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Business Standard
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
HarperCollins India is delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of The Chola Tigers: Avengers of Somnath
PRNewswire New Delhi [India], July 22: Scheduled for release on 29 August 2025, The Chola Tigers is the second book in Amish's Indic Chronicles, after the bestselling Legend of Suheldev. A thrilling historical saga of defiance, honour and redemption it celebrates the indomitable spirit of India. When the ruthless tyrant Mahmud of Ghazni destroys the sacred temple of Somnath, the greatest ruler of the time, Emperor Rajendra Chola, summons a squad of defiant assassins to embark on a perilous quest and bring the fearsome enemy to his knees. This historical fiction title builds on the world introduced in the 2020 bestseller Legend of Suheldev, which garnered widespread appreciation from readers and went on to become a bestseller. Pacy and action-packed, The Chola Tigers, explores the profound question: How far would you go to defend dharma and your country's honour? On the occasion of the book's announcement, Amish, author, says, "The Chola Tigers is an exhilarating story in which Emperor Rajendra Chola, the mightiest man of his era, orders a daring surgical strike on Ghazni in response to Sultan Mahmud's attack on the Somnath temple. This work of historical fiction is linked to my 2020 release Legend of Suheldev. It is about a mission ordered by one of the greatest Tamilians ever, Emperor Rajendra Chola. And it is a great honour that the cover of this book was released by one of the greatest Tamilians alive and an Indian treasure, Rajinikanth ji." Poulomi Chatterjee, Executive Publisher -- HarperCollins India, adds, "Amish has brilliantly reimagined our beloved legends and epics, and episodes from medieval Indian history, for millions of people across the country to enjoy afresh. The new novel is vintage Amish--a sweeping historical saga that is pacy, dramatic, simmering with political intrigue and personal vendetta, and heart-rending in its scenes of sacrifice and retribution. At its heart it masterfully explores the depths of human courage and resilience, and the indomitable spirit of a nation that refuses to be broken. It's going to keep readers spellbound until the final page, and we can't be happier to publish it!" ABOUT THE CHOLA TIGERS The place will be of their choosing. The time will be of their choosing. But the Indians will have their vengeance. 1025 CE, India. Mahmud of Ghazni believes he has crushed the spirit of Bharat--the Shiva Linga at the Somnath temple lies shattered and thousands are dead. But among the ashes of destruction, an oath is taken. Five people--a Tamil warrior, a Gujarati merchant, a devotee of Lord Ayyappa, a scholar-emperor from Malwa, and the most powerful man on Earth, Emperor Rajendra Chola--resolve to undertake a perilous quest and strike at the heart of the invader's kingdom. From the grandeur of the Chola Empire to the shadows of Ghazni's bloodstained court, The Chola Tigers is the scintillating story of a fierce retaliation. A story of unity forged through pain, of courage born from despair, and of vengeance that becomes Dharma. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Amish is a 1974-born, IIM (Kolkata)-educated banker-turned-author. The success of his debut book, The Immortals of Meluha (Book 1 of the Shiva Trilogy), encouraged him to give up his career in financial services to focus on writing. Besides being an author, he is also a broadcaster, the founder of a video gaming company, a film producer and a former diplomat with the Indian government. Amish is passionate about history, spirituality and philosophy, finding beauty and meaning in all world religions. His books have sold more than 8 million copies and have been translated into 21 languages. His Shiva Trilogy is the fastest-selling and his Ram Chandra Series the second-fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history. His books in The Indic Chronicles, which are based on medieval Indian history, are also blockbuster bestsellers. You can connect with Amish here: ABOUT HARPERCOLLINS INDIA HarperCollins India publishes some of the finest writers from the Indian subcontinent and around the world, publishing approximately 200 new books every year, with a print and digital catalogue of more than 2000 titles across 10 imprints. Its authors have won almost every major literary award including the Man Booker Prize, JCB Prize, DSC Prize, New India Foundation Award, Atta Galatta Prize, Shakti Bhatt Prize, Gourmand Cookbook Award, Publishing Next Award, Tata Literature Live!, Gaja Capital Business Book Prize, BICW Award, Sushila Devi Award, Sahitya Akademi Award and Crossword Book Award. HarperCollins India also represents some of the finest publishers in the world including Harvard University Press, Gallup Press, Oneworld, Bonnier Zaffre, Usborne, Dover and Lonely Planet. HarperCollins India is also the recipient of five Publisher of the Year Awards - in 2021 and 2015 at the Publishing Next Industry Awards, and in 2021, 2018 and 2016 at Tata Literature Live. HarperCollins India is a subsidiary of HarperCollins Publishers.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Uddhav-Raj tie-up a fight for political survival after setbacks, anti-Hindi stance just a medium to achieve it
