Between The Lines

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Between the Lines is a classic among books on politics. It set a new trend in reporting which uncovered the dark, vicious conspiracies behind the events. Never before had reporting been so candid and so revealing. The author had benefited from a ringside view which he had in the sixties and the seventies as Press Officer to Home Minister, Govind Ballabh Pant and his successor, Lal Bahadur Shastri.

For the first time, you can read the full story about why the switch over to Hindi did not take place and why English and Hindi were both declared as link languages. The book also has a diary of the author on day-to-day developments of China's war against India in 1962, the debacle of our armed forces and helplessness of government at New Delhi.

Written in readable, easy style, the book also describes the pulls and pressures for rupee's devaluation which turned out to be a disaster for the nation. The author, privy to the wrangles within the Congress on the succession to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, tells why Shastri was chosen in preference to Mrs Indira Gandhi and then why she got the position and not Morarji Desai. Many other things come to light-such things which will add to your knowledge of Indian politics. The passage of time has only made mysteries more mysterious, simple issues more tangled and political plots more intriguing.

This is the first paperback edition of the classic.

A veteran journalist and former member of Parliament, Kuldip Nayar was India's most well-known and widely syndicated journalist. He was born in Sialkot in 1923 and educated at Lahore University before migrating to Delhi with his family at the time of Partition. He began his career in the Urdu newspaper Anjam and after a spell in the USA worked as information officer of Lal Bahadur Shastri and Govind Ballabh Pant.

He eventually became Resident Editor of the Statesman and Managing Editor of the Indian news agency, UNI. He corresponded for The Times for 25 years and later served as Indian High Commissioner to the UK during the V.P. Singh government. His stand for press freedom during the Emergency, when he was detained; his commitment to better relations between India and Pakistan, and his role as a human rights activist have won him respect and affection in both countries. Author of more than a dozen books, his weekly columns are read across South Asia.

Politics in India has not changed much. In fact, it is old wine in new bottle. As I look back, since I wrote Between The Lines some 45 years ago, politics has not changed in intrigue or secrecy. But it has become dirtier and defamatory. Back then, power was the end. Now, power is the motivating force.

One good thing about that time was that politicians confided in you, and you, as a media person, seldom betrayed their trust.

This is my first book, a wish come true. I was visiting Tirupati Temple as part of the Home Minister, Govind Ballabh Pant's entourage. On an early morning of December, he had a bath in cold water before visiting the temple. As we sat on the floor, I asked a police officer sitting next to me, to explain the importance of the temple. I had never seen Pantji doing all this, I said. He asked me whether it was my first visit. When I said yes, he told me that when you faced the deity, whatever you wished would come true. When it was my turn, I prayed that I would one day write a book.

When the book was published, I told my wife about my visit to Tirupati and my wish coming true. Soon after, when I received my first royalty cheque, she took me to Tirupati and made me put the cheque in the handi. Since then, I have written 14 more books and have gone back to the temple many times. Was I destined to write books or was I determined enough to write them? Whatever the reason, I am now an author of sorts.

Between The Lines reconstructs four important events of India's history. The readers will have inside information of developments as they unfolded. In addition, there is my diary, in which I would jot down day-to-day happenings within the government. As Shastri's Press Officer, I was privy to correspondence and notes. This has made the diary something of a source material.

I propose to publish all my books, because nearly all of them are out of print. Much will depend on the response to Between The Lines.

**Contents and Sample Pages**