This book is an interesting read about the personal life of Indira Gandhi. It is difficult for most of us Indians to talk impassively about the life of Indira Gandhi as a person and not as the prime minister of India. During her tenure and even till today she is said to be most hated or the most loved prime minister of India. No other prime minister evokes such extreme reactions.
But this book is a revelation about the “real” Indira Gandhi. Contrary to what people say she was not a born leader (if leadership is ever innate). Indira Nehru was aloof and frail as a child and in her youth. She was a mediocre student and her initial public appearances for disastrous. No one including Nehru had high expectations of her. Nehru had dreamt that his only child will be a great leader one day but later he too moderated his expectations. She had a troubled childhood and even more troubled marriage.Indira’s letters to her trusted friends abroad show that she wanted to lead a normal life.
After Nehru’s death she was invited to head the congress party. All the senior leaders of the party thought she is just a beautiful doll that they can use to get votes. What happened after that is a remarkable rise in Indian political history. Indira Gandhi rose to become the most decisive and courageous prime minister that India ever had. She became politically adroit and a great public speaker.
If her first decade as prime minister was great for India the next decade was disastrous. The infamous emergency and her eventual downfall are well known. But very few people realize that behind the curtains she was emotionally weak and depended on men who could have led her in the wrong direction.
This book is a must for any one who wants to know more about the troubled 70’s of India and about Indira Gandhi’s personal life.