The Sanjay Story

The Sanjay Story is an attempt by the author to demystify the Sanjay Gandhi phenomenon and present to the readers its impact on the present day political scenario of India. The beginning of the book is set in the Nehru household and gives a glimpse into the relationship of Feroze Gandhi with the Nehrus, and in particular the relationship of Indira and Kamala. The shadows of the marriage of Indira and Feroze characterized by various insecurities and complexes go on to describe the reason for their son’s volatile personality.

The author also dwells into the notorious side of Sanjay by talking about his Doon School days. Known to be a loner and mediocre, he had a weakness for pinching cars, taking them for short drives and bringing them back. This continued even after he shifted to Delhi and one such case of car theft in May 1964 made its way into the newspapers.

In a brutally honest way, the author traces the dramatic rise of Sanjay’s popularity soon after the declaration of the Emergency. His hold over the Youth Congress and the more than necessary stress on the sterilization campaign that he falsely believed would give him a rightful place in history are portrayed by the author in frank detail. Also addressed in the book is the role of the media in building the so called ‘Cult of Sanjay’ and the setting up of the Maruti factory given Sanjay’s craze for cars.