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V. P. Menon: The Unsung Architect of Modern India

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V. P. Menon: The Unsung Architect Of Modern India
AuthorNarayani Basu
LanguageIndian English
GenreBiography
Publication placeIndia

V.P. Menon: The Unsung Architect of Modern India is a non-fiction book by Indian historian Narayani Basu, published by Simon & Schuster India in 2020.[1] The book is a biography of V. P. Menon, an Indian civil servant who assisted Sardar Patel in the political integration of India, and was one of the founders of Swatantra Party which advocated free market policies.[2][3]

Publication

V.P. Menon: The Unsung Architect of Modern India is written by historian and analyst Narayani Basu, great-granddaughter of V. P. Menon, and it is published by Simon & Schuster India.[1]

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, external affairs minister of India, had released the book on 12 February 2020.[4][5] Book has 432 pages.[6]

Summary

Vappala Pangunni Menon was the Indian civil servant who is popularly known as right hand of Sardar Patel in political integration of princely states to India.[7] Menon came from the humble family which had roots in the Kerala. He left the school and home before the matriculation and started working as coolie in the Kolar gold mines.[7]

Later, he sold towels in the Mumbai and then he got temporary government job as typewriter.[7] Then he became the important civil servant during the British Raj and later played major part in political integration of India.[7]

Reception

Nehru-Patel equation

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, external affairs minister of India, had released the book on 12 February 2020.[4][5] On Twitter, in series of tweets, he said that "he learnt from the book that Nehru didn't want Patel in the cabinet".[8][9] Later, historian Ramachandra Guha tweeted that "this is myth which has been comprehensively demolished by Professor Srinath Raghavan".[10] He added that foreign minister should not promote the "fake news" and leave this on BJP IT cell.[11] Jaishankar responded to Guha that "some foreign ministers do read the books" and further added that "maybe a good habit for professors too".[11]

Congress leader and parliamentarian Jairam Ramesh posted a series of documents and letters; and called claim of Jaishankar as "fake news".[12] Shashi Tharoor, Congress parliamentarian, shared article written by Srinath Raghavan which states that Nehru never excluded Patel from the list.[10] K. Natwar Singh, former diplomat and politician, wrote a piece over The Sunday Guardian in which he wrote that "it's known that Nehru didn't include Patel's name".[13] He stated that he read this first time in book The Great Divide written by H. V. Hudson.[13]

Book reviews

In the review for The Sunday Guardian, Arun Bhatnagar, former IAS, called the work as well researched; added that Basu's work is based on wide-ranging study and archival material.[14] Therefore, the work, according to Bhatnagar, succeeds in projecting an objective assessment of Menon's personality and achievement.[14] "For an upcoming generation", wrote Bhatnagar,"Narayani Basu’s important book can be especially relevant".[14] Sumit Ganguly, writing for India Today, called the book as "result of painstaking research in multiple archives, the culling of evidence drawn from memoirs and the deft use of oral histories".[15]

Rishi Raj, over review in The Financial Express, wrote that book filled the vacuum.[7] He added that Basu had done the challenging work by writing biography of person whose life is generally buried in the files and drafts.[7] "The last chapters of the book", wrote Raj,"bring much to light about the Nehru-Patel equation, which show the first prime minister in poor light."[7] Raj also wrote that author "needs to be applauded for writing a non-ideological account that doesn't have heroes and villains but human beings with their strengths and faults".[7]

According to Soni Mishra, who reviewed work for The Week, "seamlessness with which Basu has combined her quest for the unknown facets of her great-grandfather's life with a larger perspective on the Independence movement and fresh insights on the period" makes the book special.[16] Sarah Farooqi, writing review in Business Standard, called the scope of the book is "vast".[17]

Firstpost listed the book in the list of books of week on 9 February 2020.[18] Hindustan Times also listed the book in "most interesting books of week".[19]

References

  1. ^ a b "'Nehru didn't want Patel in cabinet': New book could stir debate on old issue". The Week. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  2. ^ "Biography to explore personal, unheard episodes of V.P. Menon's life". The Hindu. PTI. 2020-01-20. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2020-02-09.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. ^ Gupta, Shekhar (2020-02-08). "Why Modi is using Nehru to try and demolish the Gandhi dynasty and Congress". ThePrint. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  4. ^ a b February 13, Aasheesh Sharma; February 13, 2020UPDATED; Ist, 2020 11:51. "Book bares new facts about Patel-Nehru ties". India Today. Retrieved 2020-03-11. {{cite web}}: |first3= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ a b "S Jaishankar in Twitter storm over book". The Economic Times. 2020-02-14. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  6. ^ Basu, Narayani (2020-02-04). VP Menon: The Unsung Architect of Modern India. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-93-86797-69-8.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h "VP Menon | An account of Sardar Patel's aide and his role in uniting states". The Financial Express. 2020-03-08. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  8. ^ Bureau, ABP News (2020-02-13). "Nehru Didn't Want Patel In Cabinet': S Jaishankar Cites VP Menon's Biography". news.abplive.com. Retrieved 2020-03-13. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  9. ^ ""...Nehru Didn't Want Patel In Cabinet": S Jaishankar Cites VP Menon's Biography". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  10. ^ a b "S Jaishankar cites VP Menon's biography to claim Nehru didn't want Patel in Cabinet; Jairam Ramesh, Shashi Tharoor rebut charge". Firstpost. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  11. ^ a b "'Professors should read books too': Here's what prompted S Jaishankar's savage response to historian Ramachandra Guha on Twitter". The Financial Express. 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  12. ^ DelhiFebruary 14, Prabhash K. Dutta New; February 14, 2020UPDATED; Ist, 2020 16:03. "Jaishankar comes between Nehru and Patel as Ramachandra Guha fumes". India Today. Retrieved 2020-03-13. {{cite web}}: |first3= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ a b "It's known Nehru didn't include Patel's name". The Sunday Guardian Live. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  14. ^ a b c "Book on Menon is well researched". The Sunday Guardian Live. 2020-02-22. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  15. ^ February 21, Sumit Ganguly New Delhi; March 2, 2020 ISSUE DATE; February 21, 2020UPDATED; Ist, 2020 15:55. "The PHENOMENAL Mr Menon". India Today. Retrieved 2020-03-11. {{cite web}}: |first4= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ "Drafting a nation". The Week. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  17. ^ Farooqui, Sarah (2020-02-06). "A draughtsman of independent India". Business Standard India. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  18. ^ "Books of the week: From An Officer and His Holiness, to India and the Olympic Games — our picks". Firstpost. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  19. ^ "HT Picks: The most interesting books of the week". Hindustan Times. 2020-02-07. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
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