'Ahimsa' sheds light on India's freedom struggle

Screenwriter Supriya Kelkar sheds light on the Indian freedom movement in her debut novel which is inspired by her great-grandmother's experience working with Mahatma Gandhi.

The book Ahimsa will be published in India in August.

In 1942, after Gandhi asked one member of each family to join the non-violent freedom movement, 10-year-old Anjali was devastated to think that her father will risk his life for the country. But he's not the one joining. Anjali's mother was.

As the family got more and more involved in the cause, Anjali gives up her privileges and confronts her prejudices to ensure her little contribution to the movement is complete.

Ahimsa, published by Scholastic India, is essentially about female empowerment and overcoming one's internal struggles and giving up one's biases.

Kelkar, a screenwriter who has worked on the writing teams for films like "Lage Raho Munnabhai" and "Eklavya: The Royal Guard", doesn't shy away from the reality that progress can sometimes be slow and one must persist even when all hope seems gone.

"I'm so thrilled Ahimsa is heading to India, and cannot wait to share this book with all the wonderful readers," US-based Kelkar said.

According to Shantanu Duttagupta, head of publishing at Scholastic India, Ahimsa is a "book every Indian should read, whether you are a parent, child, educator or book lover. It leaves a mark".