The Man Who Remade India A Biography of P.V. Narasimha Rao

When P.V. Narasimha Rao became the unlikely prime minister of India in 1991, he inherited an economic crisis, violent insurgencies, and a nation adrift. Rao was unloved by his people, mistrusted by his party, and ruled under the shadow of Sonia Gandhi, Congress' first choice for Prime Minister after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. Despite these obstacles, Rao transformed the economy and ushered India into the global arena. Few world leaders have achieved so much with so little power. Nevertheless, Rao is relatively unknown in the United States. This book promises to change that myopic view, illuminating the life of a remarkable leader who reinvented India at home and abroad.

With exclusive access to Rao's never-before-seen personal papers and diaries, Vinay Sitapati's The Man Who Remade India is the definitive biography of Rao. The book provides new revelations on the Indian economy, nuclear program, foreign policy, and the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Tracing Rao's early life from a small town in Telangana through his years in power, and finally, his humiliation in retirement, Sitapati never loses sight of Rao's interior life: his difficult childhood, his corruption and love affairs, and his lingering loneliness. Meticulously researched and brutally honest, this landmark political biography is essential reading for anyone interested in knowing about the man responsible for transforming India.

Vinay Sitapati is a political scientist, journalist and lawyer. He teaches at Ashoka University and writes for the Indian Express. He recently completed a Ph.D. in politics at Princeton University.

1. Half Burnt Body
2. Andhra Socialist, 1921-71
3. Puppet Chief Minister, 1971-73
4. Exile, 1973-74
5. Delhi Durbar, 1975-91
6. Monk to Monarch
7. Rescuing the Economy, 1991-92
8. Growing the Economy, 1992-1996
9. A Welfare State?
10. Surviving Party and Parliament
11. Managing Sonia
12. The Fall of Babri Masjid
13. Look East, Look West
14. Going Nuclear
15. Lion, Fox, Mouse
Chapter Notes
Index