The Collector's Bag

A fascinating collection of stories based on the author's experiences as an Indian Civil Services Deputy Commissioner, or `Collector' in the Himalayan district of Garhwal, in which actual fact stands beside fiction, and where, if the story is not true, in whole or in part, it still gives a true insight into the life and mores of the people in that part of the subcontinent. Love, murder, rogues, humour, revenges, trial by ordeal, blood feuds, and Chinese-Tibetan plans for the invasion of India are featured, as well as an account of the author's meeting with Jawarhal Nehru. The author has splendidly evoked a way of life of half a century ago, but much of it could still exist today: the world changes very little in the depths of the Indian hill country.