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V. P. Menon: The Unsung Architect of Modern India: Difference between revisions
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{{ | {{Short description|2020 biography by Narayani Basu}} | ||
{{Infobox book | |||
| name = V. P. Menon: The Unsung Architect Of Modern India | | name = V. P. Menon: The Unsung Architect Of Modern India | ||
| image = VP Menon Book.jpg | | image = VP Menon Book.jpg | ||
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''V.P. Menon: The Unsung Architect of Modern India'' is written by historian and analyst Narayani Basu, great-granddaughter of V. P. Menon, and it is published by [[Simon and Schuster|Simon & Schuster India]].<ref name=":0" /> | ''V.P. Menon: The Unsung Architect of Modern India'' is written by historian and analyst Narayani Basu, great-granddaughter of V. P. Menon, and it is published by [[Simon and Schuster|Simon & Schuster India]].<ref name=":0" /> | ||
[[Subrahmanyam Jaishankar]], external affairs minister of India, had released the book on 12 February 2020.<ref name=":3">{{Cite | [[Subrahmanyam Jaishankar]], external affairs minister of India, had released the book on 12 February 2020.<ref name=":3">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/book-bares-new-facts-about-patel-nehru-ties-1646009-2020-02-13|title=Book bares new facts about Patel-Nehru ties|author=Aasheesh Sharma |date=February 13, 2020 |magazine=India Today|language=en|access-date=2020-03-11}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/s-jaishankar-in-twitter-storm-over-book/articleshow/74127465.cms|title=S Jaishankar in Twitter storm over book|date=2020-02-14|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2020-03-11}}</ref> Book has 432 pages.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Basu|first=Narayani|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qc6_DwAAQBAJ&q=vp+menon+narayani+basu|title=VP Menon: The Unsung Architect of Modern India|date=2020-02-04|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-93-86797-69-8|language=en}}</ref> | ||
== Summary == | == Summary == | ||
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[[Subrahmanyam Jaishankar]], external affairs minister of India, had released the book on 12 February 2020.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> On Twitter, in series of tweets, he said that "he learnt from the book that Nehru didn't want Patel in the cabinet".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.abplive.com/news/india/external-affairs-minister-s-jaishankar-vp-menons-biography-jawahar-lala-nehru-sardar-patel-1158841|title=Nehru Didn't Want Patel In Cabinet': S Jaishankar Cites VP Menon's Biography|last=Bureau|first=ABP News|date=2020-02-13|website=news.abplive.com|language=en|access-date=2020-03-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/jaharlal-nehru-didnt-want-sardar-patel-in-cabinet-s-jaishankar-cites-vp-menons-biography-2179351|title="...Nehru Didn't Want Patel In Cabinet": S Jaishankar Cites VP Menon's Biography|website=NDTV.com|access-date=2020-03-13}}</ref> Later, historian [[Ramachandra Guha]] tweeted that "this is myth which has been comprehensively demolished by Professor Srinath Raghavan".<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/s-jaishankar-cites-vp-menons-biography-to-claim-nehru-didnt-want-patel-in-cabinet-jairam-ramesh-shashi-tharoor-rebut-charge-8038591.html|title=S Jaishankar cites VP Menon's biography to claim Nehru didn't want Patel in Cabinet; Jairam Ramesh, Shashi Tharoor rebut charge|website=Firstpost|date=13 February 2020|access-date=2020-03-13}}</ref> He added that foreign minister should not promote the "fake news" and leave this on BJP IT cell.<ref name="financialexpress.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/professors-should-read-books-too-heres-what-prompted-s-jaishankars-savage-response-to-historian-ramachandra-guha-on-twitter/1866908/|title='Professors should read books too': Here's what prompted S Jaishankar's savage response to historian Ramachandra Guha on Twitter|date=2020-02-13|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-13}}</ref> Jaishankar responded to Guha that "some foreign ministers do read the books" and further added that "maybe a good habit for professors too".<ref name="financialexpress.com"/> | [[Subrahmanyam Jaishankar]], external affairs minister of India, had released the book on 12 February 2020.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> On Twitter, in series of tweets, he said that "he learnt from the book that Nehru didn't want Patel in the cabinet".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.abplive.com/news/india/external-affairs-minister-s-jaishankar-vp-menons-biography-jawahar-lala-nehru-sardar-patel-1158841|title=Nehru Didn't Want Patel In Cabinet': S Jaishankar Cites VP Menon's Biography|last=Bureau|first=ABP News|date=2020-02-13|website=news.abplive.com|language=en|access-date=2020-03-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/jaharlal-nehru-didnt-want-sardar-patel-in-cabinet-s-jaishankar-cites-vp-menons-biography-2179351|title="...Nehru Didn't Want Patel In Cabinet": S Jaishankar Cites VP Menon's Biography|website=NDTV.com|access-date=2020-03-13}}</ref> Later, historian [[Ramachandra Guha]] tweeted that "this is myth which has been comprehensively demolished by Professor Srinath Raghavan".<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/s-jaishankar-cites-vp-menons-biography-to-claim-nehru-didnt-want-patel-in-cabinet-jairam-ramesh-shashi-tharoor-rebut-charge-8038591.html|title=S Jaishankar cites VP Menon's biography to claim Nehru didn't want Patel in Cabinet; Jairam Ramesh, Shashi Tharoor rebut charge|website=Firstpost|date=13 February 2020|access-date=2020-03-13}}</ref> He added that foreign minister should not promote the "fake news" and leave this on BJP IT cell.<ref name="financialexpress.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/professors-should-read-books-too-heres-what-prompted-s-jaishankars-savage-response-to-historian-ramachandra-guha-on-twitter/1866908/|title='Professors should read books too': Here's what prompted S Jaishankar's savage response to historian Ramachandra Guha on Twitter|date=2020-02-13|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-13}}</ref> Jaishankar responded to Guha that "some foreign ministers do read the books" and further added that "maybe a good habit for professors too".<ref name="financialexpress.com"/> | ||
