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The Sanjay Story
How did a nation of over 600 million people bow down to the whims and fancies of a Prime Minister’s pampered son? In this carefully researched book, Vinod Mehta makes the first complete appraisal of the Sanjay Gandhi phenomenon and its impact on the national scene. It begins at Anand Bhavan, the Nehru mansion in Allahabad, and Feroze
Gandhi’s relationship with the Nehrus – particularly Kamala and Indira. This gives the background to an understanding of Sanjay’s volatile personality as it developed through his early years and his obsession with cars that led to the establishment of the Maruti factory. Writing in a style that is both compelling and honest, Vinod Mehta sifts the facts from the rumours and gets to the core of Sanjay’s dramatic emergence after the declaration of the Emergency. His capturing of the Youth Congress and the excesses of the sterilization campaign (which he thought would ensure his place in history) are brought out in telling detail, as is the use of the media to build the cult of Sanjay.
With a new introduction, The Sanjay Story allows readers to look with the benefit of hindsight on the rise and fall of one of independent India’s most controversial figures. What emerges from the text is not only an understanding of Sanjay and his times, but an understanding of India’s current political scenario. Vinod Mehta confirms the truth of history writing – that to engage intelligently with the present, you must come to terms with the past, even a past as inglorious and bewildering as the Emergency.
Gandhi’s relationship with the Nehrus – particularly Kamala and Indira. This gives the background to an understanding of Sanjay’s volatile personality as it developed through his early years and his obsession with cars that led to the establishment of the Maruti factory. Writing in a style that is both compelling and honest, Vinod Mehta sifts the facts from the rumours and gets to the core of Sanjay’s dramatic emergence after the declaration of the Emergency. His capturing of the Youth Congress and the excesses of the sterilization campaign (which he thought would ensure his place in history) are brought out in telling detail, as is the use of the media to build the cult of Sanjay.
With a new introduction, The Sanjay Story allows readers to look with the benefit of hindsight on the rise and fall of one of independent India’s most controversial figures. What emerges from the text is not only an understanding of Sanjay and his times, but an understanding of India’s current political scenario. Vinod Mehta confirms the truth of history writing – that to engage intelligently with the present, you must come to terms with the past, even a past as inglorious and bewildering as the Emergency.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1978
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750 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
January 13, 2013
Accidental though, I stumbled upon this awesome piece of work by Vinod Mehta. Incidences in the book were so baffling, took me time to believe, this was the India of 70's which was also existed.You can actually draw a parallel to the Nazi idealogies with that of the political era of India of 70's.
The facts and figures were so simplistically put, while keeping the sense of the book alive. This book would actually stir your soul and make you question the democratic independence of country like India and how it is misused by the bureaucrats of India. How the voice of common man is smashed and destroyed for the benefit of the leaders we proudly elect.
The facts and figures were so simplistically put, while keeping the sense of the book alive. This book would actually stir your soul and make you question the democratic independence of country like India and how it is misused by the bureaucrats of India. How the voice of common man is smashed and destroyed for the benefit of the leaders we proudly elect.
August 7, 2013
1. I started this book with great expectations.....but it was an anticlimax. An ordinary story of a very ordinary individual who was allowed to create havoc during the Emergency. Why it happened still remains a mystery....... there are such divergent and biased views that one does'nt know whom or what to believe....even Vinod Mehta's conclusions are, at best, guesses/inconclusive. To his credit he has tried to remain neutral.
2. Overall the book is described best by Vinod himself in his concluding para, " The Sanjay Story is really nothing but a rather squalid and commonplace tale of nepotism and opportunism".
3. I am glad to have finished the book in the time that I did!!!
2. Overall the book is described best by Vinod himself in his concluding para, " The Sanjay Story is really nothing but a rather squalid and commonplace tale of nepotism and opportunism".
3. I am glad to have finished the book in the time that I did!!!
September 4, 2014
I guess this is the difference between reading a book in the era it was written in and reading it decades later. What would have been a fresh, insightful, racy read in 1980 is now just a collection of well known facts and gossip. Vinod Mehta doesn't present this as some rigorously researched, scholarly work (how could it have been wen the principal characters refused to allow themselves to be interviewed ?) and instead presents it as a loosely bound set of conversations, gossip, some research, interviews and speculation. All this is good fun at times though it is mostly, in keeping with the personality of the man, rather boring. Vinod does attempt to be more balanced with his analysis of the man and the fact that this was written in 1980 lends it some extra credibility. There are surprisingly few really humorous incidents from the subject's life which I find hard to believe taking into account how the lives of people like this (people with dictatorial mindsets, surrounded by sycophants) usually are when seen from a distance. I suppose it is because he was neither the first nor the last politician to make use of terror, violence, family background, sentiment etc to make a mark for him/herself. Neither is he the first well meaning politician, public figure to not deliver either because of lack of ability or an unwillingness to listen to contradictory views (Rahul G and Kejriwal come to mind easily). The sections on Maruti do have some of the farcical quality I expected from the rest of the book though. (I was not aware that the first incarnation of the brand ended with the production of 20 handmade cars and never reached the roads) The sections on "nasbandi" (possibly the most well known of S.G's "achievements" are interesting, partly because while horrifying, they also don't convey the terror that other writers have managed to fill them with. (I am thinking of sections of "A fine balance" ). Vinod M while disapproving of how it was carried out seems to agree that people would have got themselves voluntarily sterilized, if enough time, explanation was provided and they had not been coerced. In all, this is a very quick, not uninteresting read. Don't expect any major facts/insights though.
February 14, 2013
This book is the most absolute, clear, authentic and most intriguing account of Sanjay Gandhi, one would ever find. Growing up one heard so many things about this controversial figure, his politics, his frenzied measures in "reform" and his erratic personality. This book is one thing that will grant you so many answers about this man and his truths. a well researched and beautifully written book. A must read for all those who ever wondered about Sanjay Gandhi and the Gandhi family on the whole. The accounts of his life are brief, personalized, supported by hard facts and extremely rare incidents.
Right from his adolescence to the time of his rise- a complete picture of his psyche and the reasons behind each and everything he did are offered to the reader. In many cases one gets to read things one always thought must be true but never really believed- Feroze Gandhi and Kamala Nehru; Sanjay and his obsession with women and Maruti; Feroze and Indira Gandhi's separation and the real reasons for it. So many explanations offered.
