Parveen Talha, the first Muslim woman to join the Indian civil service and an incisive chronicler of society she experienced first-hand, has published her second anthology entitled A Word Thrice Uttered: Stories on Life?s Realities.The lead story of the new collection has immense relevance today as triple talaq, or instant divorce, is a hot topic of discussion in Parliament, courts and TV studios. The touching, unexpected climax will bring a smile on the face of any reader. There are several gems like Let Sleeping Dogs Lie in the slim volume of 192 pages. Talha, now 71, held key posts in customs, excise and narcotics wings during her long innings as a highly-rated Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer. After her retirement in 2004, she held the constitutional post of Member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which recruits bureaucrats. In 2014, she was conferred with the Padma Shri, India?s fourth highest civilian award. Talha, who has been drawn to the world of letters from a young age, lives in Lucknow whose heart beats she captured in her first collection of stories - Fida-E-Lucknow: Tales of the city and its people. Both anthologies have been published by New Delhi-based Niyogi Books, which seems to lap up anything penned by Talha.
02-07-2018, 04:12 PM
Muslim woman bureaucrat?s book holds a mirror to society in India
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