate ruler of Travancore. The Queen occupied a riveting world of court intrigue and illicit conspiracies hatched not only by scheming politicians but also by ambitious members of her family in an all-engulfing contest for power. There was a regular war between Sethu Lakshmi Bayi and her sister Sethu Parvathi Bayi. The latter’s son ascended the throne in 1931.
Queen Sethu Lakshmi Bayi earned the unstinted admiration of both the colonial empire that had shaped the country’s past and of nationalists like Gandhi who were moulding its future. The Poet Laureate of Kerala, Ulloor Parameswara Iyer declared “ that the days of Sethu Lakshmi Bayi’s government would be recorded in letters of gold by the future historian of Travancore.”
The book throws up a galaxy of interesting characters. Standing out like a sore thumb in the life of the Rani is the Diwan Sir C.P.Ramaswamy Iyer who was a latter-day Mephistopheles. By his sheer ruthlessness he created more enemies against royalty. Iyer strained to keep Travancore away from the India Union but physical attacks on him led to his ignominous exit from Travancore.
Another character who was larger than life was the painter Raja Ravi Varma.
Raja Ravi Varma is an artist who is credited with bringing about a momentous turn in the art of India, He was the first artist to cast the Indian Gods and mythological characters in natural earthy surroundings using European realism; a depiction adopted not only by the Indian “calendar-art”- spawning ubiquitous images of Gods and Goddesses, but also by literature.
This is a masterly work—indeed it is unputdownable work on the recent history of the State of Travancore. It is a labour of love and a result of solid scholarship. The number of pages of reference is a whopping 108 pages.
Savour the delectable history of a princely state.
P.P.Ramachandran
10 / 05 / 2016
The Gift by Kochouseph Chittilapilly ; published by Rupa ; Pages 123 ; Price Rs 195/-
Very few persons would not have heard of
V-Gaurd of Kerala. It is the “ Ultimate Voltage Stabiliser “. The company was
started in 1977 with a loan of Rupees One Lakh and a couple of workers.
It has become today a public enter[rise of Rs.1750 crores. The founder
Kochouseph Chittilapilly ( K C hereafter )-- an ordinary citizen of Kerala
fired by an enthusiasm established an industry—the V-Guard Group of companies
which has now acquired a name for successful business enterprise. It outsourced
the manufacturing to small enterprises-and about 70 percent of the turnover
comes from outsourcing. K C inaugurated the first of water amusement park
called Vegaland, now known as Wonderala which is a stunning success both
in popularity and earnings.
But the book under review is not a work on management dealing with V-Guard and Wonderala but a human interest story of great value.
When K C was sixty years of age at the pinnacle of his achievement, he took an unusual and unexpected controversial step. Moved by the plight of a close relative, K C decided to donate his kidney to a poor truck driver whom he did not know.
This book deals with the subject of organ donation. It provides excellent insight into the personal, medical and legal aspects of being a donor. For a country of 1.3 billion people “Organ Donation “ is not an esoteric subject but one which must be understood by people from all walks of life. This knowledge could mean the difference between life and death of someone close to each one of us.
As pointed out by Subroto Bagchi in his “ Foreword”, “ It is a book that restores faith in the power of good at a time when indiscriminate greed and violence, both in thought and deed, has overtaken people and few have the time to pause and reflect”.
K C was passionately committed to the idea of donating a kidney. He began by amassing all information he could on the subject. He met Father Davis Chiramel who had donated his kidney to a poor electrician. He had started a campaign of chain donation of kidneys. He would arrange for a donation and ensure that some one in the recipient’s family would donate his kidney.
K C gives a clear picture of how the surgery is done—the earlier method and the latest laparoscopical surgery. The latter requires a shorter hospital stay and there is quicker recovery.
It is interesting to note that K C’s first article for his College was about organ donation and after forty –one years he decided to donate a vital organ.