You dont like it when you finish this book. You want it to go on.....
Right from his adolescence to the time of his rise- a complete picture of his psyche and the reasons behind each and everything he did are offered to the reader. In many cases one gets to read things one always thought must be true but never really believed- Feroze Gandhi and Kamala Nehru; Sanjay and his obsession with women and Maruti; Feroze and Indira Gandhi's separation and the real reasons for it. So many explanations offered.
You dont like it when you finish this book. You want it to go on.....
August 13, 2015
The Sanjay Story is probably the only book on Sanjay Gandhi. Late Mr. Mehta has put in lots of effort in compiling this book. This book was written when Sanjay Gandhi was alive. Must have been difficult.
The book tries to analyze the mind/acts/persona of Sanjay and succeeds mostly. The book tries to throw light on why Sanjay Gandhi became a Sanjay Gandhi. Covers complete background, his relationships with parents/siblings/friends, almost all parts of his growing years.
Some part of it though smells like highly fictionalized but then that was going to happen anyways with Mr. Mehta.
The book tries to analyze the mind/acts/persona of Sanjay and succeeds mostly. The book tries to throw light on why Sanjay Gandhi became a Sanjay Gandhi. Covers complete background, his relationships with parents/siblings/friends, almost all parts of his growing years.
Some part of it though smells like highly fictionalized but then that was going to happen anyways with Mr. Mehta.
October 9, 2021
I really enjoyed this read. Most of us know who Sanjay Gandhi was but very few know about him (except the elderly members who have seen tumultuous 70s in India).
It was very interesting at the same time scary to read what happens (or would have happened) when a non-capable, moody and overconfident person is blessed with the highest order reigns to control the nation.
The 70s and 80s were the time when Indian polity had unanimously accepted Gandhi's demigod status. Anything spoken or done against them was considered no less than blasphemy. Sanjay was nothing but a brat born into a very powerful family.
It was very agitating to read about his forced vasectomy drives, ill-executed slum "re-establishment" in Delhi, the Maruti fiasco.
This book is recommended to everyone who wants to know why unbiased elections and voting are important. India under the label of democracy has been practicing the highest level of the nepotistic monarchy. (Irrespective of the political party)
All in all, a good book. This could be handy to someone who is preparing for civil services may be, I am not sure
It was very interesting at the same time scary to read what happens (or would have happened) when a non-capable, moody and overconfident person is blessed with the highest order reigns to control the nation.
The 70s and 80s were the time when Indian polity had unanimously accepted Gandhi's demigod status. Anything spoken or done against them was considered no less than blasphemy. Sanjay was nothing but a brat born into a very powerful family.
It was very agitating to read about his forced vasectomy drives, ill-executed slum "re-establishment" in Delhi, the Maruti fiasco.
This book is recommended to everyone who wants to know why unbiased elections and voting are important. India under the label of democracy has been practicing the highest level of the nepotistic monarchy. (Irrespective of the political party)
All in all, a good book. This could be handy to someone who is preparing for civil services may be, I am not sure
March 20, 2013
The Sanjay Story is not really his story in the true sense. It is more an amalgamation of snippets (some factual / some inferred / some derived) from here and there - that the author has had to gather in the absence of the opportunity to get information directly from the man this book is about.
When Vinod Mehta decided to write this book, he approached Sanjay Gandhi a few times to get him to agree to be involved in the project. He even tried to persuade Sanjay Gandhi by going through Maneka Gandhi, but to no avail.
Sanjay Gandhi was not willing to be a part of the book until he had full rights to veto everything that was written in the book. This was not agreeable to Vinod Mehta and he decided to go ahead and write the book anyway - Sanjay or no Sanjay.
So the book became a list of accounts that Vinod Mehta heard from various people and parties - pro-Sanjay and anti-Sanjay along with his own observations and experiences.
Written in 1976, at the height of the Emergency - the book picks up a few main incidents that shaped the public perception of the Sanjay Gandhi phenomenon. It starts before Sanjay's birth, in an attempt to analyze the reasons and lives that shaped Sanjay Gandhi's personality through his childhood and youth - and made him the kind of man that was known to invoke fear in many people.
While there is enough material to make one tip towards the anti-Sanjay line of thought or opinion, I was still confused and in want for more credible information to really make up my mind. The book goes a little haywire in terms of the timelines as well.
As has been customary in the past, I looked up information, interviews and any other details I could find online as well - to maybe gather a more complete picture of the man in question. However, what I came up with was either repetitive or nothing new. Even watched a 45 minute Simi Garewal Rendezvous with Maneka Gandhi - which was a totally different dimension and insight into Sanjay Gandhi - obviously but interestingly so.
To me, Sanjay Gandhi still remains the elusive, erratic and spoilt son of the Iron Lady - who surprisingly melted pretty easily when it came to her son's whims and fancies. It was as if she could never say no, to any tantrum her son threw and the country bore the brunt of it. She allowed him enough leeway to get out of hand and become powerful enough to play a pivotal role in some of India's most historically remarkable years. He managed to get away with a lot too and hardly bore any repercussions of the glaring misdoings of his time. His life story - as much as we know of it - and his sudden death are not quite what one terms as "normal". Which is why there is such prevailing interest in The Story of Sanjay......
Even after reading this book, there remains an inherent need / desire for more information - to really understand the psyche of this "first family of India" as what they had were extra-ordinary lives - and it would be quite interesting to get a 360 degree inside-out view of it.
When Vinod Mehta decided to write this book, he approached Sanjay Gandhi a few times to get him to agree to be involved in the project. He even tried to persuade Sanjay Gandhi by going through Maneka Gandhi, but to no avail.
Sanjay Gandhi was not willing to be a part of the book until he had full rights to veto everything that was written in the book. This was not agreeable to Vinod Mehta and he decided to go ahead and write the book anyway - Sanjay or no Sanjay.
So the book became a list of accounts that Vinod Mehta heard from various people and parties - pro-Sanjay and anti-Sanjay along with his own observations and experiences.
Written in 1976, at the height of the Emergency - the book picks up a few main incidents that shaped the public perception of the Sanjay Gandhi phenomenon. It starts before Sanjay's birth, in an attempt to analyze the reasons and lives that shaped Sanjay Gandhi's personality through his childhood and youth - and made him the kind of man that was known to invoke fear in many people.
