A MAVERICK IN POLITICS: 1999-2024
Author: Mani Shankar Aiyar
Publisher: Juggernaut
Pages: 410
Price: Rs 899
Mani Shankar Aiyar begins the first chapter of his second volume of memoirs 바카라A Maverick in Politics바카라, by saying that he was 바카라horrified바카라 when Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat acquiesced at 바카라India바카라s betrayal of Palestine바카라. This was in January 1992 when Prime Minister Narasimha Rao (PVNR) announced that India would upgrade India바카라s relationship with Israel to ambassadorial level at a joint press conference with the visiting Palestinian leader.
It distressed him since it happened just a day after Arafat had specially invited Aiyar to meet him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan to thank him for 바카라championing the Palestinian cause바카라. At that time, Aiyar requested Arafat to 바카라tell Prime Minister PVNR to desist from doing so바카라, meaning not to announce elevation of diplomatic relations. 바카라Arafat바카라s reaction was ambiguous to the point of being puzzling바카라. Aiyar was so crestfallen that he asked his wife to put away the mother of pearl tray gifted to him by Arafat 바카라out of human sight바카라.
This incident would indicate the author바카라s deep aversion to what he considers deviation from the original principles of government policy laid down by our founding fathers and his steadfast determination to go alone even if he gets hurt in that process. This is the thread that runs throughout this book which deals with innumerable instances when he had to defiantly chart his own path, as narrated by Rabindranath Tagore in 바카라Ekla Chalo Re바카라:
If no one speaks to you, oh thou of evil luck If everyone turns his backs to you and is afraid Then wholeheartedly, you alone speak up what is in your mind (translation by Nikhil Kulkarni).
Aiyar바카라s repugnance in 1992 would seem justified when compared with the Palestinians바카라 sad plight in 2025. However, Aiyar should have realised that Arafat바카라s tolerance towards Israel was dictated by realpolitik which arose out of tectonic global developments, following Mikhail Gorbachev바카라s withdrawal from Soviet Union바카라s spheres of global influence as described by Hedrick Smith in his enlightening book 바카라The New Russians바카라 (1990).
It needs to be mentioned that this reviewer had accompanied two successive Indian foreign intelligence chiefs to Tel Aviv in 1988 and 1990, approved by Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and Vishwanath Pratap Singh. On both occasions we met the same Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, who requested us to specially convey to our prime ministers, Yasser Arafat바카라s message to him that he had no objection if India elevated diplomatic relationship with Israel. PVNR was only following that line.
Aiyar바카라s unwavering dedication to his principles is evident when he describes his agony that his government바카라s economic liberalisation from 1991 had led to a 바카라disturbing imbalance바카라 between the benefits reaching the rich and the poor and had also facilitated the Enron, Harshad Mehta and Ketan Parikh scandals.
Towards the end of his book Aiyar tells us how a prominent journalist had described him as 바카라the Brahmin with a peculiar sense of humour바카라 when he was working in Rajiv Gandhi바카라s office. He then confesses: 바카라I have always delighted in being a 바카라maverick바카라, wading into controversy, unconventional, unorthodox, and yet articulate about my non-conformist views바카라.
In 1991 which was the first month of his parliamentary term as member (MP) for his constituency in Tamil Nadu, he hit out at his own government. He alleged that by not officially publishing the interim 바카라Cauvery River Water Tribunal award바카라 and by 바카라conniving with the Government of Karnataka바카라, ruled by Congress Chief Minister S. Bangarappa, New Delhi went against Tamil Nadu, governed by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, then a Congress ally, heading All India Anna DMK(AIDMK).
Later he published a column describing PVNR as 바카라Dhritarashtra바카라 (바카라Moral blindness to right and wrong바카라) who did not 바카라distinguish good from evil바카라 in the struggle between 바카라Draupadi바카라 (Jayalalithaa) and 바카라Dushyasan바카라 (Bangarappa). He says: 바카라Mercifully, I was not reprimanded for this act of lese-majeste.바카라
However, when the Congress-AIDMK alliance broke down in 2001 he published a column in a weekly that he would 바카라present바카라 Jayalalithaa to the Guruvayur temple just as she had 바카라presented a baby elephant to the Guruvayur temple바카라 when she became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. This was a retort to Jayalalithaa for calling his leader Sonia Gandhi a 바카라foreigner바카라. As a result, his car was attacked and damaged by her followers on 13 October 2003.
The four chapters on his ministerial assignments (2004-2009) are very informative, revealing how inter-ministerial squabbles over policy and personnel could sabotage good intentions in a democracy. The book has a sad end when he describes how he was 바카라crushed바카라 by his own party on 26 March 2024.
(The writer is a former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat- Views personal)
