The Other Side of Terror: An Anthology of Writings on Terrorism in South Asia [Hardcover]

Nivedita Majumdar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0195696964 | ISBN-13: 978-0195696967

The Other Side of Terror brings together writings based on terrorism from India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The volume addresses issues of wide interest: from the Maoist insurgency in Nepal and the Tamil militancy in Sri Lanka to the Indian manifestations ranging from the militant wing of the Independence movement to the various post-Independence terrorist movements, such as separatism in Kashmir, the insurgency in Assam, and the Naxalite movement in Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. The selections, comprising original writings in English as well as translations from regional languages, include short stories, poetry, and excerpts from novels and plays. In a detailed Introduction, Nivedita Majumdar traces terrorism across South Asia, explores important aspects of the phenomenon from its definition to its psychological and sociological effects, and reflects on moral and ethical issues and counter-terrorism.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"One cannot overemphasize the timeliness of a volume such as this. Nivedita Majumdar gives pause to rhetoric that isolates acts of individual terror from their structural conditions, and which seeks to restore to "terrorists" a basic humanity." --Solidarity

About the Author

Nivedita Majumdar is Assistant Professor, Department of English, John Jay College, City University of New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (February 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195696964
• ISBN-13: 978-0195696967
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,402,233 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great collection!, October 12, 2011

By 

E. DeToledo (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Other Side of Terror: An Anthology of Writings on Terrorism in South Asia (Hardcover)

An excellent collection of writings from South Asia on the phenomenon of terrorism, the book offers valuable insight with it coverage of diverse movements.

5.0 out of 5 stars a most useful book, May 27, 2009

By 

Elliot Podwill (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Other Side of Terror: An Anthology of Writings on Terrorism in South Asia (Hardcover)

As far as I know, "The Other Side of Terror" is the only book of its kind to exist: an anthology of fiction, poetry, and essays illustrating from various perspectives the whys and wherefores of terrorism in South Asia and, by extension, the rest of the world. Majumdar makes clear in her solid introduction that while she has no sympathy for the suicide bomber who blows up innocent shoppers in a vegetable market, it is important to know who is committing acts of violence and under what circumstances. Majumdar expands the definition of terror (it is sometimes seen as the military behavior of colonies but not colonizers, revolutionaries but not soldiers), limiting her work primarily to post-colonial conflicts in the region.

The book serves secondarily as a useful introduction to low-grade conflicts that are in the news only when major fighting occurs, as was the case with the recently ended long war in Sri Lanka. In additon to that confrontation, the author writes about India's independence struggle against the British; the Naxalite movement in India, flaring up again in recent years; the Maoist conflict in Nepal; the little reported but long-term struggle taking place in India's North-East hill region; the independence movement of the Sikhs; and, best known, the ongoing dangerous conflict in Kashmir.

As is the case in any anthology, some of the selections are stronger than others. Nevertheless, the reader, especially one hitherto possessing only a passing awareness of the conflicts the author limns, comes away from the book with a much clearer understanding of a vital part of the world and many of the struggles that affect us all whether we know it or not.