While there is enough material to make one tip towards the anti-Sanjay line of thought or opinion, I was still confused and in want for more credible information to really make up my mind. The book goes a little haywire in terms of the timelines as well.
As has been customary in the past, I looked up information, interviews and any other details I could find online as well - to maybe gather a more complete picture of the man in question. However, what I came up with was either repetitive or nothing new. Even watched a 45 minute Simi Garewal Rendezvous with Maneka Gandhi - which was a totally different dimension and insight into Sanjay Gandhi - obviously but interestingly so.
To me, Sanjay Gandhi still remains the elusive, erratic and spoilt son of the Iron Lady - who surprisingly melted pretty easily when it came to her son's whims and fancies. It was as if she could never say no, to any tantrum her son threw and the country bore the brunt of it. She allowed him enough leeway to get out of hand and become powerful enough to play a pivotal role in some of India's most historically remarkable years. He managed to get away with a lot too and hardly bore any repercussions of the glaring misdoings of his time. His life story - as much as we know of it - and his sudden death are not quite what one terms as "normal". Which is why there is such prevailing interest in The Story of Sanjay......
Even after reading this book, there remains an inherent need / desire for more information - to really understand the psyche of this "first family of India" as what they had were extra-ordinary lives - and it would be quite interesting to get a 360 degree inside-out view of it.
February 1, 2013
Mr.Mehta's style of writing is extremely effective .An unbiased take on the life of Sanjay Gandhi and his contribution to Indian Politics leading up to The Emergency period in Mid'70s.
Interesting to read the part about The Maruti Car factory and how its genesis was through a complex quagmire of fraud and and mismanagement. One has to read "The Maruti Story" By R C Bhargava to know how the project was revived and made to be a Grand success story it is.
Mr.Mehta should write more than waste time on National News Channel debating with self centered & egotistical News Anchors.
Interesting to read the part about The Maruti Car factory and how its genesis was through a complex quagmire of fraud and and mismanagement. One has to read "The Maruti Story" By R C Bhargava to know how the project was revived and made to be a Grand success story it is.
Mr.Mehta should write more than waste time on National News Channel debating with self centered & egotistical News Anchors.
February 17, 2020
If like me, you did not have much idea about Sanjay Gandhi this book is actually very interesting. This book delves into the life of Sanjay, tracing his story from a shy mediocre kid to his infamous tyrannical stature during the Emergency. The book tells us about some interesting facets of Sanjay's character like how he along with his friends had the habit of stealing cars and how Sanjay, a college dropout with no actual experience in automobiles other than his unfathomable passion for cars set up a factory to make cars and in the effort wasted a lot of the Indian taxpayers' money.
February 10, 2013
I like Vinod Mehta' s writing style. You can't put down the book. The authors point is that the entire episode of the sanjay cult reveals that in India we are capable of sychopancy on a large scale and that is the real danger and not the emergency. it is also scary that such a large democracy can be brought so easily into a autocratic rule so easily. We have so many institutions that the right hand does not know the left.
February 10, 2013
Read this book not so much for the history of our country but to make better sense of our present,to know about the rise of some of the players on the political scene of today; and most importantly to realise how much of the criticism levelled against the uncle holds true in case of the nephew.
November 25, 2017
Controversy's favorite child, Sanjay Gandhi's meteoric rise, the ruckus he created during the Emergency and its aftermath and his sudden death has been a mystery to many. Written just after the Emergency was lifted, the Sanjay Story by Vinod Mehta traces the journey of Indira's favorite son, from his birth and early days in the Doon School to his fateful death in a plane crash in 1980.
Sanjay was an ace journalist of his times and the book is well researched; though he could not interview his primary subject, Mehta has made an conscious effort to meet people close to the younger Gandhi, giving us a good picture of what went into Sanjay's mind when he took some of his most controversial decisions like the setting up the Maruti Factory & the excesses during the Emergency, primarily Nasbandi (Family Planning).
There are times when you will feel that you are reading from Page 3 of Times Of India; however, the book is definitely a must read for all lovers of Indian politics, especially those with a keen interest in the Emergency Years.
May 28, 2018
The Sanjay Story is a good read for anybody wanting to familiarise themselves with him. It serves as a great introduction and encompasses his entire, albeit short life with fairly well researched information and most importantly the book comes across as fairly neutral. It is not an anti or pro stance to the man, but mostly simply documenting of his life with backgrounds that involve the family line right up to Motilal Nehru. It does get somewhat technical in parts and seems to stray away from the man, it is not a humane or a journey that contains personal details at all (could be on account of Sanjay Gandhi being extremely shy) and strives to tell the impact his life public had on the Indian junta.
March 21, 2017
The Sanjay Story is not his Entire Story. This very well researched book documents Sanjay's rise and fall until his defeat in the 1977 UP Elections and is certainly a valuable insight into his role during the Emergency. I understand that this book was first published in 1978, when Sanjay was still alive; however the author could certainly have used his valuable research to write a more comprehensive version wherein he could have encompassed episodes of his victory in the 1980 UP elections and his subsequent and untimely death.
December 3, 2015
Authored by Vinod Mehta in 1978, The Sanjay Story is- as the title suggests- a biography of Sanjay Gandhi the person. The subject matter of this book is not Sanjay Gandhi the politician, but the person. Mehta recounts Indira Gandhi's story (to give context to Sanjay Gandhi's upbringing), Sanjay's childhood, the influences that shaped his character and his journey from a mediocre student to perhaps the most powerful man in India for a brief period of 20 odd months.
The author has attempted to narrate Sanjay Gandhi's life story as it is, without demonising or idolising the man. The book also explores his role during the emergency (1975-77), when civil rights were suspended and India came frighteningly close to becoming a police state. Vinod Mehta has also attempted to explain why Indira Gandhi, the iron-willed prime minister was so helpless when it came to her son, which in turn explains how he came to be such a powerful figure without ever holding any constitutional office.
Sanjay Gandhi comes across as a man who failed in nearly everything he tried his hand at, a man who loved automobiles but had neither the aptitude nor the patience to understand the mechanics of the automobile, resulting in a failed attempt at making the common man's car. He also comes across as a man who intended to change things for the better, but lacked the ability to take people along, much less understand the root causes for the problems he was looking to eradicate.
Vinod Mehta has managed to present the facts objectively, unambiguously disclosing wherever he has expressed his personal views- a remarkable fact, considering this book was written just months after the horrors of the emergency ended and Gandhi was easily the most unpopular figure in India.
