Kusum Choppra

Finally the truth of Mastani is coming out, thanks to painstaking research which took more than two decades of scratching patiently for the tiniest of clues. yes, it took me more than two decades to get behind the actual story of Baji Rao and Mastani's lives and deaths, wiping away the falsehoods that had been attached to both of them - in their persona and the deaths. it has given me tremendous satisfaction to see this speaking tree clip that affirms the truth, rather than perpetuating false myths. Sept 9, 2015, www.speakingtree.in carried a video story of Peshwa Bajirao I in which 6 of the 12 clips reaffirmed my blasting of the myths  surrounding  Bajirao and Mastani, including their lives and deaths --quoting from my book Mastani a Rupa publication of 2012. Hard on the heels of that came endorsements from Manjula Tekal, a US based scholar of maratha history and Dr. Usha Ram a Pune based scholar " An able warrior and administrator, Mastani ...

Nagaland,  Bodoland, Khalistan. Eelam and now Potelland ….every time such movements aimed at tearing India apart do not come from mere hot figure heads, like Hardik Patel. They are largely funded by those who fled, rather than cope with the problems of the Motherland – who now look back and see India is progressing and carrying her past and present with her into the future.    They rage and curse their decision and then find ways of funding movements to pull India back from the path of progress. Hence the unedifying spectacle of the Patels who spearheaded the demand to do away with reservations -- for those who had suffered centuries of neglect --- now demanding reservations for themselves.    Those who have almost taken over the motel trade in the US are now demanding reservations in India, threatening to march to the UN, in their BMWs and Toyotas perhaps, and refuse to pay taxes.   Even a call to withdraw money from banks. When did Patels keep t...

Today I am on top of the world. My belief in Mastani and her dignity and respect, in my interpretation of the lives and times of Peshwa Baji Rao I and his second wife Mastani have found affirmation, not only in the lives of their descendants eight generations down after the publication of my book Mastani (Rupa) but also in this video on www.speakingtree.in  dated sept 9 2015. Of the 12 clips in the video, 6 are  reaffirmations of my findings and some direct quotes from my book that had declared that Mastani died before Baji Rao did, not after him!! The video  acknowledges Mastani as the lawfully wedded wife of Baji Rao; =  that she died before him as I indicated in my second ending; =  that Baji Rao died not of a heat stroke but from the effects of drastic alcohol withdrawal – turning cold turkey;     = that Bajirao had left shanivar wada over the janau issue of Shamsher Bahadur aka Krishnaswami who was his and Mastani's son; ...