Thol. Thirumavalavan
A book that made a profound impact on my thinking was Dhananjay Kheer’s Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission. I was a college student when I first read it. It was instrumental in shaping my political world view. I have also read the Tamil translation several times. Another book I like is on Bhagat Singh: Suba. Veerapandian’s Bhagat Singhum Indiya Arasiyalum (Bhagat Singh and Indian Politics) . I just finished another book on the revolutionary, but I’m unable to recall its name immediately.
Thol. Thirumavalavan is the founder of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi.
Samanth Subramanian
The last book I read was The Hall of Uselessness , a collection of quiet, sometimes provocative, but always thoughtful essays by the historian and translator, Simon Leys. I just started My Brilliant Friend , the first of Elena Ferrante’s four-part Neapolitan series. Next I will hopefully read Srinath Raghavan’s India’s War: The Making of Modern South Asia, 1939-1945 . I’ve been reading such warm praise for it. I used to be a stickler for good old hard copies, but it’s difficult to get all the books you want that way. So now I mix it up, depending on availability and travel schedules. The Simon Leys book I read in its beautiful New York Review Books paperback edition. The Ferrante is on my Kindle.
Samanth Subramanian is a journalist and author.
