The Undying Light: A Personal History of Independent India
By Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Aleph Books, 624 pages, Rs 999

Veteran Irish journalist Fintan O’Toole’s ‘We Don’t Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland’ was mentioned on several of the best-of-the-year lists in 2021. History, memoir, reporting and political commentary were woven together to craft a unique portrait of a nation. A similar approach to writing about India would certainly make for a fascinating book. And if there was one ideal candidate to write that book, it had to be Gopalkrishna Gandhi.

Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and C. Rajagopalachari, has been an IAS officer, India’s high commissioner to Sri Lanka and South Africa, and governor of West Bengal. He has also been an essayist, scholar, playwright, translator and commentator. Born in 1945, he has been a prime witness to the journey of India since Independence.

So, we are fortunate that he has finally written that book, charting a personal history of Independent India. It was released in the capital Wednesday evening by eminent actor Sharmila Tagore, who spoke passionately about 'The Undying Light', reflecting on the book and its profound impact on India’s rich history and values. With eloquence and conviction, Gandhi then shared his journey behind writing the book—a reflection on India’s history, resilience, and the timeless values that continue to guide us. In her address, the publisher of Aleph Book Company, Aienla Ozukum, described the book as an extraordinary feat of bringing independent India’s history to life vividly and honestly.

This  was followed by a panel discussion with socio-political activist Aruna Roy, founder of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan and Magsaysay Award winner, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former deputy chairman, Planning Commission of India, and Rudrangshu Mukherjee, chancellor, professor of history, Ashoka University. Somak Raychaudhary, vice chancellor, Ashoka University, addressed the audience, sharing his thoughts on  the book bringing a deeper understanding of its place in the context of India's evolving narrative.

In the discussion, Mukherjee noted that this personal history makes some revelations that have not been on record: for example, Rajaji could have been the first president of India, but for a case made for Dr Rajendra Prasad; or a certain proposal by chief election commissioner T. N. Seshan after Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. While Gandhi names Rajaji and Jayaprakash Narayan as his heroes, Mukherjee disagreed with the second choice. “I cannot agree with the assessment.”

Roy spoke about her long friendship with the author in which one was apparently on one side of the power whereas the other was fighting on behalf of the powerless. She spoke of the “very strong human qualities he has possessed”. In his writings, “what speaks to me is the tone of humility and grace”. Moreover, “Gopal always stood for truth and took what came [as a result].”

Recommending the book, Roy said it “brings lived history to people” when fake narratives about the past are threatening the core of the nation. “It is extremely important and critical for young readers,” she said, and suggested that if the youth does not care much for reading, the author should consider starting a podcast series and read portions of this book in it.

Ahluwalia began by saying that “it is absolutely a fun book to read”. Alluding to a well-known adage, he said Gandhi is both a fox and a hedgehog; delighting the reader in small details and anecdotes while also delivering “a big message at the end”. According to him, “one big thing that comes out [in this book] is decency”. In particular, he pointed to the portions relating to Rajaji in the book, and said he remains “hugely underappreciated, in terms of economic thinking”.

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As for the book, it is deeply engaging and insightful, a magisterial account of seminal events in the country from Independence to the present day.

It begins with the author’s memories, at the age of three, of the assassination of his paternal grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi. From this poignant opening note, the book expands into numerous encounters with personalities both Indian and foreign, ‘eminent’ as well as little known, and original insights into key events and turning points of modern Indian history, many of which he was an eyewitness to as secretary to presidents R. Venkataraman and K. R. Narayanan, and as governor of West Bengal and Bihar.

The book is divided into eight sections. The first section deals with the hopes and dreams of a newly independent nation, and the tragic events of Partition following the birth of the nation. Section Two recounts notable events that ushered in democracy such as the adoption of the Indian Constitution in 1950, the first general election (1951–52), and the formation of the Swatantra Party by Rajaji.

In Section Three, we witness, among other things, the 1962 Sino–India War that convulsed a young democracy, the deaths of India’s first president, Rajendra Prasad, in 1963, its first prime minister, Nehru, in 1964, and second prime minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, in 1966. Section Four starts out on a promising note as the author, now a young bureaucrat, begins his life and career as an assistant collector in South Arcot district before he leaves for Sri Lanka to work as First Secretary in India’s diplomatic mission there, in 1978. He witnesses the rise and transformation of Indira Gandhi as prime minister, the protest spearheaded by JP, and details the grim events of the Emergency (1975–77) that took place soon after.

The next section deals with the horrific events that shook the country during the 1980s—the Nellie Massacre (1983); Operation Bluestar and its devastating consequences—the assassination of Indira Gandhi (1984) and the pogrom against the Sikh community that followed; and the Bhagalpur riots (1989); there were also a few occasions that were worthy of celebration such as Rakesh Sharma becoming the first Indian cosmonaut to orbit the Earth in a spacecraft as part of the Russia–India joint space mission in 1984. Section Six begins with the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir in the early 1990s; the anti-Mandal protests by students all around the country, the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE (1991); the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the riots that ensued (1992); the outbreak of the bubonic plague in Surat (1994); Operation Shakti (1998); and ends with the beastly killings of Graham Stuart Staines and his two sons in 1999.

In the penultimate section, the author, as secretary to president Narayanan, gives us a ringside view of dramatic events that took place at the start of a new millennium—the hijacking of IC 814 by the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (2000); the visit of US president Bill Clinton to India (2000); the highly successful state visit of President Narayanan to China (2000); the devastating earthquake that shook Bhuj, Gujarat, in 2001, followed by the communal riots in Gujarat (2002); and the Nandigram violence (2007); in this section he also touches upon significant events that took place during his tenure as governor of West Bengal and his stint as governor of Bihar. In the final section, we step into the Modi era where the author meditates on the changes and upheavals India is going through in the twenty-first century following the elections of 2014 and 2019 and the challenges to democratic republicanism, federalism, and secularism by the majoritarian politics of the day.

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O’Toole apparently said his life was not so interesting, so he preferred to write the nation’s autobiography. In the case of Gandhi, however, an autobiography will remain widely expected.