No Questions Asked

But somewhere along the twists and turns in his political career, the self-avowed idealism and rationalism of his youth seems to have deserted him. Sathe turned into an unquestioning, almost sycophantic, supporter of Indira Gandhi. Perhaps he realised that his only avenue for political advancement was clinging to the Gandhi family coattails, because Maratha leaders like YB Chavan, Vasant Dada Patil, VP Naik and Sharad Pawar from his home state were determined to keep down the political lightweight Brahmin from Vidarbha.

Sathe’s account of political events during his more than three decades in Delhi offers no new insight or behind-the-scenes revelations in the corridors of power. His recollections sound almost as if they have been culled from old newspaper clippings and his scrapbook. Sathe makes a stout defence of Indira Gandhi’s Emergency, asserting breezily that political detenues faced no great hardship and that most of them even put on weight in jail. He points out that Jyoti Basu used to get a car ride every evening with his family while in detention. For his loyalty to the Gandhi family, Sathe was rewarded with a series of ministerial berths as well as sinecures such as chairmanship of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.

Surprisingly Sathe is slightly more forthcoming about his private life, candidly confessing that he developed physical intimacy with some understanding women with artistic inclinations. He does not give names but does recount how once Protima Bedi, who was dressed revealingly, was ticked off by his wife for indecent exposure. He recalls how Mohammed Yunus was so jealous of his friendship with the comely Uma Vasudev that he printed and circulated invitations of his marriage that-was-not to Uma in order to embarrass him.