My truth

Based on interviews and other source material My Truth is a rare and vitally important book; the story of much of Indira Gandhi's life in her own words. First published in India and France in 1980 when Mrs Gandhi was out of power, it now assumes an extra importance in view of her tragic and untimely death. Told simply and warmly, the book unfolds the life of a gifted person born into a remarkable family. There are evocative passages of her recollections of her grandfather and the days spent in Allahabad, of the heroes of her childhood, the books she admired, of Jawaharlal exhorting her to take to physical activities, of holidays in the hills, a dream, like childhood abruptly altered as her father plunged into the freedom movement. Then there are the disturbed years that the death of Kamala about whom the book offers a rare, beautiful portrait, Jawaharlal in and out of jail; Indira Gandhi's varied education; travels with her father; studying at Oxford; her marriage to Feroze and an increasing involvement in public life, first as her father's hostess and then more and more in her own right. From this point on My Truth transcends being simply the life-story of an important woman, it becomes too an insider's account of India's political history since independence. There are so many revelations about major events, many of which created huge controversies. While a great deal has been written by many on all of these events but Indira Gandhi's was a unique vantage that of a central character in the high drama affecting the lives of millions and shaping the destiny of India. And, reading between the lines, My Truth lays bare the thought processes that shaped Mrs Gandhi's responses and initiatives, the considerations of policy, the understanding of the context and broader perspectives. Every page of this book provides a fresh nuance of her personality. And at the end is a chapter about Indira Gandhi's vision of India, its culture, land and people, problems and resources and her own personal outlook on life.