Boy o boy whaddabook!! Take a bow Mr.Guha and his team :)
There are two reasons why i wanted to read this book:
1. Big Fan of History: I've always believed that history should be
studied for the attitude, mental strength of the people involved and for
the causes that lead to extraordinary events in world history.
Unfortunately our textbooks preach only events and when things happened than why they happened.
2. The need to know what happened after 1947 (where our school textbooks
stop) till say 1998 when i starting knowing things myself (Vevaram
therinja vayasu)
Ram Guha gives a balanced view on most of the mercurial events pertaining to
Independent India. He covers almost all regions of the country including
Kashmir Issue, Kerala/Bengal Communist story, Naxalite problem,
Language based Dravidian politics, Emergency, Riots, Nagas Issue,
Indo-Pak, Sino-India ties and the inevitable Nehru Gandhi family.
Living in a generation of constant outrage against the Gandhi
family and peevish Modituva politics, it was important for us to know why the
Nehru-Gandhi family took center stage in the first place. Moving from a
Kashmiri Brahmin Pandit, erudite scholar, freedom fighter, consensus
builder, Mass leader, face of the nation, beleaguered and withered
leader, Nehru has seen it all. Ram Guha covers most of these crucial
later half of Nehru’s life. April/May 1964 events provide a peculiarly
poignant coda to the life of nehru’s illustrious career. With so many
administrators but not leaders around, Kamraj found a sense of elegance
and charisma with Indira, which powered her way to the top job.
As you read, you find a lot of similarities between Modi and Indira.
Both are authoritative people who keep servile leaders at their
positions of responsibilities and play the card of growth and
governance. Both have their share of baggage with Gujarat Riots and
Emergency. Despite having efficient leaders, these two leaders possess
unparalleled charisma and populist opinion among their party members.
Decision making gets centralized and is thrust upon individuals rather
than them voting for a custodian of people's rights.
I feel sorry for Lal Bahadur Shastri and Rajiv Gandhi. Both
visionaries in their own league, but couldn’t extend their prowess due
to their untimely deaths. Also for J.P.Narayan and Rajaji for their
experience and wisdom, but couldn’t take up active roles due to old age.
Sheik Abdullah, a man who wanted to uphold the interests of the people
of Kashmir, has succumbed to the political leadership of India and
Pakistan and the mantle is now carried forward by his son Farooq and
grandson Omar. We've moved away from a nation which casts its vote to a
nation which votes its caste.
It is exhilarating to read the story of a nation with religious
fanaticism, language barriers, regional feuds, population explosion,
food shortages, inflation and still managed to progress due to some bold
and practical decisions.
Overall, this book is an enriching experience for those who want to
know the India story and its slow crawl to become what it is today.
1 comment:
It was an interesting book. I never was able to complete it though. :(
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