AN apparition wearing a smartly tailored jacket with a gleaming red rose pinned to his pocket has been haunting the halls. Rashtrapati Bhavan, Raisina Hill, Lok Kalyan Marg, Supreme Court, Sansad Bhavan, Shastri Bhavan, Samvidhan Sadan—sightings galore reported. Sometimes, the ghost leaves behind pages from books: The Discovery of India, The Unity of India, Letters for a Nation: From Jawaharlal Nehru to His Chief Ministers, Letters from a Father to His Daughter, Words of Freedom: Ideas of a Nation, Independence and After...The list of his tomes is long. The pages are scattered around in no particular order. In the morning, when the doors swing open, those who walk in are free to gather them. Read them, don’t read them—the people’s choice. It’s all very democratic.
Some nights, snatches from his speeches appear on the walls in big bold letters. They are said to shine like lighthouses at sea, beckoning passersby, preaching the scientific temperament, preaching peace and the politics of integration. ‘‘Tryst with Destiny”, “Emotional Integration”, “The Plan is the Country’s Defence”, “Private Property and Public Good”, “Government and the People”, “The Temples of Modern India…” One man, many quotes. One nation, many hauntings.
Denne historien er fra March 11, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March 11, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Layers Of Lear
Director Rajat Kapoor and actor Vinay Pathak's ode to Shakespeare is an experience to behold
Loss and Longing
Memories can be painful, but they also make life more meaningful
Suprabhatham Sub Judice
M.S. Subbulakshmi decided the fate of her memorials a long time ago
Fortress of Desire
A performance titled 'A Streetcart Named Desire', featuring Indian and international artists and performers, explored different desires through an unusual act on a full moon night at the Gwalior Fort
Of Hope and Hopelessness
The body appears as light in Payal Kapadia's film
Ruptured Lives
A visit to Bangladesh in 2010 shaped the author's novel, a sensitively sketched tale of migrants' struggles
The Big Book
The Big Book of Odia Literature is a groundbreaking work that provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the rich and varied literary traditions of Odisha
How to Refuse the Generous Thief
The poet uses all the available arsenal in English to write the most anti-colonial poetry
The Freedom Compartment
#traindiaries is a photo journal shot in the ladies coaches of Mumbai locals. It explores how women engage and familiarise themselves with spaces by building relationships with complete strangers
Love, Up in the Clouds
Manikbabur Megh is an unusual love story about a man falling for a cloud. Amborish Roychoudhury discusses the process of Manikbabu's creation with actor Chandan Sen and director Abhinandan Banerjee
