Honorable Mentions 2019 | Best Non-Fiction and Poetry Books | India

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Honorable Mentions 2019 (Best Non-Fiction & Poetry Books) | TOP 10 Books Series

Honorable Mentions 2019 | Best Non-Fictions & Poetry | India

After the Top 10 Fiction Books, there remains a bunch that should get equal honor. These are Non-Fiction and Poetry books that I could not include with all those fictions. So here we go! These are the best books which I think one should read for sure.

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Non-Fiction

1. Dear People, with Love and Care, Your Doctors by Debraj Shome & Aparna Govil Bhasker

Dear People, with Love and Care, Your Doctors by Dr. Shome & Dr. Bhasker (Bloomsbury)

The best thing about the book is that His Holiness, the Dalai Lama has blessed the book with the foreword. He says “The treatment of an ailment doesn’t only depend on the medical expertise of a doctor; his or her warm-heartedness, care and concern for a patient is essential for the treatment to be effective.” This is an attempt by veterans and doctors with at least 30 years of experience in their respective fields to re-strengthen the doctor-patient relationship which was the pure bond, unaltered by the technological interference a few decades ago. Doctors and patients have narrated various cases which they consider created perpetual memories to remember for the entire lifetime. 

I would like to redirect you to the review of Dear People, where I have carried out a list of points about why you need to read this book.

Buy Dear People, with Love and Care, Your Doctors on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2zIrra2

2. Daughters of the Brothel by Deepak Yadav

Daughters of the Brothel by Deepak Yadav (Bigfoot Publications)

Daughters of the Brothel by Deepak Yadav is a non-fiction book that unveils the lives trapped in an inexorable web of G.B. Road. There is a total of seven chapters where each chapter represents the voice of a sex worker, however, the first chapter narrates eunuch’s story of struggle; meanwhile, the author has put open the facts and figures of subaltern communities of India while some authorities may like to remain silent about this. Deepak Yadav has done a very commendable job at research and coming up with facts and figures, inserting them whenever needed. I love him for writing this book.

I would like to redirect you to my review of Daughters of the Brothel where I have included the things you should know about prostitution in India.


Buy Daughters of the Brothel on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ZyfK1B

Poetry

1. Ivory Gleam by Dr. Priya Dolma Tamang

Ivory Gleam by Dr. Priya Dolma Tamang (Leadstart Publishing)

Ivory Gleam is accurately a deluge of poetry and prose. Talking about the basic structure of the book, it is divided into three chapters of learning, longing and loving. The best thing about Ivory Gleam is its raw and pure form. The very essence of poetry as it should be are words. As I mentioned, its rich set of words gives you the opportunity to learn and savor the art of literature. Ivory Gleam is about different states and feelings from life to death, loss and love, I can’t even count a number of topics addressed. Poetries are not easy to comprehend, just like dreams. It is as complex as the feelings it talks about. Not all of them are complex, there is balance in it. I would never stop reading them, would keep it handy and relish whenever I want. At last, I would like to thank the author, Dr. Priya Dolma Tamang for creating such a paradise of words that, creatively took over my mind and I found nothing but peace of mind.

Buy Ivory Gleam on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WFcoXm

2. EASE: A poetic journey within by Mukhpreet Khurana

EASE by Mukhpreet Khurana (White Falcon Publishing)

EASE by Mukhpreet Khurana is actually beyond what its title suggests. The book is a collection of poetry and prose, which mainly focuses on self-love, self-healing, gratitude and more. You will be able to deal with outside effectively only if you are aware of your insides. EASE is all about that last bit. As I mentioned a few subjects above, there are many more things addressed here by the author Mukhpreet Khurana. I will talk about a few from them. Not to generalize but it is as real as you are, anxiety, hesitancies, broken heart and being introvert. These poetries will take away all your worries and show you the path to acceptance, the first step of healing. After reading this book, I assure you that, it is meant for you all, the readers, no matter what age you are. Truly it is written with love, it will pamper you, appreciate you and at times will guide you right.

Buy EASE on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WFcoXm


Thank you guys for reading!! I hope you liked this Best Books 2019 Series on my blog. If you have read any of these books then share your views in comments. Let me know how was your 2019 reading year. See you guys soon!

FIN

If you have survived through this, please give it a chance! Holly crap. I wrote a book! (Sorry Superwoman for stealing the line.)

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(Click on above image to buy Winged Sisters)

Thank you so much for reading y'all. I hope you enjoyed and got some recommendations.

Comment below if you have read any of this and tell me your views on it.


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Book Review: Daughters Of The Brothel by Deepak Yadav | Reality of Prostitution in India

Book Review

Daughters Of The Brothel: Stories from Delhi's red light district by Deepak Yadav

Daughters Of The Brothel by Deepak Yadav

Author: Deepak Yadav

ISBN: 978-8194202196

Genre: Non-Fiction

Length: 198 Pages

Publisher:  Bigfoot Publications (8 October 2019)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/38U5xRh

About the author: 

Deepak Yadav is an author and entrepreneur based in Delhi. He is a product of Birla School, Pilani and is currently pursuing his graduation in law from Banaras Hindu University.

Deepak Yadav was attracted towards writing since high school and has won three short story contests organized by Scholastic and Writer’s Digest. His debut novel, 'Walking with you' was published in 2013 when he was seventeen under the banner of Diamond books. The book was a take on inter-religion marriages in modern India which later became a sleeper hit among the youth.

Deepak Yadav believes in social work and started working with renowned NGOs like Udaan foundation and Lions club International soon after his schooling. Currently, he works with ‘Gudiya,’ a leading NGO engaged in preventing human trafficking and slavery for creating awareness in the masses.

