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Haunting account

The author recounts with some amusement his family’s experience of life in Islamabad society between April 1997 and June 2000.He records his frustration at being disallowed from reporting freely on the ground many events that defined Indo-Pak r elations, even as death or kidnapping forever stalks him.

Three incidents haunt Baruah the most: not being cleared to attend the funeral, in 1998, of John Joseph, the bishop of Faisalabad who committed suicide in protest against Pakistan’s ‘blasphemy’ laws; being forbidden to view the wreckage of an Indian Air Force plane shot down during the Kargil conflict of 1999; and being prevented from entering Afghanistan from Pakistan to report on the Kandahar hijacking later that year. And yet, says Baruah, despite all the personal and professional difficulties he faced in Pakistan, his stint in Islamabad—and his exchanges with so many friends he cannot name—proved to be the most exciting and enriching in his career.

While admitting the difficult nature of his job as a foreign correspondent in a hostile nation, Baruah recalls the joys of meeting generous, like-minded people in a country whose regimented stance on India—and its press—is less than friendly.

Dateline Islamabad; Penguin; Rs. 295.

Amit Baruah

Addressing innovation

This volume examines the importance of innovation for organisations to grow in a corporate environment that is constantly changing and fiercely competitive. Drawing on years of in-depth research and extensive experience in the Indian industry, the au thors present an integrated perspective of innovation in organisations as a system. Based on extensive surveys, interviews and real-life cases, the book explores the success of groundbreakers in the corporate sector such as Tata Indica, Tasty Bite, TeNet and Kaya to illustrate how the ‘3 Gears’ work.

In a wide-ranging discussion, the authors also address questions. Is there a weak linkage between innovation strategy and overall organisational strategy? What should be the CEO’s role in driving innovation? Is the first-mover advantage really critical? Can the corporate sector learn innovation from the non-corporate sector? Are entrepreneurs supported or hindered by the Indian innovation ecosystem? Can there be a quintessentially Indian model of innovation that goes beyond Japanese ‘Kaizen’ or American ‘big-idea’?

The book provides an opportunity for thinking managers to introspect on their organisation’s need for innovation as well as a framework to base their strategies on.

This is an important book for anyone who wants to know why innovation, despite being so sought after, is so difficult to implement.

Innovative India-Insights for the Thinking Manager; Penguin; Rs. 395

Parmit Chadha Radhika Chadha

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