On the flip side, the book was written in the late 70s, when Gandhi was still alive. Much has changed since then, not least the fact that Gandhi himself died less than a year after the book was written. As one would expect from a contemporary work, the book does not (and cannot possibly) explore the consequences of Sanjay Gandhi's machinations and its legacy.
Nonetheless, this book is an excellent contemporary account of the events and one of the main actors in the emergency- easily the darkest chapter in post-independence Indian history.
The author has attempted to narrate Sanjay Gandhi's life story as it is, without demonising or idolising the man. The book also explores his role during the emergency (1975-77), when civil rights were suspended and India came frighteningly close to becoming a police state. Vinod Mehta has also attempted to explain why Indira Gandhi, the iron-willed prime minister was so helpless when it came to her son, which in turn explains how he came to be such a powerful figure without ever holding any constitutional office.
Sanjay Gandhi comes across as a man who failed in nearly everything he tried his hand at, a man who loved automobiles but had neither the aptitude nor the patience to understand the mechanics of the automobile, resulting in a failed attempt at making the common man's car. He also comes across as a man who intended to change things for the better, but lacked the ability to take people along, much less understand the root causes for the problems he was looking to eradicate.
Vinod Mehta has managed to present the facts objectively, unambiguously disclosing wherever he has expressed his personal views- a remarkable fact, considering this book was written just months after the horrors of the emergency ended and Gandhi was easily the most unpopular figure in India.
On the flip side, the book was written in the late 70s, when Gandhi was still alive. Much has changed since then, not least the fact that Gandhi himself died less than a year after the book was written. As one would expect from a contemporary work, the book does not (and cannot possibly) explore the consequences of Sanjay Gandhi's machinations and its legacy.
Nonetheless, this book is an excellent contemporary account of the events and one of the main actors in the emergency- easily the darkest chapter in post-independence Indian history.
November 1, 2015
Written by Vinod Mehta, it is perhaps the only biographical book on Sanjay Gandhi. In the words of the author himself, it is one of the quickies that were published immediately after emergency. While most books written on emergency does look at Sanjay Gandhi’s role in it, this book goes way back to Sanjay’s childhood, his Doon school days and tries to give a more holistic picture of the person who is often connected with the infamous emergency and the excesses related to it. The book for a change stays away from unnecessary glorification as well as demonization.
It brings forth a man who was average at best in every way with the faults of an average person intact. His not so illustrious academic career, his disdain for formal education goes a long way to explain the failure of Maruti. He didn’t seem to be the right person for the job. Mehta revisits the excesses of emergency that were executed under the aegis of Sanjay Gandhi. He talks about the rehabilitation of the slum dwellers of Turkman Gate and the forced sterilization programme. While Sanjay Gandhi believed that the slum dwellers would be given better places to live, they were dumped in incomplete living quarters far from their work places. He also rightly believed the need of family planning and realized that incentive and not coercion should be at play. But this went terribly wrong.
What this book does is moves away from the compulsion of pinning the blame on one person for the debacle of post emergency elections. It reiterates the need to look at the role of those around Sanjay who worked as his henchmen and subordinates and how they at times manipulated his limitations. In many cases it seems Sanjay was ignorant about the implications of the policies that he was initiating. But had he none the implications, would he have decided otherwise? One cannot say. Lastly the lucid writing style of Vinod Mehta makes it a good read.
It brings forth a man who was average at best in every way with the faults of an average person intact. His not so illustrious academic career, his disdain for formal education goes a long way to explain the failure of Maruti. He didn’t seem to be the right person for the job. Mehta revisits the excesses of emergency that were executed under the aegis of Sanjay Gandhi. He talks about the rehabilitation of the slum dwellers of Turkman Gate and the forced sterilization programme. While Sanjay Gandhi believed that the slum dwellers would be given better places to live, they were dumped in incomplete living quarters far from their work places. He also rightly believed the need of family planning and realized that incentive and not coercion should be at play. But this went terribly wrong.
What this book does is moves away from the compulsion of pinning the blame on one person for the debacle of post emergency elections. It reiterates the need to look at the role of those around Sanjay who worked as his henchmen and subordinates and how they at times manipulated his limitations. In many cases it seems Sanjay was ignorant about the implications of the policies that he was initiating. But had he none the implications, would he have decided otherwise? One cannot say. Lastly the lucid writing style of Vinod Mehta makes it a good read.
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May 14, 2013Probably the best book on this intriguing scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.
Mehta does a great job of painting a picture of what it must have been like to be grandson of India's first Prime Minister, and favoured son of Indira, India's third (excluding Nanda's short caretaking periods). At no point is his upbringing allowed to become an excuse, but it is used to explain the how Sanjay became so powerful in the mid 70s in India when he became a figure of hate for some (and adoration for others) on account of his escapades building the Maruti brand, largely with illicit loans from the government. Mehta carefully catalogues some of the worst abuses of the 75-77 Emergency (which Sanjay is credited with being behind) and includes numerous interviews help to bring the boy (he was still only 33 when he was killed performing acrobatics in his private plane) to life.
Given that he was brother-in-law of Sonia, father of Varun, uncle of Rahul and Priyanka, this is essential reading for anyone wanting to get their head round the extraordinary story of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and its influence over the Congress Party.
Mehta does a great job of painting a picture of what it must have been like to be grandson of India's first Prime Minister, and favoured son of Indira, India's third (excluding Nanda's short caretaking periods). At no point is his upbringing allowed to become an excuse, but it is used to explain the how Sanjay became so powerful in the mid 70s in India when he became a figure of hate for some (and adoration for others) on account of his escapades building the Maruti brand, largely with illicit loans from the government. Mehta carefully catalogues some of the worst abuses of the 75-77 Emergency (which Sanjay is credited with being behind) and includes numerous interviews help to bring the boy (he was still only 33 when he was killed performing acrobatics in his private plane) to life.
Given that he was brother-in-law of Sonia, father of Varun, uncle of Rahul and Priyanka, this is essential reading for anyone wanting to get their head round the extraordinary story of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and its influence over the Congress Party.
April 6, 2015
Intrigued with all the rumours, news and gossip surrounding Sanjay Gandhi, I have always wondered about the truth and reality of Sanjay, the person.
