HT reviewer Chittajit Mitra picks his favourite read of 2024

A book that stresses the importance of being an enlightened citizen and tells the stories of those who took a stand for others and were targeted as a result

When I was asked to recommend a book for 2024, a lot of things were going through my mind: the ongoing war in Palestine, the recent blow to queer rights in India, the unrest in Congo, farmers’ protests, and much more. The common thread amongst all these incidents is the rapid disintegration of human rights. In this context, I selected How Long Can the Moon be Caged? by Suchitra Vijayan and Francesca Recchia, which tells the stories of many individuals who took a stand for the rights of others and were targeted as a result: an 83-year-old suffering from Parkinson’s was imprisoned in 2020. Subsequently, though he couldn’t hold a glass, he was denied the “privilege” to use a straw and a sipper. He died in the jail after spending 10 months there. A severely handicapped professor was imprisoned for almost nine years, consequently suffering from more health-related complications. He died in October 2024 after being acquitted of all charges. These are just two examples among many.

“The authors have succeeded in revealing the lives behind the names that appear on TV news debates and humanizing them by narrating their stories.” (Context)

Reviewer Chittajit Mitra (Courtesy the subject)

The equation of dissent with anti-nationalism and the consistent dehumanization of activists demanding justice, liberty and equality has had a chilling effect. Vijayan and Recchia have succeeded in revealing the lives behind the names that appear on TV news debates and humanizing them by narrating their stories. Read this book to understand the importance of being an enlightened citizen and to remember that India was built on a promise to all of us.

Chittajit Mitra (he/him) is a queer writer, translator and editor from Allahabad. He is co-founder of RAQS, an organization working on gender, sexuality and mental health