Friendship, compassion and the pressures of modern were the talking points as Shatrughan Sinha and Maneka Gandhi launched Dr Mukesh Batra’s new book Toxic: Stories, Science, and Remedies for a Cleaner Mind, Body and Spirit, written with Swami Shailendra Saraswati. The book was launched at an event in New Delhi.
“That is why I wrote Toxic—not as a doctor diagnosing a patient, but as a witness to how an entire civilization is changing, not always for the better,” he said. Maneka Gandhi described Dr Batra as a wonderful human being who has consistently supported the voiceless. Expressing her support for the cause, she praised his compassion and commitment to helping others. For Dr Batra, the book grew from concerns about both the world around us and the distress people carry within. Speaking at the launch, he drew attention to polluted air, concerns about food and water, digital dependence and the silence surrounding emotional struggles.