The Quest, The Hurdles: A Socialist Testament Political Volume I (Hardcover)

By Chandra Shekhar

This volume brings together the editorials of Chandra Shekhar written for Young Indian (weekly)—spanning nearly 30 years from 1970 to 2001. The topics covered in the current volume deal with the political events of the concerned period. This was a period of turmoil. Indo-Pak war and emergence of Bangladesh; Smt. Indira Gandhi’s Garibi Hatao campaign, her victory in 1971 Lok Sabha elections, subsequent disillusionment and J.P. movement; the Emergency; the Janata experiment and its disintegration; Smt. Indira Gandhi’s coming back to power, her assassination and Congress’ unprecedented victory under late Rajiv Gandhi and his exit from power after Bofors scandal; formation of V.P. Singh’s Govt., its fall and Chandra Shekhar’s short-lived government; Rajiv Gandhi’s tragic assassination at Sriperumbudur and early years of Narasimha Rao Government are the main events of this period. Chandra Shekhar’s forthright comments on all these events find a place in this volume.

Chandra Shekhar who was born on April 17, 1927 at Ibrahimpatti, a remote village in the district of Ballia (U.P.), received his early education in a village school and completed his M.A. (Political Science) from Allahabad University. He was called upon to lead the Socialist Party at the state level in 1955 and holding the post of General Secretary of the Praja Socialist Party, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1962. Shekhar was incarcerated in a solitary confinement for 19 months during the Emergency (1975). After the Janata Party came to power in 1977 he was chosen to lead the party as its President. Shekhar became the Prime Minister of India in 1991 at a very critical juncture of Indian politics and successfully handled the explosive situation prevalent at that time. Shekhar’s other published works include: Dynamics of Social Change, Men Jail Diary (2 Volumes), Zindagi Ka Kaarvam Rachnatmak Bechaini Mein, Uthal-PuthalAur Dhruvikaran Ke Beech, Chandra Shekhar Ke Vichar, and Ek Doosre Shikhar Se. The translation of his Jail Diary is shortly to be published in English and Marathi also. Presently he is heading the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha.

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