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A savage indictment of religious extremism and man s inhumanity to man, Lajja was banned in Bangladesh but became a bestseller in the rest of the world. This brand-new translation marks the twentieth anniversary of this controversial novel.
The Dattas Sudhamoy and Kironmoyee, and their children, Suronjon and Maya have lived in Bangladesh all their lives. Despite being members of a small Hindu community that is terrorized at every opportunity by Muslim fundamentalists, they refuse to leave their country, unlike most of their friends and relatives. Sudhamoy believes with a naive mix of optimism and idealism that his motherland will not let him down. And then, on 6 December 1992, the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya is demolished by a mob of Hindu fundamentalists. The world condemns the incident, but its immediate fallout is felt most acutely in Bangladesh, where Muslim mobs begin to seek out and attack the Hindus. The nightmare inevitably arrives at the Dattas doorstep, and their world begins to fall apart.
Drawing on unheard white house tapes, recently declassified documents, and investigative reporting, gary bass uncovers an astonishing story of superpower brinkmanship, war, scandal, and conscience. This is the definitive account of the build-up to the 1971 indo-pakistani war and the birth of bangladesh. In the midst of this cold war cataclysm, the bangladeshis became collateral damage, victims of power games played by nixon, kissinger, yahya khan and even indira gandhi. Revelatory, authoritative and compulsively readable, the blood telegram is a thrilling chronicle of a pivotal chapter in south asian history. Awardspulitzer prize finalista new york times notable book of the yeara washington post notable book of the yearan economist best book of the yeara financial times best book of the yeara new republic best book of the yeara kirkus reviews best book of the year