Nehru's Himalayan Blunders


Book Description

What did Mountbatten actually think of Nehru and Patel? Why did Nehru do such a poor job of defending India's interests in J & K? How was Nehru compromised? Nehru's Himalayan Blunders: The Accession of Jammu and Kashmir documents the major errors of Nehru, diplomatic and military, which led to India losing a portion of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan's military occupation and to continued conflict between the two states. Justice S N Aggarwal's painstaking research uncovers gems from archival documents including Lord Mountbatten's personal diaries and documents the series of events around Jammu and Kashmir's accession, including the conflict between Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel. An enduring view into what actually happened, and Nehru's culpability, will leave you stunned.




Nehru's 97 Major Blunders


Book Description

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.--George SantayanaBut for a series of major blunders by Nehru across the spectrum--it would not be an exaggeration to say that he blundered comprehensively--India would have been on a rapidly ascending path to becoming a shining, prosperous, first-world country by the end of his term, and would surely have become so by early 1980s--provided, of course, Nehru's dynasty had not followed him to power. Sadly, the Nehru era laid the foundations of India's poverty and misery, condemning it to be forever a developing, third-rate, third-world country. By chronicling those blunders, this book highlights THE FACTS BEHIND THE FACADE.This 'Revised, Enlarged & Unabridged, June-2018 Edition' of the book comprises (a)123 Major Blunders compared to 97 of the first Digital Edition of July 2016; (b)over twice the matter, and number of words; and (c)exhaustive citations and complete bibliography. Blunders is used in this book as a general term to also include failures, neglect, wrong policies, bad decisions, despicable and disgraceful acts, usurping undeserved posts, etc.It is not the intention of this book to be critical of Nehru, but historical facts, that have often been distorted or glossed over or suppressed must be known widely, lest the mistakes be repeated, and so that India has a brighter future.




Himalayan Blunder


Book Description

The Indian military setback against the Chinese attack in 1962 was high time for an honest soul-searching. Quite a few books written by Army officers have tried to tell their version of the untold story. Brig. Dalvi's account of the Sino-Indian War is by far the most remarkable and authentic. He was present in the theatre of war throughout, commanded a brigade and was held captive by the Chinese for seven months. In discussing the day-to-day events from 8 September to 20 October 1962 the author graphically tells the truth which only an actual participant could experience and know. The background of the war is drawn from his first-hand information as a high-ranking commander.




Caricaturing Culture in India


Book Description

A highly original study of newspaper cartoons throughout India's history and culture, and their significance for the world today.




Had Sardar Patel Been the First Prime Minister


Book Description

When a nation begins to pine for a person from its past, wishing he remained at the helm for longer, it indicates that the path taken by that nation is not the correct one. With Sardar Patel, especially vis-a-vis Nehru, the Indian nation still mourns the fact that the former did not become the first Prime Minister of India. This book, written by Justice (retd.) S N Aggarwal, author of "Nehru's Himalayan Blunders", establishes the real reasons why we still pine for Patel's longer presence at the horizon of our national leadership. The book, quoting from authentic sources, also gives ample insight into the views and understanding of the affairs of the nation, which Sardar not only preached but also practiced. Usually, Sardar Patel, the "Iron Man" that he was, is lauded for his role in the unification of post-independent India. With Nehru botching up the only princely state he handled - namely, Jammu and Kashmir - Patel's contribution in unifying more than 500 princely states in the Indian union becomes all the more laudable. However, this book goes beyond. "Had Sardar Patel been the first Prime Minister, the country would have been fully armed to defend herself, there could have been no danger from outside. By following the principles of patriotism, moral values and high character and discipline, there would have been no internal problem," writes the author. And, like the case of Kashmir, in these matters too, Nehru's conduct makes one wish all the more strongly that Sardar should have been the first Prime Minister of India.




