‘Circles of Freedom’ tells a tight-paced story of Asaf Ali and friends during the national movement

How differently does our understanding of history change when it is seen as contextual? Circles of Freedom, TCA Raghavan’s latest book, attempts to move beyond biography or narration by letting the setting have a say. Turning its attention to a circle of individuals within a larger political environment, the book looks at the way in which their interactions shaped the Indian independence movement. “Not a ringside view, but a view just beyond the ring”, as the blurb promises. In this unique premise, what can we make of this book? Does it live up to its innovative premise?

Stretching across the first half of the 20th century, our narrative unravels against the backdrop of the Indian Independence movement. The cast: a geographically diverse, but elite English-speaking crowd within the Congress party. Asaf Ali, an England-trained Delhi barrister, is the primary protagonist. His “circle”, consisting of Sarojini Naidu (a close friend) and Aruna Asaf Ali (his wife), along with a few other friends, enter and exit the book at various points in time, sometimes in the limelight, sometimes as flitting mentions. We see others like Jawaharlal Nehru, MA Ansari and Mohammad Ali Jinnah appear as secondary characters in this tale. At its core are the changes...

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