Penguin's David Davidar believes that P.V. Narasimha Rao's authorship of the transparently semi-autobiographical novel The Insider is as sensational as if Bill Clinton had penned Primary Colours. Few of Rao's colleagues suspected that behind the scholarly, impassive exterior of the 75-year-old former prime minister, there is a shrewd observer with a wry sense of humour who can meticulously detail the Machiavellian wheeling-dealing of Indian politics, down to even the bedroom.The very private Rao permitted press interviews only because his book is to be released on April 8, but it was on the strict understanding that questions should relate only to Rao the author and not Rao the politician. Though Rao denied that the hero Anand is in fact his own alter- ego, in an interview with Coomi Kapoor he himself at times seemed to mix up the two and in the bargain provided some rare insight into his views as a politician. Excerpts from the interview:Since Anand is clearly your alter- ego, why did you need to keepup the pretence of The Insider being fictional? Every major event in Anand's life runs parallel to your own life history.You seem to think you know everything about my life. You think I am Anand, on what basis do you think so? Anand is not my alter-ego in toto. Some aspects of his life bear resemblance with mine, but that is all.nThe characters of Mahendranath, Chaudhary, Aruna and Shekhar appear to have been patterned on Sanjeeva Reddy, Brahmananda Reddy, Lakshmikantamma and V.B. Raju respectively.I am afraid that questions like `who is this character?', `how far are you being reflected in so and so?..' will not get accurate answers. The characters were not put together with that intention at all. Except for the four prime ministers, there is not a single character which can be called fully original, as it is, as a given individual, living or dead.nYour book takes a very cynical view of politics.That is what has been happening. I can't possibly shove it under the carpet. I have to deal with it. Youhave to find a way in spite of all this. You have to fight out these forces and still take the country forward. The party keeps losing its identity. From Jawharalal Nehru's time you have tried to fight these forces.nAnand seems a trifle too detached. He is conscious that people around him are compromising his position, but he does not take any action against those misusing his name. The same criticism has been levelled at you.It is not a simple matter to take action against any person. You leave Anand alone for a while. There are hundreds of people doing what they are doing in my name or, say, in Atal Behari Vajapyee's name. You think Atal Behari Vajpayee can stop all this? In my experience, the best you can do is keep yourself clean. If you keep your sight on the small things, then you neglect the main things. You fritter your energies on small things. Panditji at one time used to write lengthy notes to people three to seven pages long till N.R. Pillai and other senior ICS officers advised him that histask was to strengthen the country and leave the minor details to them.Though your book shows your admiration for Pandit Nehru and Indira Gandhi, some sycophants in your party will surely object to Anand's observation that ``loyalty in the party meant not just to Nehru and the party's ideology but to the family as a whole''. Dynastic loyalty is part of the Congress creed.Let them. In Indira Gandhi's time also there were tale carriers. I have passed through all this. Not that it is going to change my views. I have fought against kingship in the struggle for independence the Nizam tried to declare independence in my state.The word kingship is bad and the word dynasty is itself inapplicable. Dynasties belonged to the time of the Ashoka empire or the Mauryas. What kind of nonsense is this? You want to criticise, you want to be tongue-in-cheek. What are you people doing?Are you blaming the Press for the use of the word `dynasty'When you use words like this, what do Europeans think? They are against Indiain any case. If I have to explain what I have seen all the time when I was foreign minister. All these nuances. You think anyone forgave you for the Non-Aligned Movement started by Panditji?But are your party members mature enough to accept what you have written?That's not my concern. Whatever I write I write. (Quoting a Sanksrit saying) I have faith in time which is limitless.endless. We have seen how great men are treated. Remember how Christ was treated.History will judge Narasimha Rao's contribution to India very differently from contemporary journalism, I am sure.I am not on to that. There is a general deterioration in the country. I want someone to think beyond tomorrow. Anand may know he is going to fail, it doesn't matter. But he fought. He thought of what is to happen to the state to the country even if it leads to tragedy.Your book suggests that Indira Gandhi had a shrewder assessment of people than Pandit Nehru.Panditji was a giant at his own level. Indira Gandhi came up thehard way and she was used to always dealing with politics, even the smaller fellows. You can't compare, she was different, he was different.Since it took 20 years to write part one, how long will your sequel to The Insider take?I wish to take less time, sine I am sure now that the taunts of friends would be ringing in my ears.But the sequel will not be fiction but an autobiography and Anand will become Narasimha Rao.You can call him what you like. You can call him Anand, it doesn't matter, but it is Narasimha Rao only once he comes to Delhi. It will have more identifiable events. The sequel was the publishers' idea. I have my notes but I still have to collect much material.
