This remarkable memoir, and history of India after Independence, by one of Indias most distinguished public intellectuals, begins with his memories, at the age of three, of the assassination of his paternal grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi. From this poignant opening note, the book expands into numerous encounters with personalities both Indian and foreign, eminent as well as little known, and original insights into key events and turning points of modern Indian history, many of which he was an eyewitness to as secretary to presidents R. Venkataraman and K. R. Narayanan, and as governor of West Bengal and Bihar.The book is divided into eight sections. The first section deals with the hopes and dreams of a newly independent nation, and the tragic events of Partition following the birth of the nation. Section Two recounts notable events that ushered in democracy such as the adoption of the Indian Constitution in 1950, the first general election (195152), and the formation of the Swatantra Party by C. Rajagopalachari, the last governor general of India and the authors maternal grandfather. In Section Three, we witness, among other things, the 1962 SinoIndia War that convulsed a young democracy, the deaths of Indias first president, Rajendra Prasad, in 1963, its first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1964, and second prime minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, in 1966. Section Four starts out on a promising note as the author, now a young bureaucrat, begins his life and career as an...

Binding: Hardcover;626 pages; Publisher: Repro India Limited; Classification: BM; Weight: 846 g; Dimensions: 167 x 240 x 41

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