He donated his kidney to a poor truck driver whom he did not know. He wanted the public to know that there is no harm in giving away a kidney ; let the world know that no amount of money spent on advertising could achieve as much awareness about organ donation as his act could. Father Chiramel turned it into a social cause by putting K C’s kidney at the head of a donation chain.
KC has written clinically about the initial shocked reaction of members of his own family and their eventual accepting his decision. He gives details of the operation. So many tests to be conducted—tissue matching ; blood groups matching ;cross matching; Rh factor.
At the age of 60 K C donated one kidney—that was on 23 February 2011, He is in fine fettle, doing extremely well with V – Guard and Wonderala.
He writes of the “ Butterfly Effect”.
An action is a hundred times more effective than preaching. When somebody stepped in to lie on a surgery table to donate his or her organ, the wave of response has become immense, This is called the “ Butterfly Effect.” It is attributed to a meteorologist named Edward Lorenz. It suggests that the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in South America could affect the weather in Texas.
In an Annexure K C provides the Legal regulations and restrictions obtaining in India in the field of organ donation.
This is a highly inspiring book which requires to be read widely and it will lead to increased donation of organs in our country.
P.P.Ramachandran.
09 / 05 / 2016
Flying in High Winds by S.K.Misra ; Published by Rupa ; Pages 270 ; Price Rs. 500/-
Among the vital sources of history are the biographies, autobiographies and memoirs of politicians, judges, civil servants, etc. We have excellent books by Justice M.C.Chagla,K.P.S.Menon, Natwar Singh, P.C.Alexander, Madhav Godbole and others. In this genre there is a notable addition and that is the memoir of S.K.Misra. He was Principal Secretary to three Chief Ministers of Haryana and Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. He retired as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. Post retirement he worked closely with UPSC and INTACH. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by Government of India.
He can be described as one who has led a full and hectic life and his memoir is at once interesting and replete with insights. He has gone through a gruelling experience under several masters of different types and hues.
His Guru was B.B.Vohra , a member of the first batch of I A S Officers. He was “ a man of absolute integrity, hard working, fair just and willing to risk his neck for a just cause”. Three different Chief Ministers of Haryana in quick succession—all who hated each other-chose Misra as their Principal Secretary and gave him their full trust and confidence. No mean achievement.
Misra was born in 1932 and after obtaining his M.A from Allahabad University joined the I A S. We have a delightful narration of his early life, the training in Metcalfe House. His first posting was in PEPSU and major assignment as Deputy Commissioner of Hisar.
We have a graphic account of the rule of “ The Iron Man of Haryana “ Shri.Bansi Lal. According to Misra Bansi Lal’s integrity was unquestioned, A sheaf of complaints against him by ten prominent politicians were enquired into by a Committee set up by Indira Gandhi and he was absolved of all charges. Haryana under Bansi Lal left Punjab far behind and in fact Punjab started emulating Haryana.
Bansi Lal became Defence Minister and took Misra with him. Very soon the Indira Government fell and a new Government was formed by the Janata Party Morarji Desai as Prime Minister. There was no love lost between Bansi Lal and Devi Lal. Each paraded the other publicly with handcuffs !.The shenanigans of the Devi Lal government are described with a sense of humour. Devi Lal’s tenure as Deputy Prime Minister is also covered at length and the story is told of how Misra cleverly scuttled the foreign jaunts of Devi Lal as the Prime Minister was opposed to it.
Misra became Chairman f I T D C and he faced a sea of troubles. He had an important role to play in “ The Festival of India”—a project controlled by Pupul Jayakar—the “ Cultural Czarina “ of Indira Gandhi. Five outgoing and two incoming Festivals were held under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Misra became Secretary of Tourism under Rajiv Gandhi and he played a commanding role.
He became Principal Private Secretary to Chandra Sekhar when he became the Prime Minister. Misra assessment of Chandra Sekhar is worth noting. “ Chandra Sekhar was an extremely down-to earth leader, possessing the humility and understanding of Gandhiji. The legacy of both Nehru and Gandhi was apparent in his personal and political courage…He defied Indira Gandhi who sent him to jail..He—as in the case of Gandhi and Nehru, who bore no rancor against the British--- on his release showed not the slightest ill-will towards Mrs.Gandhi.”
