Kinnaur
Unlikely Tales (Season One)
Description:... This book is a partial narrative of the lives of an Indian Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and a Swiss lady doctor who managed to meet him in a remote tribal district in the high Himalayas in the North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh in spite of that area being restricted to entry not just by foreigners but also by Indian citizens because of its strategic geographical situation bordering Tibet. With an ample dose of humour, this book narrates how they fell instantly in love, what unlikely events unfolded in their lives, how they overcame obstacles in their path, to finally get married and live together. Their lives prove that reality can surpass fiction. The narrative gives a brief introduction to the functions and role of a Deputy Commissioner (DC) which the author was in Kinnaur District. In irreverent and humorous language he describes how he kept cocking a snook at rigid bureaucratic rules, dating from British colonial times, apt for the 19th and early 20th century to suit the needs of an alien colonial power but totally unsuited to an independent nation geared towards development. A service colleague commented about this book: "His book is a delight to read - anecdotal, honest, impish and at times outrageous. But his love and fascination for this most remote and beautiful of Himachal's districts comes through stroingly, as does his passion for Lia, the Swiss girl who carried him off to Switzerland in 1984. This book is, therefore, essentially an account of these two romances". The same reviewer continues: "I finished the book in two sittings. Unlike most of his ilk, who too have penned their memoirs, Jogishwar does not preach or pontificate. He shares with the reader the joy of being a young DC in a unique place, the satisfaction of cocking a snook at the staid bureaucracy of which he too is a part, the miracle of how s chance encounter metamorphosed into a love that changed the whole trajectory of his life. It is precisely these qualities that make this book so readable, especially for those who have served in Himachal. His has been a most unusual life and this book makes for very interesting reading for Jogishwar does not pull his punches."
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