A book that was purchased just to kill time during my 24 hrs long train journey from Hyd to Amdavad suddenly became so riveting that I didnt realise i was more than half thru in a single day of reading!!
The controversy that the book has created definitely had some influence on me but my basic aim behind reading it was I wanted to understand what goes behind the scenes in international diplomacy. As a former E, F & D minister (External Affairs, Finance, Defense respectively, as the author likes to call)in Vajpayee govt, Mr. Jaswant Singh gives a first hand experience of the far impacting era in indian history spanning 1998 - 2004.
A memoir that starts in the deserts of Rajsthan - the motherland of Mr. Singh touches wide subjects of diplomacy and how india stirred its way through turbulent times post Pokhran-II, WTC attack, Kandhar hijack, military coup in pakistan, kargil war and attack on parliament and subsequent build up on border.
And something abt the controversy... The author does write about a PMO official ( widely known as "a mole in PMO during Narsimha rao govt"), who wrote to USA agency abt india's nuclear plans. But there is nothing controversial abt it. He just suggests that this type of clandestine approach to diplomacy is well known and just asks india to be aware and be prepared abt it.
Finally a statement that he quotes in this book twice and once to mark the end of it.
"My Lord! I dont even know what I dont know". Isnt it true?
For those who are interested in some serious diplomatic dose, I would certainly recommend this one. Its neither a memoir nor an autobiography. It's altogether a different genre...
Saturday, August 12, 2006
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