Shades of Truth: A Journey Derailed
by Kapil Sibal
About The Book
The 2014 Lok Sabha elections saw a tectonic shift in public sentiment. The people of India seemed to have embraced the winds of change and the new language of governance in anticipation of ‘Achhe Din’.But as the NDA Government under the leadership of Narendra Modi seeks a ‘Congress Mukt Bharat’ and attempts to tackle all the issues for which it blamed previous governments, we must pause and reflect on the journey thus far; what lies ahead and on the gap between the promised change and delivery on the ground.In Shades of Truth, Kapil Sibal examines the many actions of the Modi Government since 2014 and lays bare how this government revels in the past without seeking to grapple with the problems of the present and prepare for future challenges. Apart from his reflections on diverse topics and contemporary concerns, Sibal also reflects on the policy decisions of the UPA government in sectors as diverse as telecom, education, science and technology and law.
Reflections: In Rhyme And Rhythm
by Kapil Sibal
“In delightful and gently acerbic verse, Sibal has given us the benefit of a life’s experience.”
— Keki N. Daruwalla, Poet and Writer
“These excursions in verse reveal Kapil Sibal’s innermost concerns, his political preoccupations, his heartfelt emotions, and his sense of mischief.”
— Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Reflections: In Rhyme and Rhythm consists of cameo presentations of how I see my country. The watchful eye is able to discern farcical charades being played to woo, deceive, and then conquer. The truth often eludes us. We are both inundated and overwhelmed with images which seek to colour and capture the mind. We live in an India where conflict and violence are justified through skewed moral fervour. We watch with unease the fragile lives of others destroyed with ease and without compunction. We often see what is not; we seldom get to see what is.
Those in power cruise along by peddling lies. Any attempt to discover the truth is targeted. Civilization marches on; times change, but the basic instincts of humans remain the same. Greed is a driving force with which empires were built. But the cyclical nature of human endeavour allows for change. Those who live a static life may find comfort but will go through their uneventful journey having lost their chance to live.
Love and empathy help build bonds. They help unite people, a necessary pre-requisite for peace and prosperity. In their absence, the march ahead is full of thorns. The world occasionally misses those who sacrificed their lives for the noble cause of peace. Our world has forgotten them.
My World Within
by Kapil Sibal
How do poems grow? They grow out of your life’ Robert Penn Warren Replete with wit, satire, humour and a passionate awareness of the ever-changing world, Kapil Sibal’s collection of poetry is a testimony to Warren’s belief. With varied themes ranging from love, desire, friendship, world economy, terrorism and international affairs, the poems take us on a path to discover a universe that is so perfect in its imperfection. The emotions and thoughts central to Kapil Sibal’s life weave a rhythmic story of his world within ‘Hamlet personifies Doubt-Honest, eloquent doubt. A lawyer-politician cannot afford to be that soliloquizing Prince. But within the agonising demarks of betrayal, intrigue and worse, Kapil Sibal has found-made- a poetic space where he can ask if he is meant to be or not to be, himself.’ Gopalkrishna Gandhi If poetry is only emotions and feelings; it affects our minds for a short while. If it is only intellect and wisdom it doesn’t touch our hearts. Kapil Sibal’s poetry is a synthesis of emotions and intellect. His poems are felt thoughts’ Javed Akhtar
I Witness
by Kapil Sibal
I Witness is Kapil Sibal s first venture into the literary sphere, a refreshing digression from his pragmatic and prosaic world of administration and policy-making. Mostly in rhyme, the poems are contemporary in theme, wickedly amusing, sharp and sparkling like cut glass. On the other hand, revelations of tenderness, longing and a certain tentativeness through romantic yet feisty love poems bare a hitherto hidden facet of a very public man. Emotions ranging from love to terrorism, Twenty20 cricket to global warming and Antarctica are disarming yet perspicacious and strung together with sensitivity. And above all, there is the ability of the poet to laugh at himself. Incisive and insightful, the poems make for a delectable cordon bleu spread to be savoured by the discerning connoisseur.
Kis Kis Ki Jai Ho
by Kapil Sibal