Six great books that have defined modern India

1.) The Past as Present by Romila Thapar

The author is a scholar with international reputation. Not only that, she is also a secular intellectual, who strikes the right note. I can’t claim intimacy but I do know her. Her serene calmness is impressive. In this book she raises fundamental and serious questions about our "mythological" past, often paraded as history. The chapter on the raids on the Somnath temple is riveting. When was the Bhagavad Gita composed? At one go or was its composition a process? You will find the answers in the book.

2.) Ambedkar: Awakening of India's Social Conscience by Narendra Jadhav

Babasaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is among the greatest leaders of the 20th century. He took on Mahatma Gandhi when the latter was at the peak of his fame. Ambedkar was humiliated for being a Mahar. His erudition, determination and courage were unique. He gave his untouchable community awakening, respect and hope.

He clashed with Gandhi at the Second Round Table Conference in London in 1931. His essay, What Congress and Gandhi Have Done to Untouchables, is a devastating critique of both. He had a well-defined vision. One may not go all the way with him, but his vision cannot be dismissed. He wrote most of our Constitution as law minister in Jawaharlal Nehru’s first Cabinet. The author rightly claims that Ambedkar was, after Gandhi, the most popular Indian leader.

3.) An Undocumented Wonder: The Great Indian Election by S.Y. Quraishi

The author is a fellow Stephanian. That is a big plus. Quraishi’s book is invaluable. With the possible exception of T.N. Seshan, who carried his China shop with him, Quraishi has been the most competent and admired Election Commissioner. If you wish to know how our chaotic democracy survives, read this book.

4.) The Accidental Prime Minister by Sanjaya Baru

Indians are not known for writing autobiographies or biographies. In the 20th century I could count three autobiographies and two biographies, which would be in print for decades: Gandhi’s The Story of My Experiences with Truth; Nehru’s An Autobiography; Nirad C. Chaudhuri’s The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian; Amrit Rai’s biography of his father Munshi Premchand — Kalam Ka Sipahi; and S. Gopal’s master biography of his father S. Radhakrishnan.

This year we have been given a number of memoirs by well-known individuals. Sanjaya Baru’s The Accidental Prime Minister caused a flurry. When it came out, I read in one go. It is well-written with flair and brio. Only two others from the Prime Minister’s office had written about their service there — P.N. Dhar and B.N. Tandon.

The candour of Baru’s book attracted tens of thousands of readers. It also ruffled quite a few eminent feathers, including those of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. It’s a page turner.

5.) Not Just an Accountant by Vinod Rai

The ripples have not died down. It is not strictly an autobiography but an insider’s experiences and travails in one of the most heavyweight and important departments. I admire the way he has exposed the follies and inaptness of some of Manmohan Singh’s loud-mouthed ministers and the ex-PM’s lack of guts. Vinod Rai was an exceptionally able, upright, self-effacing and refined officer. This is a book that should be read again and again.

6.) Makers of Modern Asia by Ramachandra Guha

Of the 11 eminences in this book, I had the good fortune to meet/see 10. The exception is Chiang Kai-shek. The essays are a mixed bag. The editor justifies the exclusion of M.A. Jinnah unconvincingly. Z.A. Bhutto was brilliantly erratic and verbally reckless, an obstreperous individual who all but destroyed a country. Jinnah created one. There is no comparison between the two.