The Rajiv I Knew

Rajiv Gandhi's prime ministership (198489) began in a flame of glory but was quickly dimmed by controversies. The Shah Bano case and the opening of the locks at Ayodhya, l' affaire Bofors, the decision to send the IPKF to Sri Lanka and other issues dealt with in this book have had the cumulative consequence of making Rajiv Gandhi 'the most misunderstood Indian prime minister' and wiping out from public memory his many constructive achievements in nation building. In this brilliantly argued and deeply researched book, Mani Shankar Aiyar, who served as joint secretary to the prime minister and later as special assistant to the Congress president, unravels the various controversies and takes a close look at the accords signed by Rajiv Gandhi with insurgents and other discontents to end violence and restore peace and tranquillity in disturbed regions.