This and the outline of the plot clearly indicate the thrust of the novel. Khushwant Singh adds that he started the novel at the age of 83 and finished it at 85. At best it is a light read with plenty of purple passages thrown in for good measure. However, it lacks the spirit of Train to Pakistan, which till date remains his best work and the subtlety of Delhi in which sex is used as ametaphor. Going by the author's note, one hopes Khushwant Singh has purged himself of his octogenerian fantasising and comes out with something that blends his usual puckishness with something more earthy in his next work.

It is time homosexual literary history was given a sociological and academic context and regarded as part of cultural studies. In keeping with the political correctness of allowing free sexual preferences, Penguin has brought out Yaarana, a selection of gay writing from India, edited by the well-known activist Hoshang Merchant. Talking of the problems in putting together a gay (the word is accepted, though Merchant is not happy with it) anthology, he says, ``...homosexual writing in the vernacular addressing small-town audiences is non-explicit when available. There is the added difficulty in our society of social stigmatisation of any contributor to a homosexual anthology''.

Some of the contributors are well known gay activists who have come out of the closet, like R Raj Rao andAshok Row Kavi, others like Vikram Seth whose writings indicate their preferences, but who are not into activism. The pieces, read along with Hoshang Merchant's introduction, sensitise the reader to a kind of writing he/she might have overlooked before. This book can be taken as a companion to the anthology of lesbian writing published by Penguin some time back.

Most of us have come across Pushpa Girimaji's syndicated column, Checkout, which comes out in a number of newspapers. Indeed, her pioneering work in the area of consumer rights and consumer law and her sustained campaign on behalf of consumers over the last 17 years have brought her many honours. Her book, Consumer Rights for Everyone, was released recently by Justice Suhas C Sen, president of the National Commission. Justice V Balakrishna Eradi, the first president of the commission for nine years, presided over the function.

Speaking on the occasion, Girimaji said that though the Consumer Protection Act came into being in 1986,very few people in the country are aware of this law. ``Surveys have shown that about 80 per cent of India is still unaware of the existence of the Consumer Protection Act. One can well imagine what the load on consumer courts will be when every citizen becomes conscious of this law.'' Along with this, the process of sensitising government monopolies and Indian business as a whole to consumer rights would be hastened if consumer rights courts impose punitive penalties on those found guilty. This would hasten the process of ensuring quality products and services for Indian consumers, she felt.