The India I Saw : An Autobiography

This is a fascinating account of the Indian freedom struggle from subaltern viewpoints.<br><br>In August 1973 Ambujammal wrote her autobiography <i>Naan Kanda Bharatham (The India I Saw)</i> a riveting and insightful account of life as it was in Madras (later Chennai) through almost a century with the freedom struggle as the background. <br><br>Hers was not a happy life and even as the book traces India’s journey to becoming an independentnation it also documents the decline of what was once a proud family. Taken overall it was a lifeof achievements but with many crosses to bear. <br><br>What is remarkable is that Ambujammal chooses not to dwell on the problems and instead focuseson the bigger causes that need support. As one reads the book it appears as though she asks the reader to judge her on whether her life contributed even in an infinitesimally small way to thebetterment of the motherland. On that score it has to be said she triumphs. <br><br><i>The India I Saw</i> is a must-read for anyone who wishes to explore a woman’s life in India during the twentieth century.