After religion, language is the most emotive issue that can bring people together or divide them. The Thackeray cousins, bitterly estranged for two decades and in opposite camps till some days back, have joined hands to rake up 'imposition' of Hindi in a bid to revive their sagging careers. When nothing works it is best to go back to the basics. Bala Saheb Thackeray launched Shiv Sena on the Marathi manoos versus 'outsiders' plank, attacking the Tamilians working in Mumbai for taking away the jobs of locals. His son and nephew are now banking on the same old formula of political polarization ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections. BMC, the richest municipal body in the country, was once a stronghold of the erstwhile Shiv Sena. This tirade against 'imposition' of Hindi is primarily a fight for political survival after recent setbacks which have posed a new threat to their relevance in Mumbai and Maharashtra politics. The long overdue BMC elections- the last one was held in 2017 and the five year term got over in 2022- are likely to be held soon. Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray 's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) are eyeing the Marathi voters to defeat the alliance of BJP, the breakaway faction of Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar's NCP. If NCP (SP) goes with SS(UBT), Congress will contest alone. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Treatment That Might Help You Against Knee Pain Knee pain | search ads Find Now Undo MNS Chief Raj Thackeray's politics has lacked novelty right from the time he ventured into public life. Imitating his uncle Bala Saheb in every aspect, from his hairstyle to speech delivery to being a cartoonist, he has tried time and again to make political gains by attacking those who come to Mumbai from other states to earn a livelihood. As is well known, the original Shiv Sena- before it was divided into three factions- under Bala Saheb targeted Tamilians working in the state for eating into the job market of locals. Raj Thackeray has unsuccessfully tried this formula a few times since 2007 against poor North Indians working on the streets of Mumbai and other cities. Live Events In 2008, Raj Thackeray's followers had attacked North Indian taxi and auto drivers in Mumbai. He gave a call that North Indians working on the streets of Mumbai should leave the state, leading to his party's Delhi unit breaking away in protest and forming Rashtrawadi Shiv Sena. Some members of this faction had earlier dug up the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium pitch in January 1999 to prevent an India-Pakistan cricket match. MNS goons have often attacked taxi and auto drivers from north India over the years. However, such acts have not helped Raj Thackeray emerge from political wilderness. After successive failures, he has now chosen the ever-sensitive issue of local language versus Hindi. Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray is fighting his own battle to stay afloat in Maharashtra politics. Despite Bala Saheb anointing him as his successor, which led cousin Raj to form MNS 20 years ago, Uddhav proved incapable of taking over the mantle. The photographer-turned politician has always appeared to be uneasy and too soft in the rough and tumble of politics. The breaking up of Shiv Sena in June 2022 with Eknath Shinde forming his own party and becoming chief minister in alliance with BJP and NCP did not come as a big surprise. Shinde also won the right to the party symbol and name. Though Shiv Sena (UBT) recovered some ground and won nine of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in 2024, it performed badly just a few months later in November 2024 in the Assembly elections, winning only 20 of the 288 seats. Shiv Sena (Shinde) did much better with 57 seats. MNS lost in all the 135 seats it contested. The Thackeray cousins hope to reap a good electoral harvest in the BMC elections but the path to victory is not an easy one. In the last BMC elections held in 2017 to the 227-member body, Shiv Sena won 84 seats but its ally BJP did extremely well jumping from 31 seats in 2012 to 82 seats. BJP's rise led to the breaking of its ties with Shiv Sena in 2019. With BMC high on Shiv Sena's radar, Uddhav Thackeray increased the strength of the municipal body to 236 during his chief ministership. This was quashed by Shinde who restored the strength to 227. The BMC contest would be aggressive and interesting this time. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is treading cautiously on the Hindi imposition issue as he is aware of the repercussions of such an emotive issue. The three-language formula has rocked Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as well. Fadnavis recently withdrew the government resolution on the three-language policy. Uddhav has been trying to go back to the old Shiv Sena politics in other aspects too. With his secularism experiment not paying dividends, he is increasingly taking a pro-Hindutva stand along with nationalism. Since BJP has been consistent on these issues, the voters may prefer it over SS(UBT) which has switched camps to suit its politics. The longevity of the new tie-up between the two cousins is doubtful. Such tie-ups between siblings have been short-lived in other parties, with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka being an exception. The Thackeray cousins may part ways soon after the BMC results are out.
