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.
Study the past, if you would divine the future. -Confucius ..".[then] it seemed to me that Jawaharlal should be the new President [of Congress in 1946-and hence the first Prime Minister] ...I acted according to my best judgement but the way things have shaped since then has made me to realise that this was perhaps the greatest blunder of my political life... My second mistake was that when I decided not to stand myself, I did not support Sardar Patel." -Abul Kalam Azad, 'India Wins Freedom' "He [Nehru] had no idea of economics. He talked of Socialism, but he did not know how to define it. He talked of social justice, but I told him he could have this only when there was an increase in production. He did not grasp that. So you need a leader who understands economic issues and will invigorate your economy." -Chester Bowles "Malcolm Muggeridge, after seeing Nehru shortly before his death, characterized him as 'a man of echoes and mimicry, the last viceroy rather than the first leader of a liberated India', and regretted that Nehru was much too British in his approach to have been able to bring about significant or radical changes in India." - Sankar Ghose in 'Jawaharlal Nehru, a Biography' "It is completely impracticable for the Chinese Government to think of anything in the nature of invasion of India. Therefore I rule it out..." "We were getting out of touch with reality in the modern world and we were living in an artificial atmosphere of our creation..." -Jawaharlal Nehru This book summarises (and is therefore compact) the select 97 major blunders of Nehru. While all major blunders are not covered, none of the minor blunders are included. There are a sea of books eulogising Nehru, and reader can refer to them. The focus of this book is on Nehru's blunders, and not on his positives. Blunders is used in this book as a general term to also include failures, neglect, wrong policies, 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.
Study the past, if you would divine the future.--ConfuciusThose who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.--George Santayana (1963-1952)But 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, 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.The first (digital) edition of the book highlighted 97 major blunders, hence the title "Nehru's 97 Major Blunders". Additional major blunders have since been added taking the total blunders beyond 120. However, the title has been retained, except that '97' is now '97+'.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.
This book is unlike any biography on Sardar Patel,and unlike any narrative on Freedom Struggle.Its USP is that it is not just a biography or an interesting story of the life of Sardar Patel.Rather, its USP is that, leaving no vital aspect uncovered, and interspersed with interesting episodes and no-holds-barred comments and observations, it is an engaging, gripping and comprehensive story with a wide sweep, unlike anything written so far, on the following, with Sardar Patel in the background or in the foreground, and bringing out why Sardar Patel was the best PM we never had!- Interesting, and non-so-well-known biographical details of Sardar Patel.- Select compilation of what other stalwarts said about Sardar Patel.- Select compilation of what Sardar said and wrote.- Comprehensive and chronological coverage of India's Gandhian Freedom Struggle, and the role of Sardar and others in it.- Dispassionate evaluation of the Gandhian Freedom Movement.- Comprehensive coverage on "What constitutes a nation?", Partition, and the Creation of Pakistan.- Sardar's steller and decisive role during 1945-47 leading to India's freedom.- The shocking story of Nehru's unjust and illegal anointment as the Congress President in 1946, and the first PM of India, by Gandhi, sidelining Sardar.- The fascinating story of the Integration of the 562 Princely States into India, expanding its geographical area by 40%--all thanks to Sardar Patel. - Sardar's decisive role in the forcible merger of Junagadh and Hyderabad.- Kashmir, Sardar, and botch-up by Nehru.- Sardar vs. Nehru on China and Tibet.- Sardar vs. Nehru's Foreign Policy Blunders.- Sardar vs. Nehru's Socialistic Nightmare.- Sardar vs. Nehru-Gandhi's "Secularism".- Sardar's functioning and his unmatched administrative abilities. (it's a long sweep), www.rkpbooks.com...[then] it seemed to me that Jawaharlal should be the new President [of Congress in 1946--and hence Prime Minister] ...I acted according to my best judgement but the way things have shaped since then has made me to realise that this was perhaps the greatest blunder of my political life... My second mistake was that when I decided not to stand myself, I did not support Sardar Patel.-- Abul Kalam Azad, 'India Wins Freedom'The Sardar, as Congress's strongman was called, was determined to stay and solve whatever problems remained, rather than running away from them. He had long viewed Nehru as a weak sister and often wondered why Gandhi thought so highly of him.--Stanley Wolpert, 'Nehru: A Tryst with Destiny'Patel possessed the organising ability of Bismarck, the astute statesmanship of Chanakya, and the single-minded devotion to the cause of national unity of Abraham Lincoln.--VV Giri, ex-President of IndiaYou saw his [Sardar's] face;it grew year by year in power and determination...-- Acharya Kriplani...Here was a man with a crystal-clear mind who could see to the core of the problem within the shortest possible time...--Frank AnthonyYou know, I never go to Nehru to seek advice or guidance. I take a decision and just present it to him as a fait accompli. Nehru's mind is too complex to wrestle with the intricacies of a problem. Those who go to him for advice rarely get a lead--and that only serves to delay matters... Nehru does not understand economics, and is lead by the nose by 'professors' and 'experts' who pander to his whims and fancies... We should have absorbed Kashmir for good and all... I do not know where we are going. The country needs a man like Patel."--Rafi Ahmed Kidwai, Nehru's close friend and confidantSir Stafford Cripps had estimated it would take India 10 to 15 years, if not more, to liquidate the Indian Princely States and merge them with India. It was a surprise to all, and a tribute to the Sardar's abilities, that he took, not 10 to 15 years, but less than 10 to 15 months to merge all the 548 Princely States with India, extending its area by 40%.