Congress leader and parliamentarian [[Jairam Ramesh]] posted a series of documents and letters; and called claim of Jaishankar as "fake news".<ref>{{Cite | Congress leader and parliamentarian [[Jairam Ramesh]] posted a series of documents and letters; and called claim of Jaishankar as "fake news".<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/jaishankar-comes-between-nehru-and-patel-as-ramachandra-guha-fumes-1646465-2020-02-14|title=Jaishankar comes between Nehru and Patel as Ramachandra Guha fumes|author=Prabhash K. Dutta |date=February 14, 2020 |magazine=India Today|language=en|access-date=2020-03-13}}</ref> [[Shashi Tharoor]], Congress parliamentarian, shared article written by Srinath Raghavan which states that Nehru never excluded Patel from the list.<ref name=":5" /> [[K. Natwar Singh]], former diplomat and politician, wrote a piece over ''[[The Sunday Guardian]]'' in which he wrote that "it's known that Nehru didn't include Patel's name".<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/known-nehru-didnt-include-patels-name|title=It's known Nehru didn't include Patel's name|website=The Sunday Guardian Live|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-13}}</ref> He stated that he read this first time in book [[The Great Divide (H. V. Hodson book)|''The Great Divide'']] written by H. V. Hudson.<ref name=":6" /> | ||
=== Book reviews === | === Book reviews === | ||
In the review for ''[[The Sunday Guardian]]'', [[Arun Bhatnagar]], former [[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]], called the work as well researched; added that Basu's work is based on wide-ranging study and [[Archive|archival]] material.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/book-menon-well-researched|title=Book on Menon is well researched|date=2020-02-22|website=The Sunday Guardian Live|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-11}}</ref> Therefore, the work, according to Bhatnagar, succeeds in projecting an objective assessment of Menon's personality and achievement.<ref name=":2" /> "For an upcoming generation", wrote Bhatnagar,"Narayani Basu’s important book can be especially relevant".<ref name=":2" /> [[Sumit Ganguly]], writing for ''[[India Today]]'', called the book as "result of painstaking research in multiple archives, the culling of evidence drawn from memoirs and the deft use of oral histories".<ref>{{Cite | In the review for ''[[The Sunday Guardian]]'', [[Arun Bhatnagar]], former [[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]], called the work as well researched; added that Basu's work is based on wide-ranging study and [[Archive|archival]] material.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/book-menon-well-researched|title=Book on Menon is well researched|date=2020-02-22|website=The Sunday Guardian Live|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-11}}</ref> Therefore, the work, according to Bhatnagar, succeeds in projecting an objective assessment of Menon's personality and achievement.<ref name=":2" /> "For an upcoming generation", wrote Bhatnagar,"Narayani Basu’s important book can be especially relevant".<ref name=":2" /> [[Sumit Ganguly]], writing for ''[[India Today]]'', called the book as "result of painstaking research in multiple archives, the culling of evidence drawn from memoirs and the deft use of oral histories".<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/up-front/story/20200302-the-phenomenal-mr-menon-1648348-2020-02-21|title=The PHENOMENAL Mr Menon|author=Sumit Ganguly |date=February 21, 2020 |magazine=India Today|language=en|access-date=2020-03-11}}</ref> | ||
Rishi Raj, over review in [[The Financial Express (India)|''The Financial Express'']], wrote that book filled the vacuum.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/vp-menon-an-account-of-sardar-patels-aide-and-his-role-in-uniting-states/1892120/|title=VP Menon {{!}} An account of Sardar Patel's aide and his role in uniting states|date=2020-03-08|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-11}}</ref> He added that Basu had done the challenging work by writing biography of person whose life is generally buried in the files and drafts.<ref name=":1" /> "The last chapters of the book", wrote Raj,"bring much to light about the Nehru-Patel equation, which show the first prime minister in poor light."<ref name=":1" /> Raj also wrote that author "needs to be applauded for writing a non-ideological account that doesn't have heroes and villains but human beings with their strengths and faults".<ref name=":1" /> | Rishi Raj, over review in [[The Financial Express (India)|''The Financial Express'']], wrote that book filled the vacuum.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/vp-menon-an-account-of-sardar-patels-aide-and-his-role-in-uniting-states/1892120/|title=VP Menon {{!}} An account of Sardar Patel's aide and his role in uniting states|date=2020-03-08|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-11}}</ref> He added that Basu had done the challenging work by writing biography of person whose life is generally buried in the files and drafts.<ref name=":1" /> "The last chapters of the book", wrote Raj,"bring much to light about the Nehru-Patel equation, which show the first prime minister in poor light."<ref name=":1" /> Raj also wrote that author "needs to be applauded for writing a non-ideological account that doesn't have heroes and villains but human beings with their strengths and faults".<ref name=":1" /> | ||