Evolving with Subramanian Swamy

Biographies are an important piece of literature, particularly if it is about an important public figure; they reveal much about our yesteryear by following life an individual. Biography of Dr. Subramanian Swamy, written by his wife Dr. Roxna Swamy, is bound create considerable interest and anxiety. His deep involvement during the critical phases of India’s modern history, his enmity and friendships as a politician and above all his larger personal research interest as scholar was a story due to be told. This book therefore fills the long vacuum in every respect.Given the standing of Dr. Swamy, this book will be read my many for a variety of reasons. To those who admire him, it is his sheer magnate personality that may be the motivating factor and to those who hate or fear him will search how much is revealed. However one can describe such motivations as narrow for biographies serve some larger interest too. Sir T Madhav Rao in a lecture to young Maharaj Sayaji Rao Gaikwad advised to ‘occasionally embrace some biographies and novels calculated to inspire high ideals of human excellence’. Definitely such a perspective does make our read far more balanced, purposeful and constructive in drawing lessons from collective past. Students of economics may find this work very useful as it recollects vital sequence of events that culminated into Economic Reforms in mid-1990. This history has largely been erased or deliberately suppressed.The author of a biography is as important as its content. In this case it is the wife of the protagonist who has taken arduous journey. One pleasingly remembers the famous encounter between Adi Shakara and Mandam Mishra refereed by latter’s wife. Wives indeed enjoy unique vantage point which no other author howsoever good will ever enjoy. In all respects the analysis is objective and balanced and a page turner. There are instance in the book where she acknowledges that with the best of intentions Dr Swamy was incorrect, off course with benefit of the hindsight.Overall the relationship between a husband and wife and what is shared between the two is a matter of privilege. The criticism as to why the book ends at 1992 needs to be brushed aside in my view. Author’s needs big applause for writing the book, sharing those personal experience to wider public and to put in her own words ‘set the record straight’ (which she does quite well in the numerous parenthesis between the main text reminding one of story within the story writing style in Vishnu Sharma’s Panchtantra).

Evolving with Subramanian Swamy by Roxna SwamyBook reviewFictionNo spoilers since it's non fiction but lots of revelations which is better if you read them yourself!Having seen Subramanian Swamy in debates I have immense respect for his detailed argument backed by well documented research and cool minded approach. He destroys his opponents in debates in news or court which such acumen and poise that many want to fight or argue with him just to hear him speak!Recently I had read the autobiography of both Margaret Alva and Pranab Mukherjee Just to get an insight which is code to get some juice and spice! Unfortunately though both those books were written with one eye closed and steered clear of any obvious controversy!Imagine being at the helm in the center and both fail to mention much about the emergency or the 1984 riots!At least in this book Roxna does go into detailing the exploits of Swamy during the emergency! For me who had just read Coomi Kapoor's (Roxna's sister) book on emergency where an entire chapter was devoted on the one bright streak in the dark cloud of emergency that is Subramanian Swamy and his great escapes; it was in a sense a big deja vu; a good one though I may add!Rest of the narrative is third person and Roxna doesn't mince any words when she has to be frank about someone or something which is quite refreshing for a change!Then again this is the book about Subramanian Swamy, the veritable king of defamation cases (ask Kujliwal if in doubt!); So I don't really want to risk writing something and getting a summons from the swamy so to speak!Though the story is told in a more or less chronological order, Roxna does meander at times but mostly without breaking the train thankfully!Of course this is only the early years, only recently Subramanian Swamy is again in the spotlight and that has not been covered in this book. Maybe that's in the offing.Apart from the heroics of emergency and that he had a major role in economic reforms; the chief aim of the book (as it should be since it's Swamy!) Is to give an account of his cases!The fight with Vajpayee, Ram Jethmalani, Jayalalithaa and R K Hegde has been nicely covered and listed.Rarely you get to see a political entity who can be non corruptible to an extent. Of course since it's written by his wife there is bound to be a bias which Roxna herself mentions in the book!So having lakhs of Twitter followers, and as such having such a clout, this book gives us a good insight from the inside!Though Swamy has good many achievements I would say that his biggest one is that his wife has written a positive biography on his life! What more can a man (that too a Swamy so to speak!) Can ask for!??

I started the book after a light lunch and hurtled through it by bedtime – by when my head was spinning. The book is a riveting page turner.Roxna Swamy has had a ringside view of the politics of our country – the camaraderie and intrigue, the comic and the tragic, the historic and the venal. It is all there in the book, shorn of political correctness and hypocrisy – but instead narrated with a refreshing candour.It sheds light on the monopolistic power of the erstwhile media to mute voices like his that were inconvenient – and the rise of the internet age that lends truth to power and provides men like Swamy the ability to control their narrative.It is also a wonderful story, filled with warmth, flux and enterprise.

Five years back I read a good article on Swamy written in a leading liberal magazine. I have been hunting for more pieces ever since.Roxna does a great job talking about Swamy's life. The book makes the writer live a lot of moments as if they were with Swamy.What got me smiling first was the cover. You see Swamy and his wife with white hair (Swamy regularly dyes his hair). This hints that the book is not only up close and personal, but also tells the story as it is.The chapters about life during the emergency kept my heart racing while the lines on how Swamy trains his dogs to be ferocious made me laugh.It's a good buy. With BJP 2.0 in power you get some insight into the petty politics of BJP 1.0, you read a bit about Modi's adventures too.Buy it, Swamy has fought for this nation from the wings for a long time. It's time he gets to share the spotlight with Modi and AJ.

Satisfied

A thrilling and easy read. Good print too.

Fantastic book! A must read for the younger generation who did not live through the emergency. The book lays out the kind of atrocities committed by the Indira Gandhi and the establishment that nodded along. A no holds barred expose on the Delhi Lutyen's mafia who plotted against a bright academic - a visionary with an albeit minority view of the world at the time in India, which then decidedly become the way out of our socialistic mess in the 90's. A retelling of the horrors of being besieged by the police and intelligence men who supported the dictatorial regime. The intolerance of an alternate point of view and the punitive damages that the family had to face in return. The sheer grit of Roxna Swamy and her unwavering support of Swamy and his unending struggle to bring back a fully functional democracy among other things are truly inspirational; especially in this era of buster and self promotion.