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When Marthanda Varma ascended to the throne at the age of 23, his kingdom was ensnared in financial bankruptcy and engulfed by anarchy. To strengthen his empire, he created a formidable army, and began consolidating his kingdom’s boundaries, defeating the Dutch in the Battle of Colachel in 1741 and ending Dutch colonial aspirations in India. A remarkable story of a remarkable man.
When Britain is India’s 30th State by Alan Gemmell. Bloomsbury. Pages 297. Rs 499
In this satirical thriller, Alan Gemmell imagines a broken Britain desperately taking life-saving assistance from its former colony. The Indian Prime Minister makes Bradford-born Karan Puri the leader of her first overseas territory. His political soulmate, Oliver, meets his match in Arun, a young politician sent to repatriate the riches of India’s new empire. Assets are grabbed. Freedoms diminished. People killed. The lives of the four become as dangerously entangled as the fatal relationship between India and its imperial jewel.
Framing the Media by Pamela Philipose. Orient BlackSwan. Pages 165. Rs 635
A part of Orient BlackSwan’s ‘Policy Studies’series, this book assesses the impact of legislation and public policy on press freedom in India. Moving from the colonial era to the present day, the book covers critical developments: the Press Commissions; the Emergency; economic liberalisation and the consolidation of media monopolies; and legislation on Internet-based media, including the IT Rules, 2021.
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