Ashoka Vs Chanakya

Dixit sees a polarity in India's political tradition, harking back to Ashoka, who stood for uncompromising morality, and Chanakya, who accepted the demands of realpolitik. Indian policymakers too are subject to these contrary pulls. Without advocating amorality, Dixit deems that national interest can demand of leaders the ability to move into greys. Gandhi thus is a hopeless case, to be revered and gently laid aside. Nehru is no better. Subhash Chandra Bose and Sardar Patel, less squeamish, draw praise, as does Shastri. High above them stands Indira Gandhi, who brought Indian statecraft to its apogee in '71.

There are special insights about the leaders under whom Dixit served as a key foreign policy advisor. He gives Rajiv credit for what he attempted in Sri Lanka, though not for how it was done. He also says it was Rajiv who gave the go-ahead for an accelerated nuclear programme, the fruits of which the BJP reaped in '98. Pardonably, considering he was at his elbow, Dixit overrates Narasimha Rao, whose time was richer in ratiocination than in action, and underrates Gujral, who achieved much and was not the do-gooder that emerges from these pages. But these are only a few among the rich cast of characters, people who dominated South Block in their time. Opinions about them will vary, but those interested in the personalities of the foreign policy establishment will find much to engage them in these pages.