About the Book

How old is Banaras? Possibly, even time may not have an answer to that. Unquestionably, Jerusalem is blessed by divinity, but Banaras, which has been invaded forty times, destroyed twice, and yet has lived on since time immemorial deserves to be called Jerusalem’s sibling in divine status, historical antiquity, and religious significance. From extolling the virtues of Banaras to calling our constitution a compromise document; from love jihad and same-sex marriages to insisting India is a democracy despite what critics may claim, Prafull Goradia comments on myriad topics in this exhaustive collection of essays. He questions why China does not have any friends or allies beyond North Korea and Pakistan. And asks us to be wary of China’s intentions as he believes its President for life, Xi Jinping’s will to dominate the world is as eloquent as any Mein Kampf. Have you ever wondered why the Jews remained homeless until 1948, what can the killings in the USA teach us? Is fascism a dirty word? Why has West Bengal become a graveyard of industries? Goradia reveals it all.

About the Author

Born in Bombay in 1937, Prafull Goradia is a doyen of the tea industry, who quit a comfortable existence to plunge into the uncertain world of politics, his real passion. Elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1998 from the Bharatiya Janata Party, his interventions in many important matters, his parliamentary speeches on contemporary issues and participation in debates and contributions to policy-making were significant.