Sunlight on the Garden: A Story of Childhood and Youth
We’re glad this article found its way to you. If you’re not a subscriber, we’d love for you to consider subscribing—your support helps make this journalism possible. Either way, we hope you enjoy the read. Click to subscribe: subscribing
Andre Béteille
Penguin Books India
304 pages, R499
This memoir from India’s most brilliant sociologist encompasses the worlds of colonial Chandannagar, where Béteille spent his early years; of Patna and Calcutta where he went to school; and of his college days where he started off as a physicist and then turned to sociology—a field in which he was to win international renown. Béteille describes momentous events he lived through such as famine, communal riots and Partition, and draws compelling portraits of Calcutta’s intellectual stars, among them Sukhamoy Chakravarty and Amartya Sen.
Thanks for reading till the end. If you valued this piece, and you're already a subscriber, consider contributing to keep us afloat—so more readers can access work like this. Click to make a contribution: Contribute