After retirement from the government Misra joined the UPSC and later became Chief of INTACH. During his tenure in INTACH he enlarged the scope of its activities, setting up new divisions to keep pace with the expanding horizon of heritage conservation .Misra has devoted lot of time and energy to rural heritage and development. ITACH’s growing stature is widely recognized within the country and overseas paving the way for future fund-raising, largely due to Misra’s relentless efforts.
A very interesting part of the book is the Section entitled “ Memorable Encounters”. This deals with the meetings Misra had with Jawaharlal Nehru, Prince Charles, Sanjay Gandhi, M F Husain, E.Alkazi, K.Natwar Singh and others. These contain material of absorbing interest.
This is a good book of memoir, very well written and full of delectable anecdotes. It is also a history of India’s development. Warmly commended to all students of history and politics of the India sub-continent.
P.P.Ramachandran
8 / 5 / 2016
Mohammed Rafi by Sujata Dev ; Published by OM Books ; Pages 238 ; Price Rs. 595/-
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There is a loud chorus from the public that Mohammed Rafi should be posthumously conferred Bharat Ratna for his great contribution to Film music. The book under review is an apt support for this plea. The author Sujata Dev is recipient of the Global Indian Achievement Award. She has immense experience in the world of Media and has prepared research papers on the Telecom and Entertainment industry. Mohammed Rafi was a colossus that strode the Hindi film world for four decades and this biography has been written with the assistance of Shahid Rafi, son of Mohammed Rafi.
Rafi was the voice of Dilip Kumar who contributes a brief Foreword. Dilip writes, “ Mohamed Rafi was my voice in practically all my memorable films. Rafi had the God-given ability to mould and adapt his rendering of a number according to the given situation in the film, the character’s mood of the time, the overall nature and disposition of the character in the film and the setting or milieu of the film…Rafi won numerous awards and recognition but he believed that his real reward was the admiration of the people, the common man for whose entertainment Allah had gifted him with the incomparable voice that he possessed.”
Rafi was born in a village near Amritsar and was the seventh child in a family of nine children. Rafi learnt classical music from Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan, Pandit Jiwan Lal Matoo and Firoze Nizami. His first public performance came at the age of 13, when he sang in Lahore.The family shifted to Lahore where his father ran a Dhabha. Rafi assisted his brother in his barber shop. A family friend Abdul Hameed recognizing Rafi’s talent brought him to Bombay. A Fakir who heard Rafi sing predicted, “ Your voice will rule the world”. Surely, it did !.
Rafi and his mentor managed to get a letter of introduction to Naushad from his father in Lucknow. Naushad gave a break to Rafi who sang his first song in “ Pehli Aap “.
His first big break was in Jugnu (1947), where he sang a duet, “Yahan Badla Wafa Ka” with Noor Jahan, composed by Feroz Nizami. He had the luck to sing with the legendary K.L.Saigal in “ Shahjehan”.
It took more than two years for Naushad and Rafi to team up again in the film “ Anmol Ghadi”. The Naushad—Rafi combination was ambrosia for music lovers.Rafi's association with Naushad helped the former establish himself as the foremost playback singer in Hindi cinema. Songs from Baiju Bawra like "O duniya ke rakhwale" and "Man tarpat hari darshan ko aaj" made secure Rafi's niche in Bollywood.
He sang "Suno Suno Ae Duniyawalon, Bapuji Ki Amar Kahani". superbly for Husanlal Bhagatram on the brutal assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Pandit Nehru invited Rafi to his house and asked him to sing this song.
