The Untold Vajpayee
The Untold Vajpayee

Author: Ullekh N P

Publisher: Random House India

Published: 2018-01-01

Total Pages: 235

ISBN-13: 9385990810

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Despite his grand 'secular' statements in Parliament that bordered on the Nehruvian, Atal Bihari Vajpayee has often taken brief excursions into the hardline camp. In 1983, he made an incendiary speech during the Assam elections in which the presence of 'Bangladeshi foreigners' in the state was a big issue. Even the BJP had disowned Vajpayee's speech, which possibly inspired the massacre of over 2000 people, mostly Muslims, in Nellie in Assam. Vajpayee, one of the shrewdest politicians of India, is known for negotiating multiple contradictions: from militant nationalism to his secret family life; his stint as a communist; his indulgence in food; influence of Gandhi and Nehru; Narendra Modi and Gujarat issues; foreign policies; and his attempt to project himself as a moderate face, if not liberal, among others. Exploring crucial milestones of Vajpayee's career and his traits as a seasoned politician, the book looks at his relationship with leaders of his party and the love-hate association with RSS and its feeder organizations. Thoroughly researched, supported by hard facts and accompanied by inside stories and anecdotes, insightful interviews and archival photographs, The Untold Vajpayee would open a window to the life and times of a poet politician.

Vajpayee
Vajpayee

Author: Shakti Sinha

Publisher:

Published: 2021-05

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 9780670093441

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Former Prime Minister of India and member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Atal Bihari Vajpayee was an understated politician of the kind not often seen in contemporary times. His patriotism was uncompromising, forged out of the paradoxes in his life: a sensitive poet who summoned nerves of steel to conduct the Pokhran-II nuclear tests; a man of humble beginnings who envisioned a project as titanic as the Golden Quadrilateral highways. Devoid of any natural political pedigree or patronage network, he harnessed his political acumen to transform India's relations with the United States which had long been mired in misunderstandings rooted in the Cold War. His prudent decisions led to key strategic and economic policy contributions. There is a need to understand Vajpayee as a decision-maker, with specific references to key initiatives in the strategic and economic fields that have had a significant effect on the India that we see today. Vajpayee fleshes out not only Vajyapee's political philosophy but also provides an insider's account and an intimate memoir of the person.

Kashmir the Vajpayee Years
Kashmir the Vajpayee Years

Author: A.S. with Sinha, Aditya Dulat

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2017-08-16

Total Pages: 376

ISBN-13: 9352772970

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Srinagar in the winter of 1989 was an eerie ghost town witnessing the beginnings of a war dance. The dam burst the night boys from the separatist JKLF group were freed in exchange for the release of Rubaiya Sayeed, the Union home minister's daughter. As Farooq Abdullah had predicted, the government's caving in emboldened many Kashmiris into thinking that azaadi was possible. It was a long, slow haul to regaining control. From then to now, A.S. Dulat has had a continuous engagement with Kashmir in various capacities. The initiatives launched by the Vajpayee government, in power from 1998 to 2004, were the high point of this constant effort to keep balance in a delicate state. In this extraordinary memoir, Dulat gives a sweeping account of the difficulties, successes and near triumphs in the effort to bring back Kashmir from the brink. He shows the players, the politics, the strategies and the true intent and sheer ruthlessness of the meddlers from across the border. Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years paints an unforgettable portrait of politics in India's most beautiful but troubled state.

