Book read - The Sanjay Story

I became interested in reading about Sanjay Gandhi for the sheer intrigue and unexplored nature of the personality. And to read it in Vinod’s words is a double delight. This book is written right after emergency. Even though Vinod claims to present a balanced view, can not fully avoid the fad of those times, Gandhi -basing, and rightfully so. The author never met Sanjay flesh and blood, yet tries present a holistic picture of the emergency-taskmaster based on reliable sources. Sanjay was not a super genius child and disinterested in studies. Because of his family name, found himself on the board of Maruti, which turns out to be a misadventure. Sanjay for all his faults was always given a free hand in Indira’s government resulting in various forceful excesses during emergency. Inevitably Sanjay perished in an air crash because his own lousiness.

This book bolstered my views about family-rule and its ill effects especially on a country as vast and diverse as India. Also serves a striking reminder what all one, with a free-rein in an emergency period can do. It’s trembling to know that something like an emergency period is still constitutionally possible in India where even legitimate laws are more often used for illegitimate purposes by government and bureaucracy alike.