A classical epic chronicling the love of Shakuntala and Dushyanta ; the silent crusade of the Mahatma who, when encountered by French custom officials , had little of value to declare including his “reputation”; the defiance of Bal Gangadhar Tilak who brought the Ganapati Puja out onto the streets; and a man called J R D Tata who flew a single engine, de Havilland Puss Moth from Karachi to Bombay with regular load of mail ….. This and several other facts make up this book which showcases the wonder that is India or Bhara.... Written by one of India’s foremost journalists, B G Verghese, this book takes a hitherto unknown look at India’s ancient heritage, its diverse people and faiths, wandering minstrels, travellers and philosophers. In addition to unfolding the country’s glorious history, this book also focuses on what is integral to modern and post-Independent India —the framing of the Constitution, the building of institutions, formulation of policies - and forewarns us of all the ills that ail an overburdened nation. Juxtaposing each landmark event, are rare postage stamps, colourful, unique and beautiful, which not only served as messengers - connecting the remotest places and people in the glorious tradition of Indian Postal service—but also as markers of its history. Post Haste: Quintessential India is a definitive account of India which is uniquely retold here as a reminder of its greatness.Quintessential India.
B G Verghese Post Haste offers a tour d’horizon of what constitutes Incredible India that is Bharat. This is both a modern nation- state in the making (or a states-nation or commonwealth of states as some would argue) and an ancient civilizational concept that has bound together an amazing heterogeneity of peoples, races, faiths, histories and cultures. Far too many contemporary Indians know too little of this collective past, which remains perfunctorily told and understood as oral traditions embedded in folklore, fable and festivals have faded. And yet a new India is being born with hope but not without trauma as the nation undergoes a multiplicity of transitions in a story captured by its postal stamps.B G Verghese, is Visiting Fellow, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, a columnist and author and a compulsive seminarist often seen in the Track-II circuit. He was born in Maymyo, Burma (now Myanmar), in 1927, studied at the Doon School, Dehra Dun and read economics at St Stephen’s College, Delhi and at Cambridge. A professional journalist, he was with the Times of India until 1966 when he became Information Adviser to the Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. He returned to journalism (1969-1975) until sacked during the Emergency, spent time thereafter as a Gandhi Peace Foundation Fellow and Editor of Voluntary Action, the monthly journal of the Association of Voluntary Associations for Rural Development (AVARD) but returned to mainline journalism as editor of the Indian Express(1982-1986). He had a brief second stint in Government for some months in 2001 as Information Consultant to the Raksha Mantri, was a member of the National Security Advisory Board and a member of the Kargil Review Committee. Verghese was a recipient of the Magsaysay Award in 1975 and Assam’s Sankaradeva Award in 2005. He has served and continues to serve on a number of Boards and Commissions and is associated with number of institutions and NGOs in the fields of education, human rights, the environment, population and the media. He is the author of several books, among them Waters of Hope, India’s Northeast Resurgent, Rage Reconciliation, Security, ,and his autobiography, First Draft, Witness to the Making of Modern India. B G Verghese is married and lives in Delhi. POST HASTEQuintessential IndiaPOST HASTECover design by Ahlawat Gunjan 978-93-81626-89-4A classical epic chronicling the love of Shakuntala and Dushyanta; the silent crusade of the Mahatma who, when once encountered by French custom officials, said he had little of value to declare including his “reputation”; the defiance of colonial rulers by tribal India; innovators and men and women of science, literature and the arts…. This and several other little known or remembered people, places and events showcase the wonder of “India that is Bharat”, a remarkable civilizational continuum. Written by one of India’s foremost journalists, B G Verghese, this book takes a kaleidoscopic look at India’s rich heritage, its diverse faiths, wandering minstrels, travellers and philosophers. In addition, the volume also focuses on what is integral to modern and post-Independent India—the freedom struggle, the framing and unpacking of the Constitution, the building of institutions—and takes critical note of the many ills and contradictions that assail an inegalitarian nation that boldly stood political history on its head to renew itself through a remarkable democratic exercise. Uniquely, each landmark event and personality is exclusively illustrated with a fascinating
