MJ Akbar is the author of, among several titles, Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan. His new book ‘ After Me, Chaos: Astrology in the Mughal Empire ’ will be published in October
He understood that democratic politics is algebra, where various parts of the electoral equation are held together by governance, not deposits in vote banks
TCA Raghavan is a former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan and Singapore. His first book, Attendant Lords: Abdur Rahim and Bairam Khan: Courtiers and Poets in Mughal India, was awarded the Mohammad Habib Prize by the Indian History Congress. He is also the author of The People Next Door: The Curious History of India’s Relations with Pakistan and History Men: Jadunath Sarkar, G S Sardesai, Raghubir Sinh and Their Quest for India’s Past. His latest book is Circles of Freedom: Love, Friendship and Loyalty in the Indian National Struggle