'When the Chief Fell in Love', to release tomorrow
Mumbai: An unusual fictional romantic novel, "When the Chief Fell in Love: Kashmiriyat, Jamhooryiat, Insaniyat. Hindustaniyat," has sparked a guessing game on its underlying political message, its author Tuhin A. Sinha said here on Tuesday.
Scheduled to be released on February 14, Sinha unveiled the name and covered through social media network and kicked off a raging debate on the content and possibly, a political message, since he is the Bharatiya Janata Party's Mumbai spokesperson.
"The slogan - aKashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat, Insaniyat' was first coined by then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in 2003 and it struck an instant chord with the people of Jammu & Kashmir. By adding 'Hindustaniyat' to the original slogan, I hope a new perspective is given to the burning issue (of J&K) in the present context," Sinha told IANS.
Giving a sneak peek into the storyline, Sinha said it revolved around the life and travails of Vihaan Shastri, India's young and dynamic defense minister who comes under attack after 20 soldiers are killed during a terror strike in Jammu & Kashmir.
While the country bays for bloody revenge, Shastri battles a strange distraction: Zaira Bhat, the woman he once loved, who suddenly returns to his life after 12 years, amidst a web of extraordinary situations and twisted quirks of fate.
The unfolding scenario is indeed extraordinary and sensitive -- for, he is the country's defense minister, and his long-lost love Zaira is the daughter of none other than the reviled Bilal Mohammad Bhat, Jammu & Kashmir's leading and most wanted, Pro-Pakistani separatist leader.
"The plot revolved around whether Shastri is capable of pulling off this a double coup -- can he win the love of his life and also save Jammu & Kashmir which is on edge," Sinha said.
Sinha's ninth book in his writing career which started in 2006, "When the Chief Fell in Love" (246 pages) is published by Fingerprint Publishing.
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Neeraj Chopra wins Golden Spike meet
Ostrava (Czech Republic), Jun 24 (PTI): Indian javelin throw superstar Neeraj Chopra on Tuesday clinched the title at the Golden Spike meet in his maiden appearance here, his back-to-back win in a top-class competition.
Fresh from his Paris Diamond League win on June 20, Chopra emerged on top in a nine-man field here though with a modest effort of 85.29m in the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event.
He had skipped the last two editions of Golden Spike -- an event that his coach Jan Zelezny won nine times in a storied career -- due to fitness issues.
The 27-year-old Chopra has had an impressive season so far, having won his first Diamond League title in two years in Paris after also breaching the elusive 90m mark during his second place finish in Doha DL in May.
