The Many Lives of Syeda X by Neha Dixit [hardcover]

In The Invisible Woman, award-winning journalist Neha Dixit tells the poignant and harrowing story of Syeda X, an ordinary working-class Indian woman who embodies the struggles of millions of migrants in modern India. From her early life in Banaras to her struggles in Delhi after the riots triggered by the Babri Masjid demolition, Syeda juggles numerous low-paying jobs to survive, each day filled with precariousness. Over nearly a decade of research, Dixit reveals the painful realities of Syeda's life, and those of others like her, including the devastating impact of displacement, violence, and systemic discrimination, culminating in the Delhi riots of 2020. The book paints a vivid picture of the harsh urban realities faced by marginalized communities in New India.