Manoj and Babli


Book Description

‘Highly recommended . . . this book exposes glimpses of the Dark Ages behind the window dressing of societies that often pose modernism as a policy for all else—except for the dignity of women’ Asma Jahangir, ex-chairperson, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan This is the true story of the honour killing of Manoj and Babli and its aftermath. In this painstakingly researched book, Chander Suta Dogra recreates how the couple eloped, breaking the taboo of same-caste marriage, and were seized and brutalized by the girl’s people, with their bodies being eventually dumped into a canal. Tacitly approving the deed, the village people did not attend the funeral; the tardiness of the local police and other agencies bordered on acquiescence. It was left to Manoj’s mother, Chandrapati, and sister Seema to fight for justice. The book powerfully describes how, with the support of the media and women activists, they stood up to intimidation, social ostracism and the fury of the khaps or Jat councils across North India, not just Haryana, when the five accused were sentenced to death in a landmark judgement. The family still has police protection. Chilling and unputdownable, Manoj and Babli is a brilliant exposé of the face-off between those who abide by the law and the upholders of archaic traditions that clash with it.




The Newlyweds


Book Description

' Staggeringly good... Much like Lisa Taddeo's Three Women , it reads more like a novel than a piece of non-fiction... it does what all great writing should - it puts us into the world of someone else, so completely that days later I find myself missing the couples and wondering how their stories end' Marianne Power, The Times 'A profound book on the politics of love, of couples who brave everything and everyone to be together. Told with warmth, truth and humanity, Mansi Choksi's The Newlyweds is an extraordinary look at what it takes to be together in modern India' Nikesh Shukla 'Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand youth in India today - or for anyone who believes in the galactic powers of love to change history, personal and political' Suketu Mehta What would you risk for love? Twenty-first century India is a culture on fast forward, a society which is changing at breakneck speed, where two out of every three people are under the age of thirty-five. These young men and women grew up with the internet, smartphones and social media. But when it comes to love, the weight of thousands of years of tradition cannot so easily be set aside. An extraordinary work of reportage, The Newlyweds is a portrait of modern India told through the stories of three young couples, who defy their families to pursue love. The lesbian couple forced to flee for a chance at a life together. The Hindu woman and Muslim man who must escape under the cover of night after being harassed by a violent mob. And the couple from different castes who know the terrible risk they run by marrying. Writing with great insight and humanity, Mansi Choksi examines the true cost of modern love in an ancient culture. It is a book that will change the way readers think about love, freedom and hope.




Love and Honour?


Book Description

Love and Honour? Marriage for Peace, exposes the ongoing phenomenon of Romeo and Juliet style romance tragedy; families killing their own and other families' daughters, sons, sisters and brothers in the name of family 'honour". Focused on Northern India and Nepal, the stories illustrate that despite India adopting a democratic constitution in 1950, the public murder of forbidden lovers continues. Media reports of this phenomenon did not surface until 1993, but have increased dramatically since then. Love and Honour? Marriage for Peace has been written to seek a path from murder to reconciliation, to acceptance and ultimately to marriage for peace.




'Honour' Killing and Violence


Book Description

In this interdisciplinary collection leading experts and scholars from criminology, psychology, law and history provide a compelling analysis of practices and beliefs that lead to violence against women, men and children in the name 'honour'.




The Narrow Corridor


Book Description

How does history end? -- The Red Queen -- Will to power -- Economics outside the corridor -- Allegory of good government -- The European scissors -- Mandate of Heaven -- Broken Red Queen -- Devil in the details -- What's the matter with Ferguson? -- The paper leviathan -- Wahhab's children -- Red Queen out of control -- Into the corridor -- Living with the leviathan.




