Srinath Raghavan
Credit: Website/ https://www.ashoka.edu.in/
New Delhi: Historian Srinath Raghavan's upcoming book will present an account of former prime minister late Indira Gandhi's political career and its lasting impact on India.
"Indira Gandhi and the Years that Transformed India", slated to release on May 30, will offer a fresh perspective on Gandhi’s tenure, situating her decisions within the broader currents of nationalism, global politics, and economic transformation.
It is published under the Penguin Random House India's 'Allen Lane' imprint.
"Indira Gandhi and her times, especially the Emergency, loom large in our collective political memory. Yet, fifty years on, we don't have a proper historical perspective on those tumultuous times.
"This book tries to offer such an account by a narrative history of the ideas and choices of Indira Gandhi and her contemporaries set against the global context of the long 1970s, " the author said in a statement.
Gandhi led India through key moments of triumph and turmoil, including her rise to power, major election victories, the 1971 war, and the Emergency.
Her leadership during these critical events left a lasting mark on Indian politics.
According to the publisher, "Indira Gandhi and the Years that Transformed India", for which Raghavan worked for almost 15 years, draws on extensive research and newly declassified archival materials from India and around the world.
"With careful attention to the turbulent currents of postcolonial history, Raghavan examines the paradoxes of Gandhi’s leadership—her formidable drive, her entanglement in the forces of nationalism and global politics, and the authoritarian streak that marked her rule," Manasi Subramaniam, editor-in-chief and vice-president of several imprints at PRHI, said.
Raghavan's previously authored books includes "India’s War: The Making of Modern South Asia" and "The Most Dangerous Place: A History of the United States in South Asia".