Yesterday evening I have finished reading the book Half--Lion, How P.V. Narasimha Rao Transformed India written by Vinay Sitapathi. Author Sitapati is a political scientist, lawyer and a journalist, who teaches at Ashoka university, while writing for Indian Express, he is doing is PhD in Politics from Princeton University.

This book by the author, though not a biography in real sense, but having covered major aspects of PVNR and his life, it is meticulously researched and honestly told political biography, is a must -read, for lovers of politics and PV, in particular. In Fact, the various foot notes , citations and reference material makes it a great read. A good attempt has been made by the author, to introduce the legacy, of PVNR, while setting the context of his Govt, and his political thinking. I wouldn't hesitate to say that it is an amazing book where the writer has done good work collecting personal papers from his family members. The book combines political philosophy, and provides sympathetic portrait of one of the most misunderstood and maligned leaders in contemporary Indian history.

True to his name , the author " half- lionises " PV, a strongly left-oriented socialist, land reformer in his Chief Ministerial days, and sent to political wilderness before Rajiv' s assassination, his life seems full of contradictions. As we all know, the Congress has denied him a funeral in Delhi and a place along his party Heroes. He was considered as usurper to the Nehru- Gandhi throne, virtually castigated him as a conspirator in the destruction of Babri- Masjid in 1992 and to this day party holds him responsible for the erosion of its base in Hindi heart land and the fact of the matter is that the grand old 131 year party has erased him from its history. But honestly speaking, for the first time, some thing has come out with facts and figures, about Babri, vis a vis his role, and that chapter dealing with this is really very interesting, where he has dispelled all the doubts while proving beyond doubt ,that he did his best in this regard. Sitapati was more forgiving PV's role in demolition of Babri, which many consider to be the darkest hour of his tenure. Recounting in great detail the turmoil leading upto Dec 1992 , his indecision over whether to dismiss the State Govt , to impose Central rule, his misreading of BJP and VHP ,and the author here concludes that history has Judged Narasimha Rao harshly.

As I said earlier, though it is not a biography , but it takes the reader through his life from the early years of VANGARA in Karimnagar Dist. of TS, through his time in power to his humiliation in retirement .

Infact, sometime back, a relative-cum-friend of mine one Mr SantoshBabu, immediately after reading the book observed that the author had left over some important issues, which seems to be correct,. I have been disappointed that very important man who was associated with him from 1960s from his MLA days of Manthani, to PM Late V Rajeshwar Rao, Member Rajya Sabha and late AVR KrishnaMurthy, who was his Private Secretary also did not figure anywhere in the book. But apart from these minor issues, it is a must read book.

Few days back high court quashed the GO 123 issued by Telangana government which would have helped government acquire lands from owners for public purpose. The court found that GO bypasses the the right to fair compensation and transparency in land acquisitions, rehabilitation and resettlement act of 2013.  I'm disappointed to note and find that in the last 2 years of TRS Govt, the High Court of Hyderabad had struck down the Govt's Orders several times. Some of them are:1 ) Recently the GO pertaining to the appointment of VCs was struck down saying that it is deviation from the established procedure.
2 )Appointments of School teacher as PAs to Ministers and MLAs has been struck down by Supreme Court .
3) Hyderabad High court suspended GO reducing duration of Election Process for GHMC elections.
4) Few months ago , HC cautioned Govt against indiscriminately conferring Status of Cabinet rank to the Advisors and Spl Representatives , not to cross the ratio laid down already .
5.) High court Stayed the proposal to demolish the Chest hospital , for the construction of Secretariat .
6 )GOs issued recently regularising the Govt lands occupied illegally also faced the wrath of HC
7) The appointment of TRS legislators as Parliamentary Secretaries in rank of Cabinet Ministers was declared as illegal.
8) High court also rejected the Govt's Proposal to change the registration Numbers of Vehicles from AP to TS soon after the formation of new state.
9 )
This all shows the Govt in poor light, as the bureaucracy including the Law Dept , must not be doing proper homework  and also there must be improper guidance from the top leading the Govt on a sticky ground .
In Fact I wonder how KCR is able to tolerate such lethargy on the part of Ministers Concerned and the bureaucracy, I expected the heads would have rolled, by this time, including the Advocate General . 

Mrs Clinton first women to get nominated as Presidential candidate is a moment of pride for US. It's ironic that that a country like US has not been able to get rid of gender bias. 

It's matter great pride for Mrs Clinton as clinched presidential nomination despite very tough competition from Bernie Sanders. 

As per media reports Mrs Clinton appears to have edge over Trump. She got more number of votes in Primaries and she appears to be in better position to win women and minority votes than her counter part. And more over she got good support from Mr Sanders and Mr Obama also. However it is reported that clear picture would emerge only after their convention gets concluded.

The long drawn American Presidential Election is reaching last lap with Donald Trump  being the official nominee of Republicans. It is to be seen how well he or she deals with the challenges -- terrorism, sluggish global economy, increasingly powerful China, and disturbed MiddleEast, etc, 

 As I understand the likelihood of Trump's Presidency seems dangerous to us as he has been fielded as "Law and Order" candidate, and his foreign policy statements are really disturbing as he seems to be advocating Isolationism in the name of Americanism. Mr Trump is also using Economic worries, and Terror attacks at home and abroad trying to build border walls and keeping certain communities out but whereas Mrs Clinton's presidency on the other hand is predictable. As for India bilateral relations which have deepened under Obama-Modi friendship may be strengthened better under Clinton Presidency. Her Vice-President pick Mr Tim a strong supporter of India-US ties could play a key role.I would be happy if our NRI friends from US throw some light on the  present day existing situation.

But whatever may be the outcome, we should leave it to the wisdom of American people.

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