“Everyone reads history but very few write history and those who make history are rare.” The Vermas have in this book put together vignettes of 25 rare Indians who have made the history of modern India. The historical canvas encompasses not only political figures but also those who have made a mark in the fields of science, humanities, fine arts, business and law. The book is written on the premise that “history as a narration of events in terms of rulers and leaders is no longer acceptable. Politicians, scientists, businessmen, industrialists, professionals, creative people and others are changing the course of events and their contributions claim attention.” This is most definitely a sound premise and encourages the reader to ratify this new view of history. With such a promising introduction, the reader, without much ado, wades into the book anticipating a good read. The anticipation is enhanced by the fact that the book is penned by veteran historians who have co-authored books like 100 Great Indians Through the Ages, Forts Of India etc. But the book is largely disappointing, although not without some flashes of greatness. The book has been divided into four sections, each devoted to luminaries of a specific field. The first section deals with politics and puts together biographies of eight great statesmen and politicians like Rajagopalachari, Dr Rajendra Prasad, Dr B.R Ambedkar, Lal Bahdur Shastri, Indira Gandhi etc. The biographies of Lal Bahdur Shastri and Indira Gandhi delineate the character of these epoch-making Indians in the context of the contemporary political and social scenario. The public ambivalence towards Indira Gandhi, who was reviled as well as venerated as ‘devi’, has been well brought out, making the biography a medium of social opinion and comment. The second section is devoted to men and women who have made their mark in the field of science and humanities. The biography of C.V Raman, the first Asian to win a Nobel prize in physics, makes an interesting and readable narrative. Scientific terms like ‘scattering of light’, ‘diffraction of light’, ‘ultrasonic waves’ are explained in simple language and do not detract from the extreme simplicity of the narrative. The third section deals with literary greats like Surya Kanth Tripathi Nirala and R. K , Narayan, painters of great repute like M.F Hussain and Nand Lal Bose, Ravi Shankar –the renowned musician and Satyajit Ray –the great cinematographer. Here, the writers have attempted to breathe life into the narrative by allowing the readers a peek into incidents that have shaped the lives of these eminent Indians. The biography of Satyajit Ray is enlivened by an anecdote about “this unusually tall Indian”. The final section has biographies of Dhirubai Ambani- the business tycoon and legendary lawyers like Setalvad and Palkiwala. An introduction to the Indian Art Movement which prefaces the biographies of the painters and a note on Indian Judiciary which prefaces the sketches of the lawyers gives a historical backdrop to the readers. The historian couple have put together the life sketches of eminent Indians who have shaped contemporary India and in doing so have attempted to spawn a definition of history which rises above the mere narration of facts. This is a laudable effort but more often than not the narrative sinks into a prosaic and pedestrian detailing of chronological facts. Printing errors and chunks of unconnected prose jolt the reader out of a somnolent state generated by too many facts and figures. The promise the book holds out at the beginning remains unfulfilled.
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