Usha Thakkar Livres

Understanding Gandhi is a collection of interviews conducted by Fr d J. Blum (1914–1990),of six of Mahatma Gandhi’s closest associates—J.B. Kriplani, Raihana Tyabji, Dada Dharmadhikari, Sushila Nayar, Jhaver Patel and Sucheta Kripalani. The interviewees reflect on Gandhi’s ideas in the light of changes that took place in India after Independence. The book provides glimpses of Gandhi’s ideas and working relationship with his colleagues who came from a wide range of backgrounds, professions and geographical regions. It also brings out the thoughts of Gandhi and his followers on several important issues such as Satyagraha, non-violence, Brahmacharya, spirituality, and fasting. This blend of an intimate knowledge of Gandhi and the reflective hindsight gives the book a unique vantage point that promotes a holistic understanding of Gandhian thought and philosophy.

This book on the Congress Radio of 1942 is a thrilling and moving account of how a daring underground operation was conceived and carried out, and of how it was busted by the colonial police. It is meticulously researched, drawing on a wide range of primary sources. At the centre of the story is the remarkable figure of Usha Mehta, a slight, slender, twenty-two-year-old freedom fighter of exemplary courage and resolution. The book deserves a wide readership, within and beyond the academy.