It is not quite clear when exactly the concept of “politics of consensus” in relation to Jawaharlal Nehru was first formulated, or when it found widespread acceptance. But there can be little doubt that the intention of those who sought to popularise it in the seventies was to contrast Nehru’s … Read More
A discussion of the country’s foreign policy in terms of the personal predilections and traits of the Prime Minister in office is not a new phenomenon. It has certainly not started with Rajiv Gandhi’s accession to that office. Indeed, it did not begin even with Indira Gandhi’s prime ministership. It … Read More
Indira Gandhi’s rule was a holding operation. It could not have been otherwise, though she could certainly have managed things somewhat better and reduced the damage to institutions and norms. But despite her apparent control over men and events Indira Gandhi too was a prisoner of circumstances. Helplessness and resignation … Read More
Indira Gandhi, as noted in the previous article, took a hand in the propagation of the Nehru myth. But she was not its architect. Indeed, the myth had no human architect or architects, though many, including Gandhiji, had contributed to it. It was the product of the collective Indian psyche, … Read More