A Constructive Parliamentarian
A Constructive Parliamentarian

Author: Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan

Published: 2012-01-01

Total Pages: 521

ISBN-13: 8184301189

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Texts of bills introduced by Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the Parliament and related debates on the bills.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee A Man For All Seasons
Atal Bihari Vajpayee A Man For All Seasons

Author: Kingshuk Nag

Publisher: Rupa Publications India Pvt Limited

Published: 2017-01-25

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 9788129145246

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From being one of the earliest members of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Vajpayee blossomed into a leading opposition MP by the late 1960s, went on to become external affairs minister in the short-lived Janata government and, finally in 1999, to head the first non-congress government to complete a full Term in Office. That it was a coalition government made the feat all the more remarkable and testifies to the fact that though wedded to a right-wing political ideology, Vajpayee did not believe in the politics of exclusion. A protege of Jana Sangh stalwarts like Syama Prasad Mukherjee and deep Dayal Upadhyaya, Vajpayee won the admiration of Jawaharlal Nehru, was consulted by his daughter Indira Gandhi - whom he never lacked the courage to criticize-and befriended by fiery trade unionists George Fernandes even before they became political allies. He thus displayed an unusual ability to carry along all shades of political opinion - An ability that came to the fore when he headed the National democratic alliance government between 1999 and 2004. And behind this public persona was an unusual personal life, conducted with such dignity as to remain free of innuendo. In this book, journalist Kingshuk Nag traces the political journey of this tall parliamentarian of over four decades, who was conferred the Bharat Ratna in December 2014. Atal Bihari Vajpayee: a man for all seasons is a definitive account of the life and times of one of India's most illustrious non-congress leaders.

War Room: The People, Tactics and Technology behind Narendra Modi's 2014 Win
War Room: The People, Tactics and Technology behind Narendra Modi's 2014 Win

Author: Ullekh NP

Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited

Published: 2015-01-26

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 9351940683

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‘War Room stands out as an example of real field work and rigorous research... Anyone who wants to understand how decisions are made in India should read this brilliant study of the BJP.’ —Dr. Walter K. Andersen, Author of The Brotherhood in Saffron: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Hindu Revivalism ‘Ullekh NP has crafted a well-researched and gripping narrative of how the BJP seized the moment in 2014. Its penetrating analysis of the personalities, politics and methods of Modi and Amit Shah makes it a useful resource for answering the major question of India’s near-term political future: Will the BJP in the Modi era realize its ambition of building 2014 to emerge as the dominant party nationwide?’ —Sumantra Bose, Professor of International and Comparative Politics, London School of Economics, Author of Transforming India: Challenges to the World’s largest Democracy ‘Ullekh NP tells the story of Narendra Modi’s campaign to lead the world’s largest democracy. A man “destined to reign on his own terms”, Modi knew that being resilient was more important than being first and fast. Years after War Room is published, people will refer to it as the book that told the story of India’s most spectacular election in May 2014 in all its subtle and magnificent details.’ —Chitra Subramaniam, Award-winning Journalist and Author

Jugalbandi
Jugalbandi

Author: Vinay Sitapati

Publisher: Penguin/Viking

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780670091072

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Narendra Modi has been a hundred years in the making. Vinay Sitapati's Jugalbandi provides this backstory to his current dominance in Indian politics. It begins with the creation of Hindu nationalism as a response to British-induced elections in the 1920s, moves on to the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980, and ends with its first national government, from 1998 to 2004. And it follows this journey through the entangled lives of its founding jugalbandi: Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani. Over their six-decade-long relationship, Vajpayee and Advani worked as a team despite differences in personality and beliefs. What kept them together was fraternal love and professional synergy, of course, but also, above all, an ideology that stressed on unity. Their partnership explains what the BJP before Modi was, and why it won. In supporting roles are a cast of characters-from the warden's wife who made room for Vajpayee in her family to the billionaire grandson of Pakistan's founder who happened to be a major early funder of the BJP. Based on private papers, party documents, newspapers and over two hundred interviews, this is a must-read for those interested in the ideology that now rules India.