The book does go back briefly to the unhappy marriage of Kamala and Jawaharlal Nehru followed by snippets of the strained relationship between Indira and Feroze Gandhi, more like an explanation of Sanjay's misgivings. Most of it is a journalistic, inferred, deduced and derived account of the emergency, the small car and the family planning programme and Sanjay's actions during his brief stint in politics.The author never met Sanjay Gandhi personally nor was he close to any of his friends so the biographical account of the person per se is missing.
That he rose like a twister on the Indian political scene, sweeping and affecting the lives of so many people without being anything but the prime minister's pampered son is shocking and thought provoking indeed. Important lessons on sycophancy and the need of a stronger media do stare one in the face.
The book does go back briefly to the unhappy marriage of Kamala and Jawaharlal Nehru followed by snippets of the strained relationship between Indira and Feroze Gandhi, more like an explanation of Sanjay's misgivings. Most of it is a journalistic, inferred, deduced and derived account of the emergency, the small car and the family planning programme and Sanjay's actions during his brief stint in politics.The author never met Sanjay Gandhi personally nor was he close to any of his friends so the biographical account of the person per se is missing.
That he rose like a twister on the Indian political scene, sweeping and affecting the lives of so many people without being anything but the prime minister's pampered son is shocking and thought provoking indeed. Important lessons on sycophancy and the need of a stronger media do stare one in the face.
November 2, 2014
Great peek into a period of tremendous tumult in Indian politics, the highest point of sycophancy. (competed closely by the sycophancy levels in Sonia-Rahul era in Congress. Sonia pushing Rahul ahead and silently watching as he takes baby steps even after 10 years of roaming about on the periphery has thankfully brought us close to a "Congress mukt Bharat" to borrow Modi's term, its good for the COngress as well as I sincerely hope the other genuine leader material in the oldest party come to the fore and take over the mantle and rid national politics of dynasty cult). Mehta dwells on some topics for far too long (e.g. the Maruti story) taking the pace out of the narration. But this also has a benefit that we get a closer microscopic look at the kind of hogwash Sanjay Gandhi was indulging in. A great book, a rare one I have found so far with a contemporary look at Sanjay Gandhi, an important persona in Indian political history.
May 3, 2013
Vinod Mehta does a brilliant job by portraying one of the darkest periods of post-independent Indian history and its shenanigan players such as Indira Gandhi and her atrociously wicked son Sanjay. This book gives a clear portrayal of how Sanjay was abetted by a Kafkaesque and pliant bureaucracy that played second fiddle to his whims, fancies and utter nonsensical acts which proved to be too costly and catastrophic. We get to know how all the pillars of democracy such as media, legislature and executive were made to crawl before the autocratic acts of a mother and her equally dangerous son. A must-read for anyone who is interested in getting an idea about the Emergency days and how manipulative and susceptible was the government machinery to Sanjay and his clan.
February 21, 2016
3.5/5 A tone of gossip, ease, frankness without compromising on depth of understanding of politics. It was a fast even cosy read for those interested in d genre. The Maruti farce, Youth Congress, his excesses in emergency including mass sterilisation have been well-documented. Some things have left out in this 'quickie' as the author put it, but still the only biography of the man that i have seen.
Tempted to read 'Lucknow boy' by the author which i had ignored earlier.
Tempted to read 'Lucknow boy' by the author which i had ignored earlier.
July 31, 2015
well written without bias or malice or sycophancy very rare to witness this in a biography
late Vinod Mehta has done well
for thodsse who did not witness the Emergency of the reign of Indira and Sanjay this would give them a lesson in history of a chapter in India
late Vinod Mehta has done well
for thodsse who did not witness the Emergency of the reign of Indira and Sanjay this would give them a lesson in history of a chapter in India
August 6, 2018
In the end, behind the blackest period in India's post-independence political history, the Emergency, was nothing but a mother's guilt and her infallible love for her favorite boy for whom she was always busy and couldn't be around when he needed her the most.
January 29, 2014
I started the book with high hopes..The early chapters were interesting and then it got so bland and boring..picked up pace again somewhere midway and a slump..I abandoned it after reading 75%!
February 5, 2016
This book could have been benefited with a newer edition to add information after the famous first ever defeat of congress government in India, because the subject of the book not only died suddenly and accidentally soon after this, but far more happened, much of the events of eighties related to the family and the nation woven intricately together as it then used to, that could have put a lot more in perspective. For reasons perhaps not that obscure, this wasn't done.
Much of what is here was known to most who lived through those times, especially those connected in any way with India, especially those that lived in India, even if press was silent for most part about negatives related to the family. This was so not merely during the emergency when political silence was imposed, but also before and after, when personal details of non exemplary nature were kept off. Indeed that was so until the Times motto, very characteristic of a GWTW English era, of "all news that is fit to be printed" was replaced with another set of values and style, especially in film journalism where gossip and dirt was brought in in seventies and paid news replaced it all parading as all news and thought there could be. In non film journalism and indeed in officialdom people still did and do cater to power, which is perceived as intricately related to this family albeit the winner branch of it rather than the thrown out wife and son of the subject of this book, who remain mostly ignored but for the opposition generosity in giving them space in the party. That the family is for now out of power even as opposition, while opposition is a strong winner and ruling party, has changed only a little of that equation as far as most press and other officialdom go.
Mehta here gives little that is not known, and leaves out much that is known, which he states could have filled another book but was not included for reasons of journalistic integrity, specifically for lack of substantiation - so most of this is a reliving through the known and few unknown details. He mentions the big theft, but leaves out the real mccoy that was change of name due to the incident overseas, and instead claims the subject of his book left the Rolls Royce apprenticeship due to being no longer interested.
What is really interesting is that he leaves the book and the reader, after meticulously cataloguing all the unsavoury details of Sanjay Gandhi's exploits and misdeeds known and less known in detail, is that he makes one question instead if the guy wasn't so much a villain as a character out of place and out of his time, and would have been instead seen as a saviour and unquestionable prince and king benefic and loved by his people if only time and place were different. This may or may not have been his intention - after all his very meticulous balancing of the book might not have been all that merely due to integrity of journalism, but more of a safety precaution, since one couldn't even then have been certain of just how long congress and the family would be not in power. Indeed they were back in two years, except for Sanjay who was no longer quite the unopposed prince and died before he could come back to that position.