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Dubey's controversial remark heats up Maha politics
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's controversial comments on Marathi have reignited the language issue in Maharashtra. Dubey's comments have caused so much controversy that the state unit of BJP is running for cover while the Opposition is claiming that the row has been created with an eye on the Bihar assembly polls. Dubey said, "Why are you saying that you have to speak Marathi (in Maharashtra)? Whose roti are you eating there? Tata, Reliance and Birla have no units in Maharashtra. Tata put its first factory in Bihar. You are living on our money. What tax do you bring? What industry do you have? All semiconductor industries are going to Gujarat. We have mines in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa (sic)... You are behaving like this and exploiting us (north Indians)?" While Dubey said he respected Marathi and believed that it's a respectful language, he said Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray were playing 'vote bank politics'. He said: "If you have guts, then beat the people who speak Urdu or those who beat Tamilians, Telugu people. If you are such a big boss then come to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and Tamil Nadu. They will beat you relentlessly." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 Most Beautiful Female Athletes in the World Click Here Undo The Opposition slammed BJP and the state government, claiming it was an insult to the Marathi-speaking people. Mumbai Congress chief and MP Varsha Gaikwad demanded that BJP and CM Devendra Fadnavis give a reply to Dubey's comments which were against Maharashtra and the people of the state. BJP ally Shiv Sena slammed Dubey. MoS home Yogesh Kadam said: "Such arrogance won't work. We won't tolerate... Does not suit him to give such statements." Live Events In assembly, BJP minister Ashish Shelar said: "If he does not know the Marathi man's contribution then we will make arrangements to send it to him. Marathis do not survive on anyone's scraps and Maharashtra definitely does not. Won't tolerate such remarks."
