Neerja Chowdhury’s book on six prime ministers is a delightful and welcome combination of two styles. Called how prime ministers decide, it combines history and biography and is filled with anecdotes and chatty quotations. She has also adopted a winning writing style.
For instance, this is how her chapter on Rajiv Gandhi begins: “Rajiv, if you can’t convince me about this Muslim bill, how are you going to convince the country?, Sonia said to her husband. “Even more inviting is the opening sentence of the chapter on Narasimha Rao. “I heard you were doing puja on 12 o’clock on 6 December,” Nikhil Chakravarty, left leaning journalist said to former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao”. With that sort of storm, it’s impossible not to read on.
Now, Chowdhury’s book doesn’t present great revelations that will make you rethink your view of any of the six prime ministers. This is not a reappraisal. But it has stories, quotations and a very a vast quantity of research that fleshes out and adds detail to what you already know. Her book helps you understand things better.
Her comments on Rao are particularly engrossing. First, there’s her understanding of the man. “Rao…. was given to having arguments with himself. He would internally debate on an issue and see both the points of view to such an extent that no clear picture emerged,” she writes.
Chowdhury says Rao did’nt want a majority in 1996 — and he didn’t get one either--- because then he would have to give way to Sonia Gandhi. “Rao had a better chance of becoming PM again only if the Congress was in minority.” She’s right, but this hasn’t occurred to me earlier.
It’s Rao’s relationship with Atal Behari Vajpayee that transfixed my attention. “They went back a long way — and had come to each other’s rescue at a critical moment in their careers.”
In October 1995, at the United Nations General Assembly, Vajpayee was seated between Rao and Bhuvnesh Chaturvedi, a junior minister. Chowdhury quotes Chaturvedi: “Vajpayee leaned across and said to Rao. “Kalyan Singh humare bahut virohd maen hai, unko nahi banna chahiye. (Kalyan Singh has been opposing me, he should not takeover as CM of UP).”
That evening, Chaturvedi asked Rao whether they should help Vajpayee. “Haan keh do Voraji ko (Yes, tell Voraji to do what is necessary), was the reply. Vora was governor of Uttar Pradesh.
The message was delivered and Kalyan Singh did not become chief minister. Chowdhury’s explanation couldn’t be more telling. “The installation of Kalyan Singh as the CM in Lucknow would mean power moving into hands of Advani. This could create problems for Vajpayee… Rao understood the importance of UP for Vajpayee — and decided to help his friend.” (IPA Service)
NEERJA CHOWDHURY’S BOOK ON SIX PRIME MINISTERS IS A DELIGHTFUL READING
THE JOURNALIST AUTHOR INCLUDED MANY ANECDOTES IN AN INTERESTING MANNER
Harihar Swarup - 24-08-2023 12:06 GMT-0000
Biographies make fascinating reading. Not only because one gets involved in the life of the central character, but they’re also full of anecdotes that are fun to read. This is where serious books of history differ. They’re more analytical and, therefore, more demanding. Often, when they re-valuate something, they can be formidable.