The Innocent Man-John Grisham

John Grisham's first work of non fiction "The Innocent Man" is slated for release on 10th October 2006. Really looking forward to reading the book.

Here is a www.play.com review of the novel

When John Grisham read the obituary of Ronald Williamson in the papers early last year, he realized he had come across a story even more riveting than those he had turned into 18 global bestsellers, which have sold 200 million copies around the world. It was a story of failed dreams, madness, rape and murder, a botched trial, a death sentence and a twelve-year fight to win justice for a wronged man. Ronald Williamson was a local hero when a young man in his home town of Ada, Oklahoma. A fabulously talented baseball player, he excelled at college and was set to become a national sports star when injury wrecked his career. Mental illness and alcoholism followed his return to Ada, a burned-out shell of a man. While in prison serving a short sentence for a petty felony, a fellow prisoner alleged that he had heard Williamson confess to the unsolved rape and murder of a local bar girl. Denied drugs to control his psychiatric problems, given a blind attorney who had never defended a criminal case, Williamson stood no chance in court and was sentenced to death.One of the greatest mistrials in American judicial history became one of the greatest single fights for justice of any convicted man. 5 days before his execution, Williamson was given a stay and shortly after completely pardoned. John Grisham has been consumed by the Williamson story, researching every detail of the nerve jangling drama of Williamson's trial and deathwatch. A court room drama and a race against time, John Grisham's first work of non-fiction is as compelling as any of his novels, and will be compared to Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood."

What Should I Do With My Life-Po Bronson

This book by Po Bronson is a must read for everyone who is confused about their careers and those who are stuck in the rut. Bronson travels around the country and meets numerous people. He chronicles their life story and how they have dealt with this question in this book. These are ordinary people who have the courage to make life-changing decisions, who have found their true calling and pursued it relentlessly. This book highly motivating and makes for a good reading. Here a few excerpts from the book which I really like.

• A calling is not something you know, it's something you grow into, through trials and and mistakes. Work shouldn't just be fun. Work should be like life, sometimes fun, sometimes moving, and defined by meaningful events. Attack your fears, rather than shy away from them. Bring what you do in alignment with who you are.
  
• Nothing seemed more brave to me than facing up to one's own identity and filtering out the chatter that tells us to be someone we're not.
  
• Individual success will not be attained by migrating to a particular "hot" industry, or by adopting a particular career-guiding mantra...instead, the individuals that will thrive will do so because they focused on the question of who they really are, and from that found work they truly love, and in doing so unleashed a productive and creative power they never imagined.
  
• So why is it truly okay to to search for a church that's right for you, but not a profession that's right for you? Why, when it comes to work, are we supposed to simply accept that this is just the way it is.
  

Is Secularism Dead?

Here is an article I wrote on www.e-pao.net, a web portal of Manipur about the Vengnuam firing incident. Hope you enjoy the post.

For the residents of Newlamka, life will never be the same again after 20th August, 2006. The painful memories and the trauma they had been through that night would remain with them for a long, long time.

For it was on that fateful night at around 7:30 pm that security forces belonging to the 3rd Rajputana Rifles attacked EBC Church, Vengnuam, New Lamka and fired indiscriminately at innocent churchgoers attending the sacramental service.

The firing resulted in the death of one Mr Thawngkhanlian s/o Rev. S. Ginjam and injuring many others. The deceased is the chairman of Baptist Youth Fellowship (the youth wing of the church), EBCC, Vengnuam and also the editor of a local weekly paper, Voice of Newlamka.

May it be known to the world that EBCC Vengnuam has never and will never harbour any insurgents/militants inside its premises, as alleged by the army. The army should stop concocting "cock and bull" stories and immediately apologise to the people for their misdeeds.

The attack on a religious place by state actors is a blatant violation of the secular provisions of the Constitution of India which they have sworn to uphold and protect at all costs.

This incident is an act of terrorism on the part of the security forces which has no parallel in the history of India. Nowhere has a religious place been attacked by the security forces expect maybe in the infamous "Operation Bluestar" to flush out Sikh militants from the Golden Temple.

Operation Bluestar can be justified as militants are present inside the premises. Operation Vengnuam can never be justified as no insurgents/militants are present inside its premises. The perpetrators of this crime should not be made to go scot-free and the guilty should be given appropriate punishment.

Or is secularism dead?

It may be mentioned here that this is not the first instance that EBC Church Vengnuam was attacked by security forces. On 1st June 2004, combined forces of IRB and police commandos of Bishnupur had attacked the church and beaten up choir members of the church for no apparent reason.

The latest incident is a grim reminder of this incident and the fact that the security forces could not be trusted anymore.

The attack on the church has angered the public and condemnation has poured in from all quarters. In fact there is a rhyme doing the rounds in New Lamka area which goes like this:

Captain Shekhar go away(Tune: Rain, rain go away)

Captain Shekhar, Captain Shekhar go away
Never come again another day
Faithful Christians want to pray
Shekhar, Shekhar go away

(PS. Captain Shekhar is alleged to be the man behind this incident)
Hello, is anybody listening????