Kannur
Kannur

Author: Ullekh

Publisher: Penguin Enterprise

Published: 2022-06

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 9780143456995

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Kannur, a sleepy coastal district in the scenic south Indian state of Kerala, has metamorphosed into a hotbed of political bloodshed in the past few decades. Even as India heaves into the age of technology and economic growth, the town has been making it to the national news for horrific crimes and brutal murders with sickening regularity. What makes this region so susceptible to vendetta politics and such deadly violence? How is it an anomaly in Kerala, the state with the highest social development parameters in India? Born in Kannur and brought up amidst some of the tallest political leaders of the state, author Ullekh N.P. delves into his personal experiences while drawing a modern-day graph that charts out the reasons, motivations and the local lore behind the turmoil. He analyses the numbers that lay bare the truth behind the hype, studies the area's political and cultural heritage, and speaks to the main protagonists and victims. With his journalistic skills and years of on-the-field reporting, he paints a gripping narrative of the ongoing bloodbath and the perceptions around it. Ullekh's investigations and interviews reveal a bigger game at work involving players who will stop at nothing to win.

Devil's Advocate
Devil's Advocate

Author: Karan Thapar

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2018-07-30

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9352779851

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Sometime in the late summer of 1976, Sanjay Gandhi asked if I wanted to go flying with him... After first attempting to teach Karan Thapar to fly (not very successfully) Sanjay Gandhi took the controls and performed a series of aerobatics, not particularly dangerous but nonetheless thrilling. Once they were further away from Delhi, he became even more daring. Suddenly, he decided to scare the farmers working in the fields below by aiming the aircraft straight at them. As he dived down, they scattered and ran, fearing for their lives. At the last moment, Sanjay pulled up dramatically and waved at the bewildered farmers, clearly chuffed with the whole performance. The manoeuvre required nerves of steel and tremendous self-confidence, both of which Sanjay possessed in plenty.In Devil's Advocate, Karan dives deep into his life to come up with many such moments. Included here are stories of warm and lasting friendships, such as with Benazir Bhutto, whom he met while he was an undergraduate. He also talks about his long association with Aung San Suu Kyi and Rajiv Gandhi. However, not all friendships lasted--for example, with L.K. Advani, with whom he shared a close bond until an unfortunate disagreement over an interview caused a falling-out.The tension generated during an interview has spilled over off-screen multiple times, and Karan discusses these incidents in detail. For instance, when Amitabh Bachchan lost his cool during a post-interview lunch or when Kapil Dev cried like a baby. And there's the untold story of two of his most controversial interviews--with Jayalalithaa and Narendra Modi. While Jayalalithaa laughed it off later, the after-effects of Modi's infamous walkout have grown worse with time. Riveting and fast-paced, Devil's Advocate is as no-holds-barred as any of Karan Thapar's interviews.

Veerappan: The Untold Story
Veerappan: The Untold Story

Author: Sunaad Raghuram

Publisher:

Published:

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780141005775

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Investigative Journalist Sunaad Raghuram S Meticulously Researched Biographical Account Of Veerappan Follows His Career From Small-Time Poacher To The Most Wanted Man In India. By 1990, Veerappan S Gang Of Sandalwood Smugglers And Ivory Poachers Had Become Such A Menace In The Forests Of Karnataka That The State Government Constituted A Special Task Force To Capture Him. Veerappan Then Turned To An Easier Way Of Making Money: Kidnapping Wealthy, Influential Men For Ransom. The Police Were Woefully Inadept At Second-Guessing His Moves And Even When They Had An Opportunity To Nab Him, They Were Thwarted By Lack Of Political Will And Rivalry Between Tamil Nadu And Karnataka Veerappan S Area Of Operation. His Accomplices And Members Of His Family, Including His Wife, Have Been Arrested, Tortured And Sometimes Killed In Encounters; Rewards Have Been Announced For Any Information That Could Lead To His Capture; And Almost All Means Of Persuasion Have Been Tried, But Veerappan Continues To Elude The Law. Raghuram Examines Veerappan S Relationship With His Wife, His Brothers And Members Of His Gang, And Describes In Detail The Method And Madness Of The Murders And Kidnappings Veerapppan Has Been Accused Of Over The Years. Based On Police Records, Media Reports And Interviews With Almost All Those Who Have Ever Had Anything To Do With Veerappan, Veerappan: The Untold Story Is A Riveting Portrait Of The Man Who Is Alternately Hailed As Messiah And Murderer.