Book name: NANDINI SATPATHY

Author: Pallavi Rebbapragda

Publisher: Simon & Schuster India

Price: INR 899/

Nandini Satpathy, former union minister and chief minister of Orissa was one who lived during the days of titans of Indian politics. Though not a leader in the true sense of the word, she too had her successes and failures. Nandini’s life sketch is introduced to the readers 18 years after her demise but she had disappeared from public life much earlier. Author Pallavi Rebbapragada deserves kudos for bringing Nandini back amongst us.

The art of writing a book, whether it is novel, essays, short stories, poetry or history is a job of creativity. It is the writer’s hands-on experiences or tough realities he/she faced in life that come out as literary works. Lessons one learnt from the course of life, certain incidents which leave unforgettable experiences in the  mind and conversations with individuals who leave an impact in the heart are the epicenters of these literary works. One who sets out to write the life-sketch of eminent persons should have first hand interaction with the subject. Those experiences alone would help the writer to come out with something new that would remain etched in the minds of readers for decades to come.

Dr Samuel Johnson is rated as the most distinguished man of letters in English history. Johnson (1709-1784) was a literary critic par excellence and he was the trendsetter in this field. His style and thought process has resulted in the Samuel Johnson’s school of criticism and continues to be the benchmark of this field of literature.

But what is equally important is the biography of Johnson authored by James Boswell, a lawyer and writer. Scotland-born James Boswell wrote “Life of Samuel Johnson” which was published in 1791 based on the series of interviews and dialogues he had with Johnson.  This biography stands out as the “most famous single work of biographical art in the world of literature” even after 223 years after it hit book stalls across Europe and US.

It cannot be stated that Boswell was a genius as not much has been heard or discussed about his other literary pursuits. Literature students were told by the English lecturers  to compulsorily read “Life of Samuel Johnson”, a complete guide on how to write biographies. What Boswell did was to write the biography in a style which could be comprehended by even ordinary people. Thus was born a great literary work.

In India, there is no shortage of biographies and life-sketches on freedom fighters, social leaders and politicians. But most of the works are hagiographies and blare out qualities of the subjects even the latter themselves would be shocked to hear. Books on the Father of the Nation, first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter and late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi are proof of this kind of works. Dhananjay Keer (1913-1983) is unique among the Indian biographers and he chose his subjects meticulously. His works on Veer Savarkar and Dr Ambedkar are path breaking books as he had personal contacts with these great sons of India. Those who lambast Savarkar for reasons known to them only should take time and read Keer’s books.

The biography of the great freedom fighter Dadabhai Naoroji , Pioneer of Indian Nationalism, authored by Dinyar Patel is an outstanding work as the author has been successful in maintaining a strict balance in describing Naoroji. Naoroji, was the real Father of the Nation. But he was sidelined with the honorific Grand Old Man of India! It was gross injustice.

Similarly, the biography of JRD Tata “Beyond The Last Blue Mountain” by R M Lala is a splendid work. Lala could not have retired from the scene without presenting the unknown JRD to the world. There is no sycophancy or prolix throughout this book and this made it interesting. The book remains memorable as it was written by Lala, a close associate of the Grand Old Man of Indian Corporates.

Of late our politicians and businessmen have made it a point to publish their biographies by hiring writers. Needless to say that these works would not be read even by the persons who review the same. There are people whose biographies and life-sketches should be written.  This is because they serve as a beacon of light for the readers.

A biography of Nandini Satpathy, the former chief minister of Orissa has been published by Simon and Schuster and authored by Pallavi Rebbapragada, a journalist and public policy consultant based in New Delhi. It is a good mission as nothing much has been heard about Nandini Satpathy since 1980 as she withdrew from active politics and faded out since her rejoining the Congress.

Nandini had an uneventful career at the Center as deputy minister for information and broadcasting. Those were the days when Akashwani was described as Indirawani because the babus in Mandi House preferred to pay obeisance to the Prime Minister than their profession as broadcasters.

Nandini returned to Orissa in 1972 and was crowned as chief minister at the instance of Indira Gandhi. Her tenure saw hundreds getting imprisoned for questioning the declaration of internal emergency. By December 1976, towards the fag end of emergency, Nandini quit the Congress along with Jagjivan Ram, Chandra Sekhr, Mohan Dharia and Hemavati Nandan Bahuguna to form Congress For Democracy. The slogan coined by the opponents of Indira Gandhi at that period read like this: “Jagjivan Poyi, Jivan Poyi, Bahuguna Poyi, Gunavum Poyi, Nandini Poyi, Nanavum Poyi”  which was the Malayalam for “With Jagjivan’s exit, the party lost its life, With Bahuguna’s exit, the party lost quality and with Nandini gone, the party lost the last vestige of whatever reputation” . To be candid, Nandini Satpathy’s name hogged the national limelight when she left the Congress party.

Had she been effective as chief minister of Orissa, the State should have made giant strides in development and progress. But Orissa remains one of the least developed regions in India. A thorough probe should be held on how the politicians managed to make Orissa remain as a poverty stricken State despite its vast natural resources and sufficient assistance from the Center.

The author has used theatrics in the narration to sell Satpathy to the readers. Her claim that Nandini Satpathy was the Iron Lady of Orissa is far-fetched. The designation Iron Lady was used by international experts to describe Gold Meir, the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel (1969-1974). Perhaps, the over dependence on TV anchorpersons might have put the author in a minefield of wrong information.

Biju Patnaik would have been an ideal topic for her to write about since not much has been written about the titan from Eastern India.