Writings by journalists tend to deal with specific themes, or are sometimes biographies of prominent figures drawn usually from the political spectrum. This book is different in that it seeks to acquaint readers with individuals from diverse fields who have left a mark over two generations. Thus, we get glimpses here of the lives of top-flight politicians, and a very wide range of people to which the society would be beholden if it knew enough about them. The profiles gathered in this volume first appeared as a popular weekly column in the Tribune of Chandigarh. In the course of a busy working life, the author, a former bureau chief of the Press Trust of India in New Delhi, had the opportunity to know a number of people he writes about, but it is clear that he also made it his business to find out about those he did not know at first hand. The output is a good read for weekend afternoons. Many of those written about here are powerful or interesting people. There are also those whose lives have been inspirational. Sometimes little known facets of people with a large public persona help the reader to form a real-life picture of them. This book does succeed in some measure in that effort. The profiles are short, and written in a simple format. They are not judgmental. Those featured here include Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, George Fernandes, Mamata Banerjee, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Harkishen Singh Surjeet, Bhimsen Joshi, Bismillah Khan, Lata Mangeshkar and Kapil Dev. Chance factors can produce unforeseen results. Swarup’s book tells us, for instance, that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would have remained an economist had he not made up his mind within 12 hours flat to become (former Prime Minister) P.V. Narasimha Rao’s finance minister. That is exactly how much time Rao allowed him to accept or decline his offer. The book also offers Subramanian Swamy’s account of how the Janata party leader made good his escape during the Emergency when he just disappeared after signing the Rajya Sabha attendance register even as the entire machinery of the government was on the lookout for him. The book contains 90 profiles, and the present generation of readers have something to gain from them. The writing would have acquired greater value if all the profiles were interview-based. It is a pity that the production is not of any standard.
