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On the life and exploits of Hari Singh Nalwa, 1791-1837, Sikh general.
The definitive biography of Ranjit Singh, contemporary of Napoleon and one of the most powerful and charismatic Indian rulers of his ageRanjit Singh has been largely written out of accounts of the subcontinent's past by recent Western historians, yet he had an impact that lasts to this day. He unified the warring chiefdoms of the Punjab into an extraordinary northern Empire of the Sikhs, built up a formidable modern army, kept the British in check to the south of his realm, and closed the Khyber Pass through which plunderers had for centuries poured into India. Unique among empire builders, he was humane and just, gave employment to defeated foes, honored religious faiths other than his own,...
The author, a former Special Secretary of India's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), examines a series of interconnected events that led to the rise of the Khalistan movement, Operation Blue Star, the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 and the anti-Sikh violence unleashed thereafter. With a timeline that moves from seven years before to a decade after 1984, the book strives to answer critical questions that continue to linger till today. The narrative moves from Punjab to Canada, the US, Europe and Delhi, looking to sift the truth from the political obfuscation and opportunism, examining the role that the ruling party allegedly played, and the heart-rending violence that devoured thousands of innocent lives in its aftermath.
Punjab was the arena of one of the first major armed conflicts of post-colonial India. During its deadliest decade, as many as 250,000 people were killed. This book makes an urgent intervention in the history of the conflict, which to date has been characterized by a fixation on sensational violence—or ignored altogether. Mallika Kaur unearths the stories of three people who found themselves at the center of Punjab’s human rights movement: Baljit Kaur, who armed herself with a video camera to record essential evidence of the conflict; Justice Ajit Singh Bains, who became a beloved “people’s judge”; and Inderjit Singh Jaijee, who returned to Punjab to document abuses even as other elites were fleeing. Together, they are credited with saving countless lives. Braiding oral histories, personal snapshots, and primary documents recovered from at-risk archives, Kaur shows that when entire conflicts are marginalized, we miss essential stories: stories of faith, feminist action, and the power of citizen-activists.
What do you do when your world is a living hell? Do you accept the hand you’ve been dealt, or do you fight for a better life? At every turn, Lafleur Barker chose the latter option. This is her story. Lafleur was born in Saint Vincent in the Grenadines to destitute and overworked parents. After enduring a childhood of poverty and abuse, she took her destiny in her own hands and travelled to North America in the hopes of finding a better life. Unfortunately, hell followed her across the ocean. In Canada, Lafleur endured a series of living nightmares; violence, cruelty, and betrayal met her at every turn. Alone in a huge country, with no family, friends, or support, Lafleur had to learn how to survive on her own. She endured all the bumps and bruises, and she persevered until she reached a light at the end of the tunnel. Fundamentally, Lafleur’s story is about hope, resilience, and optimism. By trusting herself and the Lord, she survived the unimaginable. She is now blessed with a loving family and a well of hope for the future. Her story—her truth—is an inspiration for us all. Lafleur reminds us that with love and courage, anything is possible.
21 riveting stories from the battlefield about how India’s highest military honour was won The Brave takes you to the hearts and minds of India’s bravest soldiers, all of whom won the Param Vir Chakra, India’s greatest military honour. With access to the Army, families and comrades-in-arms of the soldiers, Rachna Bisht Rawat paints the most vivid portrait of these men and their extraordinary deeds. How hard is it to fight at 20,000 feet in sub-zero temperatures? Why did Captain Vikram Batra say ‘Yeh dil maange more’? How do wives and girlfriends of soldiers who don’t return cope? What happens when the enemy is someone that you have trained? How did the Charlie Company push back the marauding Chinese? How did a villager from Uttar Pradesh become a specialist in destroying tanks? Both gripping and inspiring, The Brave is the ultimate book on the Param Vir Chakra.
Biography of Hari Singh Nalwa, 1791-1837, Sikh general in the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
In this classic, Khushwant Singh presents a concise history of the followers of one of the world's youngest religions. Beginning with the life and times of the founder, Guru Nanak (1469-1539), he moves on to describe the vital contribution made by the following nine gurus in shaping and developing the Sikh religion; and the significance of the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, and its centrality to the religion. He examines the setting up of the Singh Sabha and the accompanying social reform, the impact of the Ghadr rebellion and the Akali agitation for control of various Sikh shrines. The new Afterword by his son, journalist Rahul Singh, brings the story of the Sikhs up to date. Authoritative yet accessible, this is one of the most concise and readable accounts of the Sikhs and their faith.