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Book/CD
Review
Dr P.C. Alexander, who stands out as one of the most distinguished and respected administrators in the post-independence era, has held several top positions in public life both at the national and international levels over a period of more than five decades. In this candid and hard-hitting autobiography, Dr Alexander begins with an account of how his candidature for the post of president of India in 2002 was scuttled by the subtle manipulations of some Congress leaders, although he once had close connections with that party's top brass. As principal secretary to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and later to her son and successor, Rajiv Gandhi, Dr Alexander played a crucial role in the momentous developments of that period. He takes the reader on stage, through the critical years, as he unravels, for the first time, the Punjab drama, scene by scene. He also recounts why Indira Gandhi was compelled to call in the Army to carry out Operation Blue Star and how the top generals arbitrarily changed their plans midway through the operation, leading to tragic consequences. He questions the validity of the rationale behind the generals' sudden rethink on strategy and tactics. As principal secretary to Indira Gandhi, he was a witness to the fast paced, behind-the-scenes happenings that led to the dismissal of Dr Farooq Abdullah's Government in Jammu and Kashmir, which proved a turning point in that state's history. Writing in graphic detail, Dr Alexander breaks his silence on his bitter interactions with Prime Minister Morarji Desai. He also unveils the sordid machinations of some Ministry of External Affairs officials (when he was India's high commissioner in the UK), who did everything in their power to stymie his moves when they felt that his actions impinged upon their 'turf'. During this assignment, Dr Alexander, apart from his regular duties, had also to counter the propaganda unleashed by the UK-based Sikh insurgents. He rounds off the book with an account of his tenures as governor, first of Tamil Nadu and then of Maharashtra, marked by the turbulence of the Sri Lankan ethnic crisis and its impact on India, as also the horrific Mumbai riots and the serial bomb blasts that rocked the metropolis.
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