Rafi was fortunate to be selected by many eminent Music directors like S.D.Burman, Shankar Jaikishan, Qayyam, Ramachandra. His song “ Chaudhiva Ka Chand Ho “ won Rafi his first Filmfare Award. Other great films which he sang for were Baiju Bawra, Barsaat, Bhabhi and many more, Rafi lent his voice for Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Guru Dutt,Shammi Kapoor, Dev Anand and so many others. Anup Jalota said, “ Some of the best Hindi spiritual songs are found in the voice of Rafi. He could sing devotional songs in different languages and his pronunciations would be immaculate. His soulful voice has stirred millions of hearts over the decades.
Rafi's song “Baharon Phool Barsao” was voted the most popular Hindi song in a BBC Asia Network poll commemorating 100 years of Hindi Cinema.
When Rafi came to Mumbai and settled down he stayed in Bhendi Bazaar in south Mumbai with Hameed, who brought him to Mumbai. Rafi wanted his wife to come to Mumbai but she refused. After that, Rafi married Bilquis mother of Shahid Rafi.
The book covers the controversy between Rafi and Lata on royalty and Lata and Rafi did not sing with each other for quite some time.
Rafi received six Filmfare Awards and one National Film Award Film In 1967, he was honoured with the Padma Shri. Rafi sang in other Indian languages and a few foreign languages. .
The book has a 45 minute D.V. D.—a valuable documentary on Rafi with some of his memorable songs of Rafi and select interviews.
P.P.Ramachandran
5 / 5 / 2006
Dream Dare Deliver by Priya Kumar ; Published by Embassy Books ; Pages 251 ; Price Rs 495 /
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Priya Kumar has acquired fame with her motivational books which have fetched her international awards. Her recent book “ The Inspiring Journey of a Hero” of Shri.O.P.Munjal of “ Hero Cycles ‘ was reviewed in these columns .
She has now taken up the task of assessing the life and times of Shri.Subashish Chakraborty and his world famous D T D C. Subasish started DTDC in 1990, with the intention of offering logistics facilty to the public. He refused to be deterred by insufficiency or lack of capital to create his own network .He conceived the idea of a partnership with like-minded businessmen who ,like him, wanted to provide high quality customer service in the field of express supply chain and logistics. The scheme was an immediate success and he pioneered the path-breaking concept of a franchise model, the first of its kind in this industry.
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Subashish is a pioneer of the franchisee based business model in the express industry who has evolved and guided DTDC during its life of three decades and made him numero ono in that field. He is a gold medalist in chemistry and also holds a diploma in advanced management programme. He has bagged several awards—the latest being “ Admired Leader of Asia 2014 -15 “ from the VWP World Brand. He is a genuine business leader with a passion and commitment to people.
Subashish was brought up in challenging economic circumstances and fought his way through darkness and today is the owner of a 150 million dollars company.
The book begins with an account of his school days. He pined to be a student of the Ramakrishna Mission school but that never materialized. He acquired a passion for football. Initially he was not good in studies but improved. He joined the Vivekananda Centenary College and took up a job with “ Peerless “ where he did very well.
There is a gripping account of his trip to Russia with a passport about to expire and his dramatic landing in London airport,
Due to governmental action “ Peerless “ in Calcutta was in doldrums and his career in ruin. He shifted to Bangalore to start “ Peerless “ there. Here it proved a grand success but his brother Debashish threw a spanner into the works. In the event “ Peerless “ proved a disaster here.
Subashish started a new business—the D T D C. His close friend Mantri had started a courier company in Bombay and sough Subashish’s help to start one in Bangalore. That was the “ Airpak Courier Service Pvt Ltd”. It was inaugurated in June 1987. He personally brought in leading companies who still conduct business with him. He was the first to start a dedicated and exclusive franchise system in the courier business. On 26 July 1990 D T D C was born and now challenges emerged. His close friend ditched him. But Subashish survived this. He had to be in jail for a few days.
