Nehrus Himalayan Blunders

What did Mountbatten actually think of Nehru and Patel? Why did Nehru do such a poor job of defending India's interests in J & K? How was Nehru compromised? Nehru's Himalayan Blunders: The Accession of Jammu and Kashmir documents the major errors of Nehru, diplomatic and military, which led to India losing a portion of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan's military occupation and to continued conflict between the two states. Justice S N Aggarwal's painstaking research uncovers gems from archival documents including Lord Mountbatten's personal diaries and documents the series of events around Jammu and Kashmir's accession, including the conflict between Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel. An enduring view into what actually happened, and Nehru's culpability, will leave you stunned.

The Indian military setback against the Chinese attack in 1962 was high time for an honest soul-searching. Quite a few books written by Army officers have tried to tell their version of the untold story. Brig. Dalvi's account of the Sino-Indian War is by far the most remarkable and authentic. He was present in the theatre of war throughout, commanded a brigade and was held captive by the Chinese for seven months. In discussing the day-to-day events from 8 September to 20 October 1962 the author graphically tells the truth which only an actual participant could experience and know. The background of the war is drawn from his first-hand information as a high-ranking commander.

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.--George SantayanaBut for a series of major blunders by Nehru across the spectrum--it would not be an exaggeration to say that he blundered comprehensively--India would have been on a rapidly ascending path to becoming a shining, prosperous, first-world country by the end of his term, and would surely have become so by early 1980s--provided, of course, Nehru's dynasty had not followed him to power. Sadly, the Nehru era laid the foundations of India's poverty and misery, condemning it to be forever a developing, third-rate, third-world country. By chronicling those blunders, this book highlights THE FACTS BEHIND THE FACADE.This 'Revised, Enlarged & Unabridged, June-2018 Edition' of the book comprises (a)123 Major Blunders compared to 97 of the first Digital Edition of July 2016; (b)over twice the matter, and number of words; and (c)exhaustive citations and complete bibliography. Blunders is used in this book as a general term to also include failures, neglect, wrong policies, bad decisions, despicable and disgraceful acts, usurping undeserved posts, etc.It is not the intention of this book to be critical of Nehru, but historical facts, that have often been distorted or glossed over or suppressed must be known widely, lest the mistakes be repeated, and so that India has a brighter future.

This book summarises (and is therefore compact) the select 97 major blunders of Nehru. While all major blunders are not covered, none of the minor blunders are included. Blunders is used in this book as a general term to also include failures, neglect, wrong policies, usurping undeserved posts, etc.There are a sea of books eulogising Nehru, and reader can refer to them. The focus of this book is on Nehru's blunders, and not on his positives. It is not the intention of this book to be critical of Nehru, but historical facts, that have often been distorted or glossed over or suppressed must be known widely, lest the mistakes be repeated.This book is different from my earlier voluminous book "Foundations of Misery: Blunders of the Nehruvian Era" (available on Amazon both in the digital and in paperback edition) which does not cover as many blunders as this book does, nor lists them systematically and exhaustively; but which deals in detail with the background, history and particulars of the Integration of the Indian States; Kashmir: BCE to 1950s; Tibet: Erasing a Nation; Himalayan Misadventure (India-China War); The Sinhala & the Tamils (On Sri-Lankan Tamil Problem); India's Self-Inflicted Poverty; Socialism, Babudom & Corruption; Being Foreign to Foreign Policy (Disastrous Policies on External Affairs); Ill-informed Internal Policies; Mental & Cultural Slavery; Distortion of History & Cultural Heritage; Dynacracy (Dynastic Democracy), and so on.This book has a wider coverage compared to the above, but does not deal in the background, history and details like the above does. Many aspects which you would find in this book you would not find in the book above, and vice versa.

This is one of those rare books that puts an entirely new light on a chapter of history, and it must be read by anyone concerned with international affairs. Although cool and scholarly it unrolls like a fascinating thriller. It is an important work of revisionist history and a gruesome study of the way in which wars start, superbly documented (largely from official Indian sources but also from secret Indian papers) and beautifully sustained. By showing how India led the world up the garden path it demolishes and throws to the wind a pillar of the 'contain China' doctrine -- the belief that in 1962 India was the victim of unprovoked Chinese aggression. Maxwell's book is magnificent on every count, an historical achievement of the first rank.