India Today
29-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Not matchsticks, but rising sun: MK Stalin launches drive against BJP's Hindi push
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President MK Stalin initiated 'Oraniyil Tamil Nadu' (Tamil Nadu in one team) during a meeting with party functionaries. The initiative was announced following a recent decision in the party's general council meeting. Coming ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in 2026, the announcement holds a lot of significance. Through this drive, the DMK will not only be adding members to the party, but will also reach out to the common people of the state against the imposition of Hindi. advertisement'Oraniyil Tamil Nadu is not just a drive to add members to DMK but an initiative to bring everyone together to protect the land, language and respect of Tamil Nadu," said the Chief Minister. The DMK leader has vowed to protect Tamil Nadu and compared the state with the rising sun that won't be blown away easily. "We are not matchesticks to be blown away easily, but the rising sun. If they try to control us, we will stand together to protect the land and no one can defeat us. This is the essence of Oraniyil Tamil Nadu,' said CM Stalin."Those who join Oraniyil Tamilnadu, if interested, will join DMK. We need to reach every family in Tamil Nadu and bring them together against the atrocities of the BJP,' he has accused the BJP-ruled central government of imposing Hindi on Tamilians and said that the funds meant for education in the state are not being released. "The Keezhadi truth is being buried and Hindi is being imposed on us and the centre is refusing to release our education funds, taking away the state's rights," he said. "The BJP is taking revenge on students through NEET and, above all, wants to weaken us through delimitation. They are acting with vengeance against us culturally, economically, politically and through power," he added. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has cancelled its resolution on the three-language policy and announced the formation of a new committee to review and implement the policy afresh.A controversy erupted after the Mahayuti government issued a modified order stating that Hindi would "generally" be taught as the third language to students from Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English-medium schools. The move was part of the phased rollout of the Centre's National Education Policy 2020 at the primary school level. - EndsTune InMust Watch
India Gazette
14-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
DMK's Elangovan criticises demolition of Madrasi Camp in Delhi, demands affected to be rehabilitated
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 14 (ANI): DMK Spokesperson TKS Elangovan on Friday criticised the demolition of the Madrasi Camp in Delhi and demanded that the affected residents, most of them Tamilians, be properly rehabilitated. Speaking to ANI, DMK Spokesperson TKS Elangovan said, 'Our interest is to protect the affected people, particularly the Tamil people who have been affected. The residents should be given an alternative.' Earlier on Friday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, expressing deep concern over the humanitarian crisis following the demolition of Madrasi Camp in South East Delhi's Jangpura on June 1. The demolition displaced 370 Tamil-origin families who had been living in the area for decades. In his letter, Stalin urged immediate steps to alleviate the distress faced by these families, many of whom have contributed significantly to Delhi's economy and society. In his letter, Stalin urged immediate steps to mitigate the distress faced by these families, many of whom have lived and worked in Delhi for decades. 'I wish to draw your urgent attention to the humanitarian crisis precipitated by the demolition of Jangpura's Madrasi Camp on 1st June 2025. This has rendered 370 Tamil-origin families, who for decades have contributed significantly to Delhi's economy, homeless and destitute. As per the Hon'ble Delhi High Court's orders, a joint survey certified 189 families as eligible for EWS flats. The Hon'ble High Court had also directed the Government agencies (DDA and DUSIB) to complete all essential services like water, electricity, sanitation, internal roads, drainage and street lighting in Pockets G-7 and G-8, Narela, where the alternative accommodation has been provided. The Court further mandated the Delhi Government to ensure immediate admissions for displaced children in nearby Government and MCD schools, establish Primary Healthcare Centres and Fair-Price Shops, and arrange requisite DTC and Metro transport links in accordance with the 2016 policy,' Stalin wrote. Stalin further expressed concern over the plight of 189 EWS families allotted flats in Narela, which remain uninhabitable due to incomplete essential services. Stalin noted that 181 other families remain homeless without alternative accommodation. 'Regrettably, although 189 families have been formally allotted EWS flats in Narela, the units remain unfit for occupation owing to incomplete provision of essential services. These sites lie nearly 20 kilometres from many beneficiaries' places of work, yet no dedicated transport services have been provided. Moreover, educational arrangements for over 150 Tamil-medium children have not been implemented in accordance with the Court's directives. In the absence of these amenities, household earners-particularly women-remain unemployed and students face imminent disruption to their studies, compounding the dislocation distress of this vulnerable community. The remaining 181 families have not been provided any alternative accommodation and have been left homeless,' he wrote. The Tamil Nadu CM further demanded government attention over the situation, saying, 'I strongly urge your Government to act immediately to relieve the hardship of the displaced families by completing and handing over the 189 EWS flats in full shape to the entitled families, fast-tracking community infrastructure, and providing dedicated transport services.' The demolition at Madrasi Camp was carried out on June 1 as authorities acted on court orders to clear encroachments along the Barapulla drain. The operation was carried out to resolve the flooding issues caused by the narrowed drain, which obstructs water flow during heavy rains. Out of the 370 encroachments demolished, 189 residents were deemed eligible for resettlement and allocated flats in Narela, while 181 were ineligible. (ANI)
