Punjabi Century

This book is a rare gem, a mix of Russel Bakers 'Growing Up' and Ahmed Ali's 'Twilight in Delhi'. I picked it up for Rs. 40 at a sale. It remained on the bookshelf for 6 months before I took a look at it-but it only took me half a day and one night to finish it.
Prakash Tandon, founder of IIM A, was born in 1911. He traces the history of his ancestors from 1847, about the time the rule of the Sikhs (Sikha Shahi)ended, to 1947. Unlike the rest of India (apart from Hyderabad),Punjab was never ruled by the East India company. When the British took over, many welcomed the change and stability. The Khatris amongst the Punjabis were the first to embrace formal British education. By 1911,as Tandon notes, the engineering services in some districts were managed entirely by Indian staff.
As a child Mr. Tandon grows up in small towns and villages, moving with his father who works as an engineer managing the canal system. He describes a Baisakhi festival on the banks of a river in one such village in photographic detail. Later, he completes his education in a small town called Gujrat, at the foothills of what today would be Pakistani occupied Kashmir. Vividly described, the way of life of this small town, and the ups and downs of Mr. Tandon's family forms the core of this book.
Pran Nevile attempts a copy of this with his poorly written 'Lahore' but fails to get that emotional touch.
Much of this books success is precisely that- a story of a whole community told through the life of one family with a personal touch. The book ends with the parition and the family's crossing over to India at the wagah border.