'Roli Books' to publish Kobad's memoir

Roli Books' has signed Kobad Ghandy's memoir, which is set to be published in the first quarter of 2021. As the book is dedicated to his inspiration - his late wife - it details Kobad's incidents from his early life. From his time studying in London to his return to India and introduction to the 'Dalit Panthers' and radical politics, the book will give readers an insight into his decade-long journey of arrests and time in prisons across India.

Ghandy, a communist, Marxist thinker and activist, who has been branded an anti-national by the government for his ideologies, has talked about his life working for Dalits and poor, the couple's involvement with the Naxalites and his ongoing legal battles.

Priya Kapoor, Director, 'Roli Books' said, "I began a correspondence with Kobad in 2018 when he was still in a jail in Telangana. We had recently published 'Behind Bars' by Sunetra Choudhury, in which there was a dedicated chapter on Ghandy, a Parsi boy from a privileged background, who was educated at Doon School and had gone to London to study CA, where he witnessed racism and as a result got interested in leftist politics. He quit his CA course and returned to India to join the Naxalite movement. He was imprisoned in various jails around India for ten years despite acquittals for charges ranging from sedition to charges under the 'Unlawful Activities Prevention Act' (UAPA)."

Then in October 2019, when the politician-activist was released, I immediately asked him to write and bring his story to the audience."