Reviews of the latest books from and on Southasia

Malicious Medicine: Fraud and falsehood in infertility clinics
by Anitha Jayadevan
Penguin, 2009

Science fiction through the ages has been replete with bizarre forms of human reproduction, as technology attempts to overtake nature in unimaginable ways. But rarely do people have close encounters with such experiments in their own lives. And when that experience is physically painful, emotionally taxing and non-consensual – as with Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) – it demands an examination of the related procedures, ethics and laws. This slim volume is Anitha Jayadevan's first-person account of her traumatic interaction with the medical establishment when trying to conceive.

While it is somewhat wearying to follow the author's obsession with having a child utilising genetic material from herself and her husband, her pertinent queries about the anarchic world of ART clinics in India make the reader sit up. Why, for example, when intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a largely discredited procedure in the West do clinics in India continue to use it unquestioningly? Why are donor gametes (the first stages of a fertilised egg) used without the knowledge of couples undergoing ART?

Though Jayadevan went on to have a healthy baby (ironically with no 'assistance', despite eight years of doing the rounds of fertility specialists), challenging ART procedures became something of a crusade. This schoolteacher from a small town in Kerala doggedly taught herself medical terminology and legalese in order to point out the lacunae in existing guidelines. Details of litigation, parliamentary questions and correspondence with relevant ministries, despite the arcane language, make gripping reading for anyone interested in a David v Goliath battle. The translation from the original Malayalam manuscript by the renowned physician P K R Warrier (where did he find the time?!) effectively communicates the pathos and anger engendered by fraudulent ART procedures. (Laxmi Murthy)

For Pepper and Christ
by Keki N Daruwalla
Penguin, 2009

The 350-odd pages of this novel contain a dizzying array of characters, plots, subplots and travels. Someone is always sailing the oceans, whether it is the Portuguese rushing about in their quest to secure spices and souls, the Arabs constantly moving back and forth to trade with India, or African brigands ever eager to get someone's blood pumping. Yet even with so much happening, Daruwalla manages to steer clear of confusing the reader. The broad contours of this work of historical fiction take place against the backdrop of Vasco da Gama's successful 15th-century circumvention of Africa to end up in India. But the story constantly shoots off in all kinds of directions, into the lives and aspirations of a host of well-drawn characters: the zealous Portuguese priest Brother Figuro, the skilled Egyptian navigator Taufiq, the tortured artist Ehtesham. And it is these characters, their personal agonies and the manner in which they come together and move apart, that makes the book a gripping read. (Surabhi Pudasaini)

Small States in South Asia: A security perspective of the Himalayan states
by Anil Kumar Mohapatra
Panchashila, 2008

With most of International Relations theory emphasising powerful (Western) players, Anil Kumar Mohapatra fills an obvious gap by publishing a book on the security concerns of small, Himalayan states. The primary purpose of his endeavour was not to diversify the security-studies corpus, however, but rather out of the belief that, in the changing geopolitical environment, the powers-that-be will become increasingly concerned with less influential players.

Initially, a global shift in academic attention to security studies vis-à-vis developing countries arose due to revelations, particularly post-9/11, that the insecurities of even conventionally powerless states could have rippling effects on supposedly secure and powerful states. Mohapatra argues that the landlocked duo of Nepal and Bhutan face triple dependencies of "location, peripheral economy and terrain-bound features", which qualifies for their being subjected to "the reign of insecurity". With the trickling of internal security problems across borders in both directions, it is indeed important to examine the smaller states in the neighbourhood – but not them especially.

To the author's credit, Mohapatra does a thorough job at contextualising the security concerns of the kingdom and the former kingdom, including from a historical, environmental and human-rights perspective. He also provides remedial formulae for the particular vulnerabilities faced by small countries, suggesting empowerment through the deeper insinuation of regional groupings such as SAARC and BIMSTEC. One problematic suggestion, though, is for Bhutan to follow the course of "moderated modernization" and to "strictly censor" the electronic media so as to protect Bhutanese culture. (Smriti Mallapaty)

A Widow's Gift
by Shanti Mishra
Pilgrims publishing, 2008

Mishra's first novel, on the hardships faced by widows in conservative Nepali Hindu society, comes after a lifetime of personal experience as a norms-breaker. But while the book may be significant for its social critique of discriminatory practices that continue to this day, it lacks creative detail and stylistic flow. It tells of Radha, a widowed Brahmin girl, whose husband dies of malaria before the consummation of their marriage, and her transformation from a carefree innocent to a pious and respectable, but not often respected, woman. The problem is this transition happens quite abruptly, revealing a general absence of subtlety in Mishra's character design. Each is positioned on an extreme end of the morality spectrum: either 'good', liberal-minded, friend of Radha's; or 'bad', bitter, libellous hater. Too often, the story reads like a primer on traditional Nepali culture with footnotes explaining every babu, raja, or saraswati. (SM)