Rajiv Gandhi was a hesitant politician who entered the political arena. When
Rajiv Gandhi (who had replaced
Indira Gandhi, his mother, as
Prime Minister following her assassination) invited him to take over as
Union Home Secretary in January 1985, the author came to know him.
In that position, the author collaborated closely with Rajiv Gandhi, who faced a number of critical challenges, including terrorism and the separatist movement in Punjab, as well as a simmering insurgency in
Mizoram.
Pradhan acted as a close assistant to Rajiv Gandhi during his last election campaign in
April-May 1991, after quitting as home secretary. The author discusses his crucial involvement in P.V. Narasimha Rao's elevation as Prime Minister in late
June 1991, following Rajiv Gandhi's violent killing (on May 21, 1991). Pradhan has a reasonable question about whether the assassination might have been avoided based on certain data.
The author was linked with Sonia Gandhi and her career in the late 1990s and subsequently. In the early years of her political career, he was a huge help to her. He was also on her side when, as the new Congress president in
1999, she was confronted with an open revolt by a group of shrewd, hardline, and ambitious senior MPs. He examines how
Sonia Gandhi has grown into a strong force to be reckoned with over the years.
R.D. Pradhan offers recollections, experiences, and situations that shed light on major events and prominent political figures like
Pranab Mukherjee, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Sharad Pawar, Arjun Singh, and Arun Nehru
in this autobiographical narrative.
Hay House India is the book's publisher, and the book's release date is January 1, 2015.
