is proud to announce the release of
IF I HAVE TO BE A SOLDIER
by NIKHIL J. ALVA
‘…a vital reminder of the challenges facing Indians living on the margins of the nation’s consciousness… If I Have to Be a Soldier marks an impressive debut.’
SHASHI THAROOR
Noted writer and Member of Parliament
Releasing 26th January 2024| 336 pp | Rs 499
ABOUT THE BOOK
It is 1966 and Mizoram is burning.
The Mizo National Front has launched an armed rebellion in their quest for an independent nation, and Delhi is pushing back with all its might.
As a brutal war rages, Indian Army Captain Samuel Rego, the son of a Baptist preacher, finds himself returning to the land he ran away from to interrogate one of the most feared MNF commanders in custody. Except, the Mara tribesman everyone knows as ‘Che’ is Sena, Samuel’s childhood friend. When confronted with a grave moral dilemma, the choice Captain Samuel makes causes him and Che to become fugitives. While being hunted across the rugged Mizo Hills, the two men must face events from their bitter past that scarred their friendship, even as they struggle to stay alive and redeem themselves.
Drawing on the dark truths of one of India’s most secretive wars, If I Have to Be a Soldier is a gripping story of identity, survival, betrayal and, above all, love.
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Nikhil J. Alva, author, says, ‘When I first read about the incredible causality between the once-in-fifty-year flowering of the bamboo in the Mizo Hills, the plague of rats, and the brutal twenty-year long insurgency that followed, as a storyteller, I was hooked! I first wrote a movie screenplay based on the idea. Along the way I fell in love with the characters I had created, and decided that only a novel could do justice to them. It took four years. But I’ve enjoyed every minute of it!’
Rashmi Menon, Executive Editor, HarperCollins India adds, ‘Seamlessly blending history and fiction, If I Have to Be a Soldier thrusts readers into the heart of Mizoram’s tryst with insurgency and struggle for independence in the 1960s. Building on this, Nikhil J. Alva, in this brilliantly crafted debut novel, delves into the complexities of friendship, loyalty, and the devastating costs of war. A gripping tale set against the backdrop of a forgotten and turbulent period from India’s history, it challenges us to confront the haunting choices made in the name of survival.’
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nikhil J. Alva is an award-winning producer, director and writer. His work has been screened on major broadcast networks and platforms all over the world.
Nikhil earned a BA (Hons) in Mathematics from St. Stephen’s College and later an MBA from the London Business School. He is a serial entrepreneur, a climate-change warrior, a communications and social media maven, a national shooting champion, a pianist and an avid golfer. He’s a rebel without a pause, a chronic supporter of underdog causes, and loves the challenge of trudging off the beaten path.
This is his first novel.
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For reviews, excerpts, author interviews and more information, please contact Nandini Tripathi at nandini.tripathi@harpercollins.co.in
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