Rajiv Gandhi and Rama's Kingdom
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Ved Mehta
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Mehta begins by describing the politics that swirled around Indira Gandhi during the last two years of her life—in particular, the growing hostility among Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims. He tells of the Sikhs' demand for special status, their uprising against the Hindus in the Punjab, the government's retaliation, the murder of Mrs. Gandhi by two of her Sikh bodyguards, and the anti-Sikh rioting that followed. He goes on to reconstruct the circumstances surrounding Rajiv's election as his mother's successor; the change in atmosphere from optimism to disenchantment as Rajiv's government became mired in a kickback scandal; Rajiv's loss of office to V.P. Singh in the 1989 election; and his murder, by a secessionist Tamil group from Sri Lanka in 1991. Throughout, Mehta provides vivid details of aspects of Indian history and culture, such as the impact of the accident at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, the debate between the judiciary and Muslim clerics over economic support of divorced Muslim women, the peculiarities of the Indian telephone system, and the effect of television and movies on Hindu revivalism. His lucid and incisive book is mandatory reading for those who wish to understand India today.
"A series of entertaining, disturbing and . . . moving sketches of India from the mid-1980s to the present. Mehta is one of the few writers who succeed in capturing the differentness of India. Writing for a Western audience, Mehta does not attempt to present an India that Westerners can relate to but rather an India as it is."—Zachary Karabell, Boston Globe
"Written in Mehta's usual elegant style, Rajiv Gandhi and Rama's Kingdom is must reading for anyone interested in the world's largest democracy. . . . One can only admire the author's skill while fearing for the country he has so vividly portrayed."—Ellen Donohue Warwick, Wilson Library Bulletin
"Mehta's strength . . . is in his fluid, entertaining style, through which he provides intriguing glimpses into the chaotic drama of modern Indian politics."—Virginia Quarterly Review
"A wonderfully engaging account of some of the important events in a momentous period in Indian history. It is rich in political insights and illumination."—Amartya Sen
Publication Date: September 25, 1996
