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theStack THE TALE OF MIGRANT

LABOURERS OF DELHI
THE RUDEST BOOK EVER A new book explores the impact of 1991 economical
By Shwetabh Gangwar; Westland; 224 pages reforms on literacy, especially among the capital’s
migrant labourers and their children
Shwetabh Gangwar is a professional problem-solver — and he’s ace
at it. For the past five years, people from all over the world have con- TITLED “FROM SHANTIES TO SCHOOL”, the book
tacted him with their troubles and he’s worked these by educationist Manimala Roy explains the surge in
out for them. In the process, he has picked up on a literacy after the 1991 liberalisation rolled in by the
simple pattern: people need a set of principles and then finance minister Manmohan Singh under the
perspectives to protect them from all the unnecessary leadership of PV Narasimha Rao.
bullshit they go through. Codes to live by, essentially. The book, published by Konark Publishers, makes
But be warned: Gangwar has no desire to spare your a point about migration from Bihar, which went up
feelings. What you will find in this straight-forward, by “75.77 per cent” between 1991 and 2001, and slum
straight-talking, no-craps-given guide, is: How to literacy in Delhi, that rose from “57.18 per cent” in 1991
deal with rejections of all kinds? A refreshing, to “64.4 per cent” in 2001.
easy-to-read, and relatable guide, The Rudest Book According to the book, the impact of literacy on
Ever will make you rethink everything you’ve been migrant life is also visible from the fact that the
taught. decade 1993-94 to 2004-05, which was right after the
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- liberalisation, saw the growth of regular workers in
Delhi went up by “22.4 per cent”. It further noted that
A MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT — AN ATLEE PINE THRILLER 2 during the same period the
By David Baldacci; Grand Central Publishing; 432 pages; number of casual workers in
Delhi fell by a whopping “71.3
FBI Agent Atlee Pine returns to her Georgia hometown to investi- per cent”.
gate her twin sister’s abduction, only to encounter a serial killer This is till date the only
in this page-turning thriller from the #1 New York scholarly work combining the
Times bestselling author. FBI Agent Atlee Pine’s life fields of economics and edu-
was never the same after her twin sister Mercy was cation to establish the deep
kidnapped--and likely killed--thirty years ago. Atlee linkages between India’s eco-
and her assistant Carol Blum head back to Atlee’s nomic liberalisation and the
rural hometown in Georgia to see what they can new wave of literacy in the
uncover about the traumatic night Mercy was taken soft underbelly of a metropo-
and Pine was almost killed. Atlee is determined to lis. Researchers, policymakers,
continue her search for answers, but now she must legislators, NGOs and activists
also set her sights on finding a potential serial killer will benefit from this book.
before another victim is claimed. But in a small town full of secrets- Dr Manimala Roy, an
-some of which could answer the questions that have plagued Atlee economist by training, later diversified into the field
her entire life--digging deeper into the past could be more danger- of education to produce work combining both disci-
ous than she realizes. plines.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- As an educationist and literacy campaigner, she
has focused on deep linkages between early school-
STORIES WE NEVER TELL ing and the availability of white-collar jobs. Educated
By Savi Sharma; Westland; 224 pages at Lady Brabourne College and Jadavpur University,
Kolkata and University of Delhi,
There are stories we never talk about. Simply because they hurt Dr Roy has been associated with a number of
too much or no one wants to listen to them. Such was the story of grassroots initiatives in the field of literacy. In this
Jhanvi, who seemingly lives an ideal life as a budding social media book, she conclusively established that the surge in
influencer. She appears to have it all together, but something is literacy in the 1990s could be adequately explained
missing; there is a need that drives her to be more than any person by the 1991 economic reforms. She writes on issues of
should be capable of. And the story of Ashray, who education in newspapers and journals. Dr Roy is the
had a rocky start in life but whose dreams start com- principal of Basava International School, Delhi.
ing true with hard work and determination. The only Former MP H K Dua said that it is an important
thing missing in his life is a woman to love, someone book because it chooses slums of Delhi and its out-
he can call his ‘home’. As their stories intersect, their skirts as the area of research.
lives change in a way that they never expected. In a “At last, a detailed insight on the education related
world of loss, darkness and destruction, will Jhanvi realities of India’s migrant children that combines a
and Ashray be able to tell a story of hope, light and deep analytical understanding of the ground situation
recovery? On a mission to inspire millions of people with hard and extensive data. Policymakers, econo-
through her writings, Savi Sharma Bagrecha left her mists and sociologists must take note,” said Dinesh
CA studies to become a writer. Singh, former vice-chancellor of Delhi University.

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