It is a learning lesson for all political leaders of the World to see and learn how a villainous person can make fool the countrymen by having a Dress of half-naked FAKIR (in the words of Winston Churchill) with his ethics of “Non-Violence” bringing division, destruction, slaughter in millions and then the mankind with “Non-Violence” when United Nations Secretary commented a person is a man of peace of mankind.
"Jugaad Innovation is the most comprehensive book yet to appear on the subject [of frugal innovation]." —The Economist A frugal and flexible approach to innovation for the 21st century Innovation is a key directive at companies worldwide. But in these tough times, we can't rely on the old formula that has sustained innovation efforts for decades—expensive R&D projects and highly-structured innovation processes. Jugaad Innovation argues the West must look to places like India, Brazil, and China for a new approach to frugal and flexible innovation. The authors show how in these emerging markets, jugaad (a Hindi word meaning an improvised solution born from ingenuity and cleverness) is leading to dramatic growth and how Western companies can adopt jugaad innovation to succeed in our hypercompetitive world. Outlines the six principles of jugaad innovation: Seek opportunity in adversity, do more with less, think and act flexibly, keep it simple, include the margin, and follow your heart Features twenty case studies on large corporations from around the world—Google, Facebook, 3M, Apple, Best Buy, GE, IBM, Nokia, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Tata Group, and more—that are actively practicing jugaad innovation The authors blog regularly at Harvard Business Review; their work has been profiled in BusinessWeek, MIT Sloan Management Review, The Financial Times, The Economist, and more Filled with previously untold and engaging stories of resourceful jugaad innovators and entrepreneurs in emerging markets and the United States This groundbreaking book shows leaders everywhere why the time is right for jugaad to emerge as a powerful business tool in the West—and how to bring jugaad practices to their organizations.
"In his new introduction, Khilnani addresses these issues in the new perspectives afforded by events of the recent year in India and in the world."--BOOK JACKET.
Winner of the Booker prize and twice winner of the Booker of Bookers, Midnight's Children is "one of the most important books to come out of the English-speaking world in this generation" (New York Review of Books). Reissued for the 40th anniversary of the original publication--with a new introduction from the author--Salman Rushdie's widely acclaimed novel is a masterpiece in literature. Saleem Sinai is born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the very moment of India’s independence. Greeted by fireworks displays, cheering crowds, and Prime Minister Nehru himself, Saleem grows up to learn the ominous consequences of this coincidence. His every act is mirrored and magnified in events that sway the course of national affairs; his health and well-being are inextricably bound to those of his nation; his life is inseparable, at times indistinguishable, from the history of his country. Perhaps most remarkable are the telepathic powers linking him with India’s 1,000 other “midnight’s children,” all born in that initial hour and endowed with magical gifts. This novel is at once a fascinating family saga and an astonishing evocation of a vast land and its people–a brilliant incarnation of the universal human comedy. Midnight’s Children stands apart as both an epochal work of fiction and a brilliant performance by one of the great literary voices of our time.
Ved Mehta's brilliant Mahatma Gandhi and his Apostles provides an unparalleled portrait of the man who lead India out of its colonial past and into its modern form. Travelling all over India and the rest of the world, Mehta gives a nuanced and complex, yet vividly alive, portrait of Gandhi and of those men and women who were inspired by his actions.
