Tag: History
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We never went back home
79 years ago in the middle of August, when India and Pakistan gained independence, we left home and never returned. We had to get on a train or walk in one direction. Maybe the door was locked behind us, maybe not. What can we carry on our backs with small children too? We’ll return one…
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Book Review: Political Order and Political Decay by Francis Fukuyama
Quote of the book “The right to participate politically grants recognition to the moral personhood of the citizen, and exercise of that right gives that person some degree of agency over the common life of the community.” 5 key points Institutions need to create a more accessible platform for political participation and this is something…
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Book Review: The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama
Quote of the book “We have a stake in one another, and that what binds us together is greater than what drives us apart” 5 key points The book was written just before Obama’s campaign for US presidency in 2008 He touches upon several subjects, but in particular he talks about the need for investment…
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Book Review: Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India by Shashi Tharoor
Quote of the book “One of the worst legacies of colonialism is that its ill effects outlasted the Empire” 5 key points The Indian Rupee used to be one of the strongest currencies in the world before British colonialism. When the British arrived in India, India had 25% of the world’s GDP. When the British…
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Critique de livre : Nous étions tous des réfugiés d’Alan Gratz (Book Review)
Citation du livre “Les bateaux étaient assez proches pour que les familles puissent se parler, mais impossible de s’approcher davantage.” Je voudrais partager mes pensées et réflexions personnelles à propos du sujet d’être un réfugié et de ce que cela signifie, après avoir lu le livre Nous Étions Tous Des Réfugiés, écrit par Alan Gratz…
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Book Review: The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan
Quote of the book “We think of globalisation as a uniquely modern phenomenon; yet 2,000 years ago too, it was a fact of life, one that presented opportunities, created problems and prompted technological advance.” 5 key points The rise of the Mongols was due to their planning, organisation, and goals, rather than a lack of…
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Why Vaisakhi is a special day for humanity – and how it marked a turning point for the British empire
What makes Vaisakhi so special? Vaisakhi falls on April 13th (the first day of the Punjabi month of Vaisakh), and is an important day for Sikhs marking the birth of the Khalsa, a community of Sikhs, committed to justice, equality, and service. In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh Ji asked for five volunteers who were willing…
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Book Review: This is London: Life and Death in The World City by Ben Judah
What side of London do you never get to hear about in general media? This book is a literary masterpiece, as journalist Ben Judah takes the reader on a tour around London, meeting the people who make the city live and move and who are usually ignored (literally – bus drivers, the homeless, shop keepers…
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Book Review: We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria by Wendy Pearlman
The book is a collection of first person stories of Syrians who have shared their experiences at different stages of the Syrian revolution. This book would be interesting to anyone who cares about human rights, the refugee crisis, the Middle East, and forced human migration. It is accessible to all audiences.
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Book Review: The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri
Nayeri fled Iran with her mother and brother when she was eight years old. In Iran, her mother was a doctor and they fled their relatively comfortable livelihoods in order to protect their lives. She spent some time in refugee camps in Italy, where she describes how stories became the backbone of their existence.