Shadows at Noon


Book Description

Shadows at Noon is an ambitious synthesis of decades of research and scholarship which explores the key strands of South Asian history in the twentieth century with clarity and authority. Unlike other narrative histories of the subcontinent that concentrate exclusively on politics, here food, leisure and the household are given equal importance to discussions of nationhood, the development of the state and patterns of migration. While it tells the subcontinent's story from the British Raj to independence and partition and on to the forging of the modern nations of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the book's structure is thematic rather than chronological. Each of the chapters illuminates on overarching theme or sphere that has shaped South Asia over the course of the century. This format allows the reader to explore particular issues such as the changing character of nationalism or food consumption over time and in depth. Shadows at Noon is a bold, innovative and personal work that pushes back against standard narratives of 'inherent' differences between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Its purpose is to make contemporary South Asia intelligible to readers who are fascinated by the subcontinent's cultural vibrancy and diversity but are often perplexed by its social and political makeup. And it illuminates the many aspects that its people have in common rather than what divides them.




Minorities of India: Issues and Challenges


Book Description

India, often hailed as a land of diversity, is home to a rich tapestry of cultures, languages, religions, and ethnicities. Within this vibrant mosaic, minorities in India encompass a wide spectrum, ranging from religious minorities to caste and sexual minorities, language minorities, and gender minorities. With such a diversified group of people living in the nation, it becomes important to understand and reflect on the obstacles faced by the minorities in India. Despite facing historical and contemporary challenges, these minority groups contribute significantly to India's cultural, social, and economic fabric, enriching the nation's pluralistic identity. Embracing diversity as strength and fostering a culture of empathy and understanding are integral to India's aspirations for a harmonious and inclusive society. This book is an attempt to understand the obstacles of minorities in India from a multidisciplinary perspective. With contributions from researchers around the country, we hope that this book will assist professionals, academicians, feminist psychologists,sociologists, and social workers worldwide.




Criminological Analyses on Global Honor Killing


Book Description

Honor killing is mainly practiced in South Asian, Middle East and Arab countries but it has global ramifications as citizens migrate to Western European countries and North America. Honor killings and honor related crimes often diminish women’s dignity and the achievements of feminist movements, along with other citizens along the gender spectrum. The socio-psychological issues of honor killings influence further study into gender and sexuality, diversity, culture and population, criminology, and law. A comparative study of the laws of various countries related to honor killing may help showcase the descent of caste and religious prejudices across generations. Criminological Analyses on Global Honor Killing analyzes the impact of honor-based crimes around the world. The book explores the ideology behind honor killing as well as the role of patriarchal societies in enhancing the crime. It also covers socio-cultural based influences while further understanding the complexity of family dynamics, class conflicts, and immigration in relation to this crime. This book covers topics such as criminology, feminism, and sociology, and is a useful resource for criminologists, historians, policymakers, government officials, theologists, feminists, academicians, and researchers.




Caste Panchayats and Caste Politics in India


Book Description

The book refutes the dominant understanding about caste panchayats as mere dispute resolution bodies that are vestiges of the past. In tracing the long career and evolution of intra-caste governance from 300 BC to the present, it challenges several orthodoxies in the caste scholarship. Most prominently, it questions the assumptions of modernization theory that became internalized in the very definition of caste-based political organisations as caste became a subject of study in politics in the 1960s and 70s. In doing this, the book reflects in some detail on the uncomfortable question of the persistence of caste-based conservatism despite the current dominance, so to say, of caste-based democratization in the Indian polity. It tries to make visible the limitations of ‘caste politics from below’, as it is being imagined today, making a plea for a radical re-imagination of caste as an identity that does not require a self-perpetuation of the primordial aspects of caste to purse the opportunities offered by modern democracy, but one that can facilitate the empowerment of caste through the pursuit of the ameliorations on offer as well as the annihilation of caste, as eventually mutual goals.




Democratic Decentralization in India


Book Description

This book explores experiences, issues and challenges which have emerged since Constitutional status was granted to the local bodies at grassroots level in India in the early 1990s. Among other issues, it focuses on: the contrasting political ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and B. R. Ambedkar on Panchayati Raj Institutions the legal and constitutional provisions which were introduced through the 73rd and 74th Amendment Acts the devolution process, status and challenges of democracy for local governmental bodies empowerment of the women and lower castes through reservations in the local bodies governance in Schedule V and VI tribal areas Based on extensive fieldwork across India, this volume will be useful to scholars and researchers of political science, sociology, public administration as well as policymakers and civil society activists.