By Nimish Dubey
There has hardly been a dull moment in India since the nation gained independence. Be it scandals, battles, political India After Gandhi manoeuvrings, betrayal, assassinations, riots, victories…the national has seen it all and more. And is continuing to see it. So, it is a colossal pity that there has been no decent attempt to document the history of independent India. Yes, there have been academic tomes aimed at the hardcore historian but nothing for the mainstream readers, who have to content themselves with biographies (often hagiographic) of eminent personalities and the odd scandal-ridden and utterly unobjective account of matters.
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Which is why Ramachandra Guha’s book India after Gandhi is a must-read. Spanning the period since the demise of the Mahatma, this is history being written for the common reader without compromising on facts. The language flows effortlessly and there are anecdotes galore, making this book an absolute joy to read. You might not always agree with Guha’s assessment of events. Some might get put off by his admiration of Nehru. But at the end of the day, no matter what your political leaning, you are going to find this book absolutely impossible to put down once you start it.
Do not get intimidated by the size – it spans about 900 pages. If there is one book about independent India that you need to read, it is this one!
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