India: the crucial years

A veteran Intelligence official's account of the Emergency and other important events in independent India's history

India: The Crucial Years is an incisive look at a key period in independent India's history, informed by the six decades T.V. Rajeswar spent in the thick of affairs of national importance.

In the course of his long career in the Intelligence Bureau, Rajeswar looked after the border check posts in Sikkim and was a fly on the wall in the entourages of presidents and prime ministers. As one of Indira Gandhi's trusted aides, he played an important role during the Emergency, providing her regular feedback. He was shunted out by the Janata regime but bounced back as the spy agency's chief two years later.

During his stint, he was deeply involved in revamping the IB, was part of crucial controversies like the Samba Spy Case, and strove to clamp down on intelligence elements compromising national interest. When Bhindranwale was at the peak of his power in Punjab, Rajeswar tried to broker a settlement with a top Akali Dal functionary, but Mrs Gandhi turned down the proposal and waded deeper into the quagmire. Towards the end of his career, Rajeswar was successively appointed governor of four states.

India: The Crucial Years is an examination of the nation's most decisive moments, with a focus on the 1970s and early '80s. Rajeswar rings a cautionary note on several international and domestic matters -- be it India's conflict with China, the question of the real mole in Mrs Gandhi's government, or the issue of political authoritarianism. Forthright, often prophetic and packed with revelations, this is a compelling chronicle of India.