This impression, of a man out of his time and place but not intrinsically bad per se as much as
simply lacking the circumstances that could have instead made him look very different, is perhaps all the more stronger if one has just finished reading about the various royal families and persona of Europe, One gets the impression they got away with much including deaths of millions, being not personally responsible for events they presided over as heads of nations, and more.
Indeed the author leaves one with the impression that the one single characteristic of the man was that he was autocratic in his style of thought and decisions, and while he heard and understood others when he did meet or hear them, he gave little importance to what he did not consider worth taking into account. In the process much was discarded that could have benefited him, from school education to the final routing at elections due to not listening to those that knew better.
One might wonder if there was more in this line - after all various despots of many nations did flourish quite long and well under a benevolent eye from a superpower, due to their ability to agree to just that much; that some of them cheated on the agreements successfully and were never punished is yet more evidence that perhaps downfall of this young man, fortuitous for the nation or not, was not all due to his serious flaws as much as due to faults that put him out of ever being supported by a superpower.
Mehta mentions Sanjay's own family but little, makes no mention of death of his father in law and the Sikh problems that the nation and more specifically the family faced after the death of Sanjay Gandhi and especially more so after the events that unfolded post his death. All that of course happened after this book was published, but he has added only a new forward to the book, mentioning only the death of Sanjay Gandhi and no more.
All in all one wonders if the author was all along merely in a fortuitous circumstance as people in higher positions during and post British times tended to be, rather than earning it with merit. One expected much more of the book on this subject, more than this, better than this, due to his name and position of being a well known top journalist and editor of decades of top magazines.
One of the examples where it fails or at least falls very short is the infamous Turkman Gate episode of emergency misdeeds - Mehta describes it as a slum, deserving of being razed to the ground, and only badly done as in human terms: Tavleen Singh, another journalist of excellence, has explained it differently, in her book Durbar. And while Mehta does give a lot of details about the whole operation making one cringe as one reads it, it is the crucial difference in describing it merely as a slum that is a serious discrepancy at the very least if not outright mistake.
.............................................................................................................
So Mehta wrote the book soon post emergency, and the subject and his mother being still very much then alive, didn't take chances but wrote so meticulously that it comes across as all documentation of what most others either wrote or said until then, or could find easily enough, with - as he very explicitly and pointedly mentions - much withheld. He really hasn't said anything that could help them persecute him legitimately, if and when back in power, which they did come soon enough, even though Sanjay died very soon and suddenly in an accident with a plane he was flying crashing near his home that was the home of his mother, then again the prime minister of India.
The effect is to make one wonder if he really wished one to take a startled second look at whether the guy was not a villain but a much misunderstood visionary out of time and space and role, with much that was blamed on him being not his fault, much that was his fault not being held up for him to be accountable to but minor stuff, and much that was his accomplishment being lost in the sycophancy during the emergency.
One small detail comes to mind much later post having finished the book and been busy at other stuff, which - the detail - is interesting in its shedding light on the author.
He has made it a point to give details of how he was asked, with no uncertainty, by henchmen of the power during emergency, to give publicity favourable to Sanjay Gandhi via articles and editorials, which other publications did readily enough (he refrains from mentioning the chief publication that stood out against it all, funnily enough!) - which he meticulously mentions he had not until then complied with, and later fortunately didn't have to, due to emergency being lifted.
And therein lies the secret of why he gives detailed description of the circumstances and wedding of the parents, Indira Nehru and Feroze Gandhi, pointing out and specifically mentioning that the ceremony might not have been legal or legitimate, at all. Most people would satisfy themselves using a small one word. But Indian culture being unlike that of west, no such words exist in India for children of parents who might not be married to one another, and the concept of such stigma for children is borrowed or imposed via colonial rules of foreign origin over a millennia, as are the small words.
............................................................................................................
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2015
.............................................................................................................
Much of what is here was known to most who lived through those times, especially those connected in any way with India, especially those that lived in India, even if press was silent for most part about negatives related to the family. This was so not merely during the emergency when political silence was imposed, but also before and after, when personal details of non exemplary nature were kept off. Indeed that was so until the Times motto, very characteristic of a GWTW English era, of "all news that is fit to be printed" was replaced with another set of values and style, especially in film journalism where gossip and dirt was brought in in seventies and paid news replaced it all parading as all news and thought there could be. In non film journalism and indeed in officialdom people still did and do cater to power, which is perceived as intricately related to this family albeit the winner branch of it rather than the thrown out wife and son of the subject of this book, who remain mostly ignored but for the opposition generosity in giving them space in the party. That the family is for now out of power even as opposition, while opposition is a strong winner and ruling party, has changed only a little of that equation as far as most press and other officialdom go.
Mehta here gives little that is not known, and leaves out much that is known, which he states could have filled another book but was not included for reasons of journalistic integrity, specifically for lack of substantiation - so most of this is a reliving through the known and few unknown details. He mentions the big theft, but leaves out the real mccoy that was change of name due to the incident overseas, and instead claims the subject of his book left the Rolls Royce apprenticeship due to being no longer interested.
What is really interesting is that he leaves the book and the reader, after meticulously cataloguing all the unsavoury details of Sanjay Gandhi's exploits and misdeeds known and less known in detail, is that he makes one question instead if the guy wasn't so much a villain as a character out of place and out of his time, and would have been instead seen as a saviour and unquestionable prince and king benefic and loved by his people if only time and place were different. This may or may not have been his intention - after all his very meticulous balancing of the book might not have been all that merely due to integrity of journalism, but more of a safety precaution, since one couldn't even then have been certain of just how long congress and the family would be not in power. Indeed they were back in two years, except for Sanjay who was no longer quite the unopposed prince and died before he could come back to that position.
This impression, of a man out of his time and place but not intrinsically bad per se as much as
simply lacking the circumstances that could have instead made him look very different, is perhaps all the more stronger if one has just finished reading about the various royal families and persona of Europe, One gets the impression they got away with much including deaths of millions, being not personally responsible for events they presided over as heads of nations, and more.
Indeed the author leaves one with the impression that the one single characteristic of the man was that he was autocratic in his style of thought and decisions, and while he heard and understood others when he did meet or hear them, he gave little importance to what he did not consider worth taking into account. In the process much was discarded that could have benefited him, from school education to the final routing at elections due to not listening to those that knew better.
