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Never a Dull Moment, with
Men of Honour and Dishonour
The author recollects his meeting with B. K. Nehru, India’s Ambassador to the US in 1963. Pradhan had accompanied Defence Minister Y. B. Chavan. It was their first visit to that country. When B. K. Nehru told Pradhan not to be stingy while tipping bellboys and waiters in the US, the latter told him that as he had been put as a guest of B. K. Nehru, he was getting only 25 per cent of his daily allowance and thus was in no position to tip on behalf of the Defence Minister of India. Nehru promptly got the payment of Pradhan delivered. Death—Stalking a General is a very poignant chapter. It deals with the last days of the former Chief of Army Staff, General Arun Vaidya (retd) who led Operation Bluestar. Pradhan traces the life of the man who rose to the highest rank of the Indian Army but was assassinated by two fanatics who did not forgive those who were involved in Operation Bluestar. The office of the Governor has been controversial in the Indian political scenario. At times, the Governor is accused of acting as an agent of the Centre. Pradhan writes about a Governor, Idris Latif, who refused to bow down to pressure from a powerful aide of the Prime Minister. He writes about Governor of Maharashtra, Sri Prakasa, in a chapter, A Grumbling Governor. He deals with the strains in the relationship between Sri Prakasa and the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Y.B. Chavan. The story reflects the tension between the two offices even today in many states. Another story from which we can learn a lesson is Sandwiched—Between the PM and President. Pradhan, as Union Home Secretary, had to ask for resignations from the Governors concerned, sometimes without knowing the reason. He had to do it on five occasions but he highlights the case of a Lieutenant Governor of Delhi who was removed within hours. The removal led to a clash between the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the then President Giani Zail Singh. The author was rebuked by the President for "wasting the tax-payers’ money to get the Lieutenant Governor to vacate office, for reasons the President had not even been told." The resignation of the Governor and his successor had kept one Joint Secretary shuttling from Delhi to wherever the President was for over 18 hours. Even these days, Governors are asked to resign on the whims and fancies of the Centre. Such revelations help understand the successive events in a proper light. The author writes about a naval commander who shot dead his wife’s lover. His trial led to the Supreme Court passing a historic judgment that defined the constitutional powers of the Governor to grant pardon. "Virtue of hastening slowly," tells a faux pas of the government led by Morarji Desai who announced the demise of Jayaprakash Narayan, though the latter had not passed but was in a critical condition. The mistake led to heads rolling. Such stories make for interesting reading. The book is an effort to prove that such memorable moments define ones career. Decision-making, controversies and thoughtfulness are what defined the author’s career. However, sometimes the reader comes across the feeling of appeasement and confessions of the author. One feels that there is self-justification in the work, though the author denies it at the outset. On the whole, it is a good book to know what happens behind the curtains.
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THE Indian Administrative
Service (IAS) is one of the most lucrative careers. Being a part of this
elite service not only means envious perks and status, but also rubbing
shoulders with the high and powerful. The author R. D. Pradhan joined
the civil services in 1952, and had an interesting career. He worked in
various capacities at the state, national as well at the international
level. It is while working in these varied positions that he encountered
people who left "lasting impression" on him. This book is a
collection of such incidents.