Young Turks

Raisina #1

by Krishan Partap Singh

Best friends Azim Khan and Karan Nehru never considered politics a career choice, but then fate decreed otherwise. Forced by circumstances to rethink their professions, the two friends find themselves willy-nilly contesting the elections. Slowly but surely, Azim makes western Uttar Pradesh his electoral fiefdom and begins his journey to becoming the leader of Muslim India; Karan establishes himself as the overlord of eastern Uttar Pradesh and the adjoining states. Together they make their way to the top, never compromising their friendship, until, finally, as cabinet ministers in a shaky coalition government under the prim ministership of the wily former Congressman Y K Naidu, their widely differing ideologies and temperaments, abetted by the malevolence of their colleagues, and the sheer scale of unfolding events, all combine to uphold the conventional wisdom that there are no friends in politics.

Genres: Fiction, India, Politics, Indian Literature

Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Krishan Partap Singh is a former banker who now lives and writes in New Delhi. He is the author of The Raisina Series, a trilogy of novels set in the political village of Lutyens' Delhi, India's seat of power. The series titles are: Young Turks, Delhi Durbar, The War Ministry.
He can be reached at raisina.series@gmail.com

Reviews

[Vishal Kale · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is a page turner, unputdownable. You will want to read it again and again; I myself have read it twice already – and want to read it again! Adding spice to this is the sporadic sprinkling of genuine sarcasm and humour that will bring a smile to your lips. The story, the plot and the characters grow in you; and you start to identify with them. The flow of the story and the twists therein create a suspense in your mind; and you end up wanting to peek ahead to see how it turns out. A word of advice: don’t. Don’t take a peek! You will regret it. This is an engaging and thrilling political ride, with a powerful message at its core – the one borne by Azim Khan : Ek India, Ek Desh, Ek Log. Savour this ride; it tells a tale… a tale of rising above caste identities and religious affiliations…

[Anandh Sundar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best friends Azim Khan and Karan Nehru never considered politics a career choice, but then fate decreed otherwise, Forced by circumstances to rethink their professions; the two friends find themselves willynilly contesting he elections. Slowly but surely, Azim makes western Uttar Pradesh his electoral fiefdom and begins his journey to becoming the leader of Muslim India; Karan establishes himself as the overlord of eastern Uttar Pradesh and the adjoining states. Together they make their way to the top, never compromising their friendship, until, finally, as cabinet ministers in a shaky coalition government under the prime ministership of the wily former Congressman Y. K. Naidu, their widely differing ideologies and temperaments, abetted by the malevolence of their colleagues, and the sheer scale of unfolding events, all combine to uphold the conventional wisdom that there are no friends in politics.

The book is difficult to put down and warrants multiple reads. The author mixes in the tension of a Kane & Able; with the best political thrillers out there

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book on political scenario. Good one. Enjoyed reading the book.

[Anuradha Goyal · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.anuradhagoyal.com/young-t...

[Vipra · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Thoroughly entertainment ... Singh's formula is pure Jeffrey Archer"
That's the quote from the Business Standard on the back cover, and both points are accurate.

It's amusing just how much of a Delhi book this is. The protagonists, classmates from Modern School Barakhamba Road, come to occupy positions in the forefront of public life in India - a turn of events that is EXTREMELY unrealistic.

The book is also depressing: because it is set in an India of perhaps twenty years ago and it gives a what-if history of how India may have shaped up. It's sad to think back to times when some central plot points would have seemed far-fetched but not impossible.

[Rohan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fun! The suspense is done perfectly, it almost felt like a Political TV drama. Yes a bit more building up would have helped but I loved it.

And of course we must remember that this is set around twenty years in the past so the politics are much more different than today. The finale is open ended, leaving room for more stories and I think its actually worth investing money to buy sequels.

There are very few books that made me feel this way recently so congratulations!

[Agyani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting political potboiler.

[Greeshma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick-witted and fast. Overall a good read. Really loved how Azim Khan and Karan Nehru are each other's foils in a way. Also, quite the insight into how politics and power combines in Lutyens Delhi.

[Venky Iyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am writing my first humorous fiction book on political shenanigans and I am having great difficulty doing so while maintaining the voice I want. After reading this book, I have understood why.

It is hard to keep a political novel from sounding like an autobiography, on the one hand, and like a chronicle of events meant for the history books, on the other. Getting the suspense right is as hard as getting the truth from politicians, and this book barely stays afloat.

However, I will be reading the sequel, even if the writing is just one degree better than bland, because I hope to learn something I can use in my own book.

[Purnima Pandey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Young Turks clutched in start but slow down in the middle and giddy up in last...many things were happening together. What is the best part of the book? Words, characters, actions, reactions and situations used were very native and empathizing!!!
I am not fond of political thrillers, it never attracted to me but I gave me a chance with this book. But it failed to develop my interest in political read and helped me to understand political thriller is not my cup of tea.
Otherwise this book is well written and spellbinding. It may interest to people who like political thriller.

[Ashwini Sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story displays a set of nice strategical moves between power brokers, but a bit too idealistically without providing for an adequate development of characters. The two protagonists come off as super-men in their own stead, without explaining much. A quintessential american pop novel combined with the power plays that India witnesses.

[Swoyam Khandai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly a good page turner.