Subashish started a new journey with D T D C and he toured the entire country and established public confidence in D T D C.He has built up an efficient international network covering 220 global destinations. Today D T D C and its extended family delivers 11.5 million consignments each month across 10,000 pincodes in India and over 220 locations over the world. D T D C has a direct presence in 14 countries. Through his vision of a unique franchise-based business model, he has realized many dreams and he has with him a strong and dependable workforce spread all over the country. Subashish ideas on entrepreneurship have proved a source of inspiration and no wonder he is studied as a business case by leading management institutions. Priya declares that “Subashish is a man who made it against all odds, taking D T D C from a start-up courier company to the Supply Chain of Happinrss that provides employment to thousand and delivers smile to millions.”
Part Two of the book deals wuth the world of Subashish and his philosophy. He believes that he can solve problems, however tough. He addresses complaints, problems and trouble areas himself. His attitude is of a teacher and a guide. For him his children are his heroes. He has a loving wife Tapasi who describes him as a stubborn man. His daughter Arpita joined D T D C in April 2002. His son Abhishek has also proved to be an asset.He is now an Executive Director.
This is a deeply inspiring book and holds out lessons for the younger generation. Priya Kumar has succeeded again in her motivational effort.
P.P.Ramachandran,
23 / 04 / 2016
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi ; Published by Bodley Head ; Pages 228 ; Price Rs 599/-
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One of the most moving documents is Randy Pausch’s “The Last Lecture “. Pausch was an assistant and associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science from 1988 until 1997. In 1997, Pausch became Associate Professor of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, and Design, at Carnegie Mellon University and taught for 10 years. In May 2008, Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and after an unsuccessful attempt to halt it he was told in August 2007 to expect a remaining three to six months of good health. On July 25, 2008, Pausch died at his 47th year.
Pausch delivered his " The Last Lecture", titled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” at CMU on September 18, 2007. This talk was modelled after an ongoing series of lectures where top academics are asked to think deeply about what matters to them, and then give a hypothetical " Final Talk," i.e., " What
wisdom would you try to impart to the world if you knew it was
your last chance?"
The book
After a decade of being a neuro-surgeon, he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying and the next day he was a patient struggling to live.
This book turns out to be the best book written by Paul for the simple reason that it is his only book and a posthumous book. It is bound to make us shed tears of sorrow and joy as it is the parting gift of a departing father to his young wife and eight month old daughter. Paul’s thinking is revolutionary as it combines several disciplines, science, medicine, philosophy and is so well written as to acquire status of high quality literature. It is at once soothing and uplifting.
The volume is a chronicle of Paul’s growth from a raw medico to an accomplished neuro-surgeon specializing in brain. He came face to face with death. This testament is an unforgettable confirmation of faith in life and reflects on the challenge posed by imminent death. It is also a saga on the relationship between the doctor and the patient.
Paul’s distinguishing quality was much more than falling in love with the intricacies of the brain. More than the satisfaction of training his hands to accomplish amazing feats it was love and empathy for those who suffered, for what they endured and what he might bring to bear. Paul was a saint in a surgeon’s coat.
He recalls wistfully his college days in Stanford and how the Medical School sharpened his understanding of the relation between meaning, life and death. We have detailed accounts of operations which call for mastery of the doctor in several fields—neurosurgery, ICU medicine, neurologu, radiology,
Paul’s highest ideal was not saving lives but guiding a patient or a family to understanding death or illness.
Part Two of the book is about the author himself being afflicted by cancer of the lung. He returned to his favourite world of literature. He harked back to the central values of Christianity—sacrifice, redemption, forgiveness. He used to say, “ Had I been more religious in my youth, I might have become a Pastor, for it was the pastoral role I sought.”
The Epilogue of the book is written by Paul’s wife Lucy Kalanithi. Paul died on March 9, 2015. His daughter was only 8 months old. This book was written during Paul’s decline and he wrote it relentlessly fuelled by a purpose. He confronted death—examined it, wrestled with it, accepted it as a physician and a patient. Relying on his own strength and the support of his family and community. Paul faced each stage of his illness with grace.
This is a deeply moving, heart breaking beautiful book.
P.P.Ramachandran
17 / 04 / 2016
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