One might wonder if there was more in this line - after all various despots of many nations did flourish quite long and well under a benevolent eye from a superpower, due to their ability to agree to just that much; that some of them cheated on the agreements successfully and were never punished is yet more evidence that perhaps downfall of this young man, fortuitous for the nation or not, was not all due to his serious flaws as much as due to faults that put him out of ever being supported by a superpower.
Mehta mentions Sanjay's own family but little, makes no mention of death of his father in law and the Sikh problems that the nation and more specifically the family faced after the death of Sanjay Gandhi and especially more so after the events that unfolded post his death. All that of course happened after this book was published, but he has added only a new forward to the book, mentioning only the death of Sanjay Gandhi and no more.
All in all one wonders if the author was all along merely in a fortuitous circumstance as people in higher positions during and post British times tended to be, rather than earning it with merit. One expected much more of the book on this subject, more than this, better than this, due to his name and position of being a well known top journalist and editor of decades of top magazines.
One of the examples where it fails or at least falls very short is the infamous Turkman Gate episode of emergency misdeeds - Mehta describes it as a slum, deserving of being razed to the ground, and only badly done as in human terms: Tavleen Singh, another journalist of excellence, has explained it differently, in her book Durbar. And while Mehta does give a lot of details about the whole operation making one cringe as one reads it, it is the crucial difference in describing it merely as a slum that is a serious discrepancy at the very least if not outright mistake.
.............................................................................................................
So Mehta wrote the book soon post emergency, and the subject and his mother being still very much then alive, didn't take chances but wrote so meticulously that it comes across as all documentation of what most others either wrote or said until then, or could find easily enough, with - as he very explicitly and pointedly mentions - much withheld. He really hasn't said anything that could help them persecute him legitimately, if and when back in power, which they did come soon enough, even though Sanjay died very soon and suddenly in an accident with a plane he was flying crashing near his home that was the home of his mother, then again the prime minister of India.
The effect is to make one wonder if he really wished one to take a startled second look at whether the guy was not a villain but a much misunderstood visionary out of time and space and role, with much that was blamed on him being not his fault, much that was his fault not being held up for him to be accountable to but minor stuff, and much that was his accomplishment being lost in the sycophancy during the emergency.
One small detail comes to mind much later post having finished the book and been busy at other stuff, which - the detail - is interesting in its shedding light on the author.
He has made it a point to give details of how he was asked, with no uncertainty, by henchmen of the power during emergency, to give publicity favourable to Sanjay Gandhi via articles and editorials, which other publications did readily enough (he refrains from mentioning the chief publication that stood out against it all, funnily enough!) - which he meticulously mentions he had not until then complied with, and later fortunately didn't have to, due to emergency being lifted.
And therein lies the secret of why he gives detailed description of the circumstances and wedding of the parents, Indira Nehru and Feroze Gandhi, pointing out and specifically mentioning that the ceremony might not have been legal or legitimate, at all. Most people would satisfy themselves using a small one word. But Indian culture being unlike that of west, no such words exist in India for children of parents who might not be married to one another, and the concept of such stigma for children is borrowed or imposed via colonial rules of foreign origin over a millennia, as are the small words.
............................................................................................................
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2015
.............................................................................................................
June 26, 2022
Do you remember those appearances of a gangly Vinod Mehta as a panelist on television talk shows? If you were luck to witness a gentler time in broadcast news in India it was difficult to miss him. He appeared socially liberal, always at an angle to the frame, never quite sitting upright -- relaxed, jovial and closer to the edges than the center. It did not take the appearance of a whisky glass and a swift action for him to smile irrespective of the mendacity of the anchor.
This human quality shines through, "The Sanjay Story" which has Mehta's characteristic turns of phrase (eg. describing Feroze Gandhi getting thrown into jail, "not soon would he achieve his political baptism".) To assess Sanjay Gandhi the book steps into not only his early years, but the nature of his parents marriage and situates it within the culture flowing from his great-grandfather. This forms the foundation of the first few chapters and is a reader's delight. Everything else including Mehta's examination of Sanjay during the emergency is merely the relish.
By many accounts this quite often seems a journalistic, but incomplete account. It by no means forms a scholarly study and presents a humane, though critical analysis of Sanjay Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. Unfailing in calling a spade, there are several subtle touches beyond a turn of phrase which endear the storytelling. The first is that Mehta while fond of political innuendo, at most instances reproduces it in order to contest such claims. As much, the books tells the unprintable, social gossip that prevailed at the time. The second is for large parts of the book, the simplicity in narrative is a product of both study and reporting. This may be missed by many given the ease in following the text. Finally, Mehta shows a care for language, for its meaning and degree. He manages this while remaining provocative (for eg. while criticizing the emergency in the most severe terms, he avoids comparisons with Nazi Germany).
What did leaves dissatisfaction is that the story seems to be incomplete. I do not know why, but in many ways it seems there is much more to be read. But this may also be due Mr. Gandhi's young demise. While in many ways this is a gushing review of The Sanjay Story, if you miss Mr. Mehta's voice, I would recommend you do read it.
This human quality shines through, "The Sanjay Story" which has Mehta's characteristic turns of phrase (eg. describing Feroze Gandhi getting thrown into jail, "not soon would he achieve his political baptism".) To assess Sanjay Gandhi the book steps into not only his early years, but the nature of his parents marriage and situates it within the culture flowing from his great-grandfather. This forms the foundation of the first few chapters and is a reader's delight. Everything else including Mehta's examination of Sanjay during the emergency is merely the relish.
By many accounts this quite often seems a journalistic, but incomplete account. It by no means forms a scholarly study and presents a humane, though critical analysis of Sanjay Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. Unfailing in calling a spade, there are several subtle touches beyond a turn of phrase which endear the storytelling. The first is that Mehta while fond of political innuendo, at most instances reproduces it in order to contest such claims. As much, the books tells the unprintable, social gossip that prevailed at the time. The second is for large parts of the book, the simplicity in narrative is a product of both study and reporting. This may be missed by many given the ease in following the text. Finally, Mehta shows a care for language, for its meaning and degree. He manages this while remaining provocative (for eg. while criticizing the emergency in the most severe terms, he avoids comparisons with Nazi Germany).
What did leaves dissatisfaction is that the story seems to be incomplete. I do not know why, but in many ways it seems there is much more to be read. But this may also be due Mr. Gandhi's young demise. While in many ways this is a gushing review of The Sanjay Story, if you miss Mr. Mehta's voice, I would recommend you do read it.