Apart from his social and empathetic character, Deepak Yadav identifies himself an introvert, coffee freak, and sometimes an experimental cook.

Deepak Yadav, Founder of Bigfoot Publications

Instagram: @mr.bigfoot77

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDeepakYadav

REVIEW

Daughters of the Brothel by Deepak Yadav is a non-fiction book which unveils the lives trapped in an inexorable web of G.B. Road. The book starts and ends with prologue and epilogue. There are total of seven chapters where each chapter represents the voice of a sex worker, however the first chapter narrates eunuch’s story of struggle; meanwhile author has put open the facts and figures of subaltern communities of India while some authorities may like to remain silent about this.

I will be addressing the necessary points that have to be conveyed by this review, in chronological order of sex workers’ lives. So the author Deepak Yadav spent a considerable amount of time in G.B. Road, the famous red-light district in New Delhi during his stint with an NGO. That’s how he came to know all the sex workers of one particular brothel. Brothel no. 56.

Starting with the question, how these sex workers ended up as who they are?

They’re not from one particular state or region, in fact, they belong to very different backgrounds and cultures. But there is one thing in common, according to governmental survey under PITA (Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act or ITPA) 1.2 million sex workers in the country are minors. The ones I will be talking about are from Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Although, there is one particular place from where girls and women are trafficked in a significant amount and are forced into the Indian sex trade where prostitution is legal. It is estimated that between 12,000 to 15,000 girls between ages 6 to 16 are trafficked each year from Nepal to India. These figures are from one review done by Yvonne Rafferty for promising prevention policies under the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry (2013).

That was just about geography. Mostly the reason behind their being sex worker was money. Either they were sold by their guardians for money or they had to choose this unwillingly because they believed that there are no other means by which they could earn sufficient to feed their families, children and parents. In both, former and latter cases, most of them were first raped by their guardians themselves. The exception is, some of them are traditionally believed prostitutes, although as 80% of the total prostitutes they also entered this flesh trade unwillingly. Sex work has been the primary means of community income in lower caste communities like Nats, Kanjars, Bedia and Sanshis. In the south, the practice of Devadasi earns girl’s family a regular income so they’re compelled to take up prostitution as a profession.

What happens after they reach these brothels?

Many of sex workers were trafficked and then sold to these brothels and some just escape one hell and enter another. At this place, pimps bring them to a particular brothel and then these girls/women have to live in an assigned room under the instructions of Kothamalik, generally who owns the brothel. And chances are very few of escaping this place once reached, be it for any reason. Prostitutes get a place to live, two square meals and some money to save for their family (yes as any of us they have families too), but if you’re thinking that’s good enough then you’re wrong. Their agonies aren’t put at rest at all, they get abused daily; either by customers or Kothamaliks or pimps; Kothamaliks can be very cruel and it is believed very rare to find a good one.

It was not an easy task talking to these sex workers, they hardly talked to outsiders because they don’t trust anyone. Deepak Yadav got to know these few sex workers who were ready to narrate their stories. When asked about police, their answer was ‘Policemen are worst class of people.’ Here is why they believe so, every day minor girls are trafficked under their noses but they don’t care as long as they get their monthly share from brothels; they even come to brothels at any time and satisfy their sexual urge without a penny. Even if they frequently raid (highly abusive and violent in nature) red light areas under the pretext of rescuing minors, the most widespread human rights abuse emerges from the rescue and rehabilitation provisions of ITPA. Meanwhile, there is no assurance of their lives getting any better because of the criminalization, stigma and social exclusion. People don’t treat them as humans, especially customers see them as dead flesh and an opportunity to extract as much pleasure they possibly can and they do.

Customers impose themselves without protection while intercourse which leads to frequent pregnancies and sometimes AIDS. Here comes an important point this book includes. Daughters of the brothel. “It’s true that a woman’s life is incomplete without being a mother. Motherhood is fulfilling experience for most women.” And sex workers are no exceptions, they bear child in spite of the identity of children’s father. They also dream of freedom which their children can attain; they want to educate their daughters and make promise of never forcing their daughters into this sex trade.

Fatima, who is one of that rare good Kothamalik having two sons and a daughter. She wishes to get free from this hell and want them to go to good private school because finally her sons informed her about getting bullied in their previous school.

We live in a society where people will oppose child trafficking, sex trafficking and will never fail to register their anger against rape on social media, but will do little to nothing for changing their mentality or of their relatives, parents and friends. At the other hand there are people who encourage such acts by putting content on internet like ‘How to enjoy Nepali at GB Road.’ However, there can be a list of instructions because pickpocketing and loots (mostly by pimps) are reported every other day but one cannot do anything about this because they’ll be questioned.

Not to forget the first chapter about the transgender community, where the author has depicted the miseries of a eunuch. How castration is performed, it is not mandatory though. The same social exclusion they have to face every single day. This oppression needs to stop. The author also talks about ancient history and put forward many facts. In fact, Deepak Yadav has done a very commendable job at research and coming up with facts and figures, inserting them whenever needed.

Throughout the book, there were many instances where I could see the fundamental causes of this sex trade especially child trafficking. The rural communities where they have no access to most of the resources. Where they treat their daughters as a liability and because of these communities’ economic conditions, the men turn them into assets. There we need change. The girls/women must be provided access to education and skills development programmes can help a lot. It is very necessary to convince these communities and specifically men (for they believe they are not meant to do anything except pimping and gambling) that there are many other ways to earn. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

If you have reached here, then comment down your views on this.

Happy Reading!

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