A political and personal biography of Nehru to be published before the 100th anniversary of his birth in November 1989, by an Indian journalist. He also wrote "India: The Siege Within".
M. J. Akbar Knihy
Blood Brothers is an extraordinary tale spanning three generations of a Muslim family, reflecting the complexities of Hindu-Muslim relations. Set in Telinipara, a small jute mill town near Kolkata, it portrays a diverse community of migrant Bihari workers, Hindus, Muslims, and the local Bengali populace. The story begins with Prayaag, a starving child who is adopted by a Muslim family, converts to Islam, and becomes Rahmatullah. As he integrates into the community, themes of friendship, love, trust, and faith are continually challenged by the specter of riots, conversion, and social upheaval. A rich tapestry of characters emerges, including the ultimate Brahmin, Rahmatullah's friend Girija Maharaj, workers' leader Bauna Sardar, storyteller Talat Mian, poet-teacher Syed Ashfaque, and the sincere Sahib Simon Hogg. The narrative weaves social history with personal memoir, chronicling the author's and his friend Kamala's experiences as they navigate a changing world. The final chapters, written in a stark, unemotional style, evoke deep emotion as the author seeks hope amidst raw wounds, ultimately exploring the sacrifices demanded by love and community.
M.J.Akbar, an Indian journalist and author, traces the origins of Jihad in the struggle against oppression that was part of the earliest consciousness of Muslims. Travelling across centuries and continents, from the triumphant rise of Islam under the Prophet Muhammad to the depression of defeat in the first Crusade, through the renewal of Saladin to the rise and fall of the Ottoman and Mughal empires and the raw passions of Afghanistan and the Indian subcontinent, Akbar's gripping story explains how Jihad thrives on complex and shifting notions of persecution, victory and sacrifice.