This is the true story of Sikkim, a tiny Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas that survived the end of the British Empire only to be annexed by India in 1975.It tells the remarkable tale of Thondup Namgyal, the last King of Sikkim, and his American wife, Hope Cooke, thrust unwittingly into the spotlight as they sought support for Sikkim's independence after their 'fairytale' wedding in 1963. As tensions between India and China spilled over into war in the Himalayas, Sikkim became a pawn in the Cold War in Asia during the 1960s and 1970s. Rumours circulated that Hope was a CIA spy. Meanwhile, a shadowy Scottish adventuress, the Kazini of Chakung, married to Sikkim's leading political figure, coordinated opposition to the Palace. As the world's major powers jostled for regional supremacy during the early 1970s Sikkim and its ruling family never stood a chance. On the eve of declaring an Emergency across India, Indira Gandhi outwitted everyone to bring down the curtain on the 300 year-old Namgyal dynasty. Based on interviews and archive research, as well as a retracing of a journey the author's grandfather made in 1922, this is a thrilling, romantic and informative glimpse of a real-life Shangri-La.

A highly original study of newspaper cartoons throughout India's history and culture, and their significance for the world today.

When a nation begins to pine for a person from its past, wishing he remained at the helm for longer, it indicates that the path taken by that nation is not the correct one. With Sardar Patel, especially vis-a-vis Nehru, the Indian nation still mourns the fact that the former did not become the first Prime Minister of India. This book, written by Justice (retd.) S N Aggarwal, author of "Nehru's Himalayan Blunders", establishes the real reasons why we still pine for Patel's longer presence at the horizon of our national leadership. The book, quoting from authentic sources, also gives ample insight into the views and understanding of the affairs of the nation, which Sardar not only preached but also practiced. Usually, Sardar Patel, the "Iron Man" that he was, is lauded for his role in the unification of post-independent India. With Nehru botching up the only princely state he handled - namely, Jammu and Kashmir - Patel's contribution in unifying more than 500 princely states in the Indian union becomes all the more laudable. However, this book goes beyond. "Had Sardar Patel been the first Prime Minister, the country would have been fully armed to defend herself, there could have been no danger from outside. By following the principles of patriotism, moral values and high character and discipline, there would have been no internal problem," writes the author. And, like the case of Kashmir, in these matters too, Nehru's conduct makes one wish all the more strongly that Sardar should have been the first Prime Minister of India.

An Indian politician looks back at her journey and recounts how the going got tougher with her every success, perhaps because she was a woman. Life among the Scorpions recounts the deeply fascinating and often tumultuous events that mark thirty years of Jaya Jaitly's political journey. From arranging relief for victims of the 1984 Sikh riots, to joining politics under firebrand leader George Fernandes, to becoming the president of Samata Party-a key ally in the erstwhile NDA Government, Jaitly's rise in Indian mainstream politics invited both awe and envy. But the going has been far from smooth. Trouble began with George Fernandes sacking Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat in 1998. Jaitly became the target. She was soon hounded by Tehelka's stings-first concerning her son-in-law-to-be Ajay Jadeja and then herself in an alleged bribery case. Eventually, Fernandes had to resign as India's Defence Minister, despite being the best, and Jaitly quit as the Samata Party President. Meanwhile, she spiritedly fought booth capturing in Bihar as well as fellow party men's egos, intervened and ensured the installation of the Samata government in Manipur. All this, even as she continued her parallel fight for the livelihood of craftsmen on the one hand, and conceptualized and ensured establishment of the first Dilli Haat (crafts market place) in 1994 on the other. With all the backstories of major events in Indian politics between 1970-2000, including her experience of dealing with the Commission of Inquiry and courts regarding the Tehelka stings, the story of Jaya Jaitly makes for a riveting read. A powerful narrative on why being a woman in politics was for her akin to being surrounded by scorpions; this hard hitting memoir offers a perspective on the functioning of Indian politics from a woman's point of view.

Maulana Azad is considered one of the greatest Urdu writers of the 20th century. He has written many books including India Wins Freedom, Ghubar-e-Khatir, Tazkirah, Tarjumanul Quran, etc. It is often said that his book India wins Freedom is about his political life and Ghubar-e-Khatir deals with his social and spiritual life.