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The book deals with the social, economic and political developments in India and the world, to which the author was a witness in the last six decades of the 20th century—a century of tremendous changes in the world that produced leaders of sterling character who left their imprint on history. In describing his growth as a student, bureaucrat and author, Premchand has done well by giving us both pen portraits and his own impressions of these men. About Gandhiji, he has to say: "Gandhi’s main contribution, political strategy apart, was in awakening the hitherto dormant souls in the rural areas and in making them discover themselves, their sense of dignity and yearning." At the beginning of his career as a civil servant, the author was attached to the Finance Division of the Department of Expenditure dealing with the Ministry of External Affairs in South Block, presided over by the Prime Minister himself. Note how heart-warming is his description of Jawaharlal Nehru’s unostentatious routine as compared with the disgustingly lavish lifestyle of modern-day politicians: "He used to come in a small car, travelling always alone, except for the driver and there was no pilot car preceding it with a siren. He would get out of the car without any assistance and climb up, very fast rather, to his corner office on the first floor. He was at his desk most of the day and there were few political followers hanging around in the corridors of power." After obtaining a degree in economics from Andhra Pradesh University and, later, a diploma in economic administration from the Delhi School of Economics, Premchand got into finance and budgeting, which became his life-long pursuits. His first book, Control of Public Expenditure in India, was published in 1963 and was an instant success. His career as a financial expert had been launched with the publication of the book. Lady Luck also smiled on him when he received an appointment in the IMF in 1969, which he accepted, and as a consequence of which, he moved to Washington DC. While continuing with his studies in financial management and budgeting, Premchand appears to have remained a perceptive observer of the political developments in India and the world at large. How Indira Gandhi’s inflated ego and dictatorial ways demolished the glorious citadel of democracy built by her father has been described graphically: "There was the emergence of politics of betrayal and committed civil services. The Prime Minister went back on the presidential candidate of her own party, split the party … and set up an alternative candidate for the post of the President. In the event her won… it was a time, a significant watershed in Indian history, when the civil servants had to sell not merely their talents, but also their souls." While working for the Ford Foundation with his boss, Doug, on a project called Attack on Poverty, he had a chance meeting with Jayaprakash Narayan, which enabled him, as he says, to have a better understanding of the mystery of political leadership. "JP was his usual self: composed, calm, articulate, humble and yet very clear about his vision for Indian society. There were few leaders then who could have explained the problems the way he did. It was clear, however, that he was more of a visionary and was reluctant to be drawn into personal politics or about issues such as who should get what." The book is an interesting amalgam of the author’s personal life, intricacies of finance management, budgeting, politics and leadership qualities that he valued, and is therefore worth reading. |
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