India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy


Book Description

Ramachandra Guha’s India after Gandhi is a magisterial account of the pains, struggles, humiliations and glories of the world’s largest and least likely democracy. A riveting chronicle of the often brutal conflicts that have rocked a giant nation, and of the extraordinary individuals and institutions who held it together, it established itself as a classic when it was first published in 2007. In the last decade, India has witnessed, among other things, two general elections; the fall of the Congress and the rise of Narendra Modi; a major anti-corruption movement; more violence against women, Dalits, and religious minorities; a wave of prosperity for some but the persistence of poverty for others; comparative peace in Nagaland but greater discontent in Kashmir than ever before. This tenth anniversary edition, updated and expanded, brings the narrative up to the present. Published to coincide with seventy years of the country’s independence, this definitive history of modern India is the work of one of the world’s finest scholars at the height of his powers.




Sardar Patel


Book Description

How many of us really know how the issues related to North-Eastern states were handled? Or, for that matter, what was Privy Purse for the princely states? Why Sardar was worried that they were attempts not to grant them Constitutional status (Indira Gandhi got it abolished in the early 1970s)? Further, this book sheds special light on how the Hyderabad episode was handled. Coming from a former Judge, also the author of "Nehru's Himalayan Blunders", the book provides to-the-point arguments based on official documents, a large number of which have been quoted verbatim. For those who wanted to know anything about the humongous effort of Sardar in unifying India, be it a student or a researcher or just anyone wanting to more about one's own country, this book is a real eye-opener. We all know that India has existed thousands and thousands of years before 1947. But, had Sardar been the king of yesteryears, he could well have been known as the 'chakravartin', who brought entire India under one umbrella - that is the Indian union. Read this book know how he achieved that feat - democratically.




Living with the Himalayan Masters


Book Description

Inspirational stories of Swama Rama's experiences and lessons learned with the great teachers who guided his life including Mahatma Gandhi, Tagore, and more.




India's China War


Book Description

This is one of those rare books that puts an entirely new light on a chapter of history, and it must be read by anyone concerned with international affairs. Although cool and scholarly it unrolls like a fascinating thriller. It is an important work of revisionist history and a gruesome study of the way in which wars start, superbly documented (largely from official Indian sources but also from secret Indian papers) and beautifully sustained. By showing how India led the world up the garden path it demolishes and throws to the wind a pillar of the 'contain China' doctrine -- the belief that in 1962 India was the victim of unprovoked Chinese aggression. Maxwell's book is magnificent on every count, an historical achievement of the first rank.




1962


Book Description

An Indian politician looks back at her journey and recounts how the going got tougher with her every success, perhaps because she was a woman. Life among the Scorpions recounts the deeply fascinating and often tumultuous events that mark thirty years of Jaya Jaitly's political journey. From arranging relief for victims of the 1984 Sikh riots, to joining politics under firebrand leader George Fernandes, to becoming the president of Samata Party-a key ally in the erstwhile NDA Government, Jaitly's rise in Indian mainstream politics invited both awe and envy. But the going has been far from smooth. Trouble began with George Fernandes sacking Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat in 1998. Jaitly became the target. She was soon hounded by Tehelka's stings-first concerning her son-in-law-to-be Ajay Jadeja and then herself in an alleged bribery case. Eventually, Fernandes had to resign as India's Defence Minister, despite being the best, and Jaitly quit as the Samata Party President. Meanwhile, she spiritedly fought booth capturing in Bihar as well as fellow party men's egos, intervened and ensured the installation of the Samata government in Manipur. All this, even as she continued her parallel fight for the livelihood of craftsmen on the one hand, and conceptualized and ensured establishment of the first Dilli Haat (crafts market place) in 1994 on the other. With all the backstories of major events in Indian politics between 1970-2000, including her experience of dealing with the Commission of Inquiry and courts regarding the Tehelka stings, the story of Jaya Jaitly makes for a riveting read. A powerful narrative on why being a woman in politics was for her akin to being surrounded by scorpions; this hard hitting memoir offers a perspective on the functioning of Indian politics from a woman's point of view.