Gandhis, ‘84 Riots, Babri: Prez’s Memoir Captures Turbulent Years

Pranab Mukherjee’s memoir ‘The Turbulent Years: 1980-1996’ captures watershed moments in Indian political history.

The Turbulent Years: 1980-1996 (Photo: The Quint)

(Video Editor: Kunal Mehra)

In the second volume of his memoir, The Turbulent Years: 1980-96, President Pranab Mukherjee shares, from an insider’s perspective, some truly watershed moments in the history of Indian politics.

The book, which follows The Dramatic Decade: The Indira Gandhi Years, touches upon the chaotic aftermath of the Gandhis’ assassination, the anti-Sikh riots, his temperamental relationship with The Grand Old Party, and the communal tensions that tore the nation apart after Babri Masjid’s demolition.

In a chat with The Quint, Kapish Mehra, Managing Director at Rupa Publishers Ltd, discusses the book, its weighty subjects, and what makes the President an ideal chronicler of India’s political history.