#BookReview ; From Bihar To Tihar by Kanhaiya Kumar

No one has made quite such an electrifying political debut in India in recent history. In March 2016, Kanhaiya Kumar the president of the JNU Students Union was arrested on charges of sedition, locked up in Tihar Jail and beaten up by lawyers in Patiala House court. 

He came out of the crisis as a young political star, dubbed by the BBC as 'India's most loved and loathed student'. This is his story—from his childhood in rural Bihar, college days in Patna, to his political coming of age in Delhi. And it is told in his extraordinary voice—colourful, witty, eloquent, and raw. From Bihar to Tihar is the story of a young political star in the making and a rare window into the lives of small town young Indians and their aspirations.

The story of Kanhaiya’s incredible journey from a village school, his deepening involvement in student politics, his controversial arrest on charges of sedition and its aftermath.

From Bihar To Tihar is the autobiography of Kanhaiya Kumar, it has been translated by Vandana R. Singh & published by Juggernaut Books. The author is an AISF activist & was the president of the JNU Student’s Union 2015-16. He recently completed his PhD from the Centre for African Studies at the School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi.

Kanhaiya Kumar came into limelight when he got arrested on the charges of sedition along with some other charges & was locked up in Tihar jail. In this book the author traces his life from his childhood which he spent in rural Bihar, the challenges he faced coming from an economically weaker family. His journey as a struggling civil service aspirant to going to JNU & actively participating in student politics.  But it doesn’t just end here, the author gives a brief look into the system of our country & how it’s important for citizens of the country to stay united no matter, surely something to look forward. Get the book here,

I have followed the whole JNU fiasco & tried to look beyond than what media was showing, I tried & tried to find any speech let alone the ones Kanhaiya Kumar gave near that specific time period but I couldn’t find any such speech of his which can amount to sedition & that’s why I was excited to read this book. The book gives a detailed description of the life of the author & how he came to be who he is. The questions he put up in front of us are important as they aspires the country to become an ideal one, the importance of doing your duty but also critically questioning the government is something so elementary yet it needs to be reminded to every single citizen as we have divided ourselves into castes, class, regions & religions. The language used is simple, the title is apt & the cover is accurate. A must read especially for the Indian youth.