January 26, 2019
I read this book right after "All the Prime Minister's Men" as it covers similar territory with the difference that it has a fulcrum in Sanjay Gandhi compared to the wider canvas of the latter. The late journalist Vinod Mehta wrote this book after Congress lost the 1977 elections and makes a mention of the books by other writers in passing that were published right before his, including "All the Prime Minister's Men". He claims that his narrative is more balanced and doesn't include salacious, unsubstantiated gossip unlike some of the others. The latter claim is not totally accurate but he's certainly made an attempt to keep the narrative balanced while being unsparingly critical in his indictment and judgement of the protagonist.
The writer has made an honest attempt to understand the circumstances and upbringing that made Sanjay the man he was while not absolving him of any blame for his actions. Many incidents and events mentioned in "All the...Men" are corroborated in the book while some have been termed as unsubstantiated rumors. A lot more ground is covered on Maruti's affairs including the financial irregularities and the arm-twisting of India's banks/bankers and the RBI that went into keeping the company alive. The writer's prediction, though, that Maruti would now be consigned to the dustbin of history has turned out to be quite off the mark in hindsight! He didn't expect the enquiry by the next government looking into the Emergency excesses to be worthless and certainly didn't imagine Indira Gandhi storming back to power. A good read for anyone interested in India's political history. I would be reading books on the Narasaimha Rao and Manmohan Singh years next. There seems to be a gap in between with no book focusing on the Rajiv Gandhi era. Tavleen Singh's "Durbar" had some bits-and-pieces but that was far from sufficient.
The writer has made an honest attempt to understand the circumstances and upbringing that made Sanjay the man he was while not absolving him of any blame for his actions. Many incidents and events mentioned in "All the...Men" are corroborated in the book while some have been termed as unsubstantiated rumors. A lot more ground is covered on Maruti's affairs including the financial irregularities and the arm-twisting of India's banks/bankers and the RBI that went into keeping the company alive. The writer's prediction, though, that Maruti would now be consigned to the dustbin of history has turned out to be quite off the mark in hindsight! He didn't expect the enquiry by the next government looking into the Emergency excesses to be worthless and certainly didn't imagine Indira Gandhi storming back to power. A good read for anyone interested in India's political history. I would be reading books on the Narasaimha Rao and Manmohan Singh years next. There seems to be a gap in between with no book focusing on the Rajiv Gandhi era. Tavleen Singh's "Durbar" had some bits-and-pieces but that was far from sufficient.
April 21, 2023
This is a very smart attempt to defend Sanjay Gandhi and the Congress. It lists the atrocities committed during the emergency and then re-structures them into something entirely different.
Slum clearance done forcefully becomes a matter of national security because Sanjay thought it was the first column because they were muslims. This is something that's actually true so he can convert that atrocity into a necessary act.
Forced sterilisation, same trick again, it was done mostly on muslims. Again, national security angle.
And he always isolates Sanjay from these acts, ofc he didn't do it himself. But repeatedly naming the foot soldiers make it look like Sanjay didn't do these at all, it was those people and the civil servants who did all.
He mentioned how many people eere helped during emergency by Sanjay like old people who before emergency used to run around with papers for their pension. Runs ran on time. As an Indian, thats pretty much equivalent to utopia. A sign of supreme development. And he absolutely puts this point in your head. The way he portrays, how when emergency ended, trains stopped running on time, almost makes one sad.
And it isolates congress from all this. Because it was not congress that did anything. It was youth congress, that was an entirely new setup. Even the Congress itself was threated by it. So congress was a victim too.
And Rajiv Gandhi is mentioned nowhere in a political context. Like even in the same house with all this going on and he did nothing? And obviously he was in the line to be the next king. How scary is that. But that's not something one should conclude. Because Rajiv didn't like Sanjay so he must be a good guy.
Slum clearance done forcefully becomes a matter of national security because Sanjay thought it was the first column because they were muslims. This is something that's actually true so he can convert that atrocity into a necessary act.
Forced sterilisation, same trick again, it was done mostly on muslims. Again, national security angle.
And he always isolates Sanjay from these acts, ofc he didn't do it himself. But repeatedly naming the foot soldiers make it look like Sanjay didn't do these at all, it was those people and the civil servants who did all.
He mentioned how many people eere helped during emergency by Sanjay like old people who before emergency used to run around with papers for their pension. Runs ran on time. As an Indian, thats pretty much equivalent to utopia. A sign of supreme development. And he absolutely puts this point in your head. The way he portrays, how when emergency ended, trains stopped running on time, almost makes one sad.
And it isolates congress from all this. Because it was not congress that did anything. It was youth congress, that was an entirely new setup. Even the Congress itself was threated by it. So congress was a victim too.
And Rajiv Gandhi is mentioned nowhere in a political context. Like even in the same house with all this going on and he did nothing? And obviously he was in the line to be the next king. How scary is that. But that's not something one should conclude. Because Rajiv didn't like Sanjay so he must be a good guy.
October 28, 2021
Had the subject matter been more impressive, I would've rated this book higher. Vinod Mehta does a wonderful job of capturing the mood of the moment, and I enjoyed his writing style. The choice of subject is where he is let down. Sanjay Gandhi is, in the final analysis, a wholly ordinary, mediocre, spoiled brat. The only reason he was able to inflict the damage he did was because of who his mother was, and the latitude she gave him. It is a sad commentary on how much nepotism and sycophancy thrives in Indian culture, and how close to chaos we live. For those who are fond of claiming that politicians "in our times" were better... yeah, no. I'll take the checks and balances we have today, *and* the politicians we have today. Even if they don't have the panache of the Gandhi-Nehrus. In fact, maybe even because of it.
January 21, 2024
This book in the interest of being neutral has chapters which favour SG and chapters which oppose him. It manages to praise him without praising him an criticise him without criticising him.
The issue I believe was that the writer was too close to the events, perhaps not personally, but this book was published in 1978 just after 1977 elections.
A true objective view can only be provided for incidents at the minimum of 5 years distance in my opinion. That said there are very interesting anecdotes and the whole thing is well narrated.
The issue I believe was that the writer was too close to the events, perhaps not personally, but this book was published in 1978 just after 1977 elections.
A true objective view can only be provided for incidents at the minimum of 5 years distance in my opinion. That said there are very interesting anecdotes and the whole thing is well narrated.
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