6 June 1984: The Indian Army storms the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Called Operation Bluestar, the historic and unprecedented event ended the growing spectre of terrorism perpetrated by the extremist Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers once and for all. But it left in its wake unsolved political questions that continued to threaten Punjab's stability for years to come. How, in a brief span of three years, did India's dynamic frontier state become a national problem? Who was to blame: the central government for allowing the crisis to drift despite warnings, or the long-drawn-out Akali agitation, or the notorious gang of militants who transformed a holy shrine into a sanctuary for terrorists? First published two months after Operation Bluestar, The Punjab Story pieces together the complex Punjab jigsaw through the eyes of some of India's most eminent public figures and journalists. Writing with the passion and conviction of those who were involved with the drama, they present a wide-ranging perspective on the past, present and future of the Punjab tangle; and the truth of many of their'conclusions having been borne out by time.

Enthralling, heart-rending, poignant and engrossing stories of immortal love, unfettered emotions and everlasting appeal that have stood the test of time This volume comprises a collection of mystical stories from Punjab that forces the now ordinary and practical meaning of love to change into its illogical and irrational self it once used to be. An exposition of Sufi philosophy, each story possesses both the calm and the storm of true love – a love that consumes the body and the heart; a love that goes beyond all common sense; a love better known as junoon (intense passion), that finally culminates in ibaadat (worship) and the love of God. From Sohni-Mahiwal to Heer-Ranjha, Sassi-Punnu to Mirza-Sahiban, Harish Dhillon succinctly encapsulates the rich cultural and literary heritage Punjab is so famously synonymous with. Love Stories from Punjab brings alive the forgotten magic of folklore that will tug at all the right strings of the heart, once again. Drama, romance, tragedy and history are interwoven in the form of an exquisite tapestry.

Kaka, the wicked crow, wants to eat Munni's eggs. But Munni is a very clever sparrow. And so are all the characters in this popular folktale from Punjab.

Canada's award-winning crime writer takes on a transatlantic serial killer One of six book-length stories published in the Hamilton Spectator, Poison is a riveting piece of crime reporting that won a National Newspaper Award in 2004. Chronicling the life and crimes of serial murderer Sukhwinder Dhillon, who coolly dispatched two wives, two twin infants, and a friend just for insurance money, Poison details the trail that stretched from Canada to India, the work of the insurance claims investigator and the detectives who suspected wrong-doing, the forensics that sealed Dhillon's fate, and the legal twists and turns of the double murder trial that followed.

Punjab was the arena of one of the first major armed conflicts of post-colonial India. During its deadliest decade, as many as 250,000 people were killed. This book makes an urgent intervention in the history of the conflict, which to date has been characterized by a fixation on sensational violence—or ignored altogether. Mallika Kaur unearths the stories of three people who found themselves at the center of Punjab’s human rights movement: Baljit Kaur, who armed herself with a video camera to record essential evidence of the conflict; Justice Ajit Singh Bains, who became a beloved “people’s judge”; and Inderjit Singh Jaijee, who returned to Punjab to document abuses even as other elites were fleeing. Together, they are credited with saving countless lives. Braiding oral histories, personal snapshots, and primary documents recovered from at-risk archives, Kaur shows that when entire conflicts are marginalized, we miss essential stories: stories of faith, feminist action, and the power of citizen-activists.

On the political insurgency in Punjab.

“An interesting literary journey back in time, capturing — within the breathtaking stories — the joys and sorrows, thrills and disappointments of growing up in rural Punjab.” “Bhupendra’s stories bring out the simplicity, sensibilities, vibrancy, languor, humour and irony in lives from the Punjab countryside.” “Countryside Tales is the closest you can get to the Malgudi Days of Punjab.” “Bhupendra’s powerful narratives transport the readers back in time to that place and situation, where they become a part of the action and emotion. One can visualise the scenes so clearly that the feeling is of actually being present there.” “Great memories narrated with utter simplicity. Bhupendra really has an amazing talent for bringing alive the people he writes about — and that too with crystal clear precision.” “Bhupendra Dogra exhibits a great skill of transmuting personal memories into an impersonal and universal art. While reading the stories, I felt like a toddler once again in the company of my young and muscular dad, working in the fields in the village.” “Bhupendra’s stories capture the mood and aura of a bygone era perfectly. They remind me of R.K. Narayan’s short stories especially Swami & his Friends!” “Bhupendra is an amazingly gifted writer… a master story teller who is unbeatable in narrating and converting simple incidents into interesting stories.” “A raconteur par excellence.” “Bhupendra’s relationship with his father must have been very very special. His abiding love for his father peeps through every word he writes about him.” “Intensely engaging, some of the best short stories that I have ever read in my life.” “Bhupendra Dogra’s stories are fine examples of creating interesting artistic constructs out of some banal or commonplace experiences, interspersed with a subtle sense of humour and a mild critique of typical middle class Hindu family ethos and ethics.”