Your Prime Minister is Dead

This book, and the accompanying 'The Tashkent Files', have revolutionised the way we Indians look at the death of Shastri— the greatest Prime Minister we had but lost. For a long time, Shastri’s death has been lamented as a loss to the nation since he could have taken the country to a completely different direction. But this book consolidated all thoughts into the following set of questions:1. Had Shastri been murdered?2. If so, then who could have killed him?3. What was the reason behind the murder, in that case?4. Why did successive governments try their best to suppress the prospect of a proper fact-finding inquiry?On the basis of this book, then the answers to above-mentioned questions would be:1. The probability of Shastri being murdered, by administering poison, is very-very high.2. Not the Americans (at least officially), nor the Russians (again, at least officially) had anything to gain from unlikely death of Shastri. But the possibilities of one of the agencies going rogue and removing Shastri in a covert operation can't be ruled out.3. This is absolute wilderness, even now, where all sorts of theories roam about freely. Stopping Indian nuclear program, preventing a move against Pakistani positions, putting a lid over information being leaked about Netaji's life in the gulags which Shastri had acquired— any of these could have been the reason.4. The answer is simple: those in the establishment apprehended that having an inquiry would open such a can of worms that the situation— both home and away— would be destabilised.As a result, this book refrains from providing any conclusive answers to these questions. It only tells us, what might have happened with Shastri that night. Also, it provides for a roadmap for a proper inquiry into the matter.The writing is very lucid. Analysis is comprehensive. In short, if you wish to know all about the controversies raging around Shastri’s death, this is the best book.My only objection towards the book is that it unnecessarily adds the mysteries surrounding Netaji's fate and the attempted cover-up, to this book. Those parts were not necessary at all.Otherwise, recommended wholeheartedly.

A good book but as limited information is given, it leaves the reader mighty curious as to why the Government is not releasing classified information even after the late PM's death/murder. Worth a read.

I pre-booked my copy of "Your Prime Minister is Dead" by Mr. Anuj Dhar, on 24/8/18. I got the book delivered on 29/9/18, - more than a month's waiting - quite unlike Amazon!Although our second PM died under suspicious circumstances more than 52 years back, away from his homeland, and only a few hours after the inking of a crucial treaty ending the Indo-Pak War of 1965, yet the doubts about the cause of his death persisted in public minds as the government could not or rather did not provide transparent and satisfactory answers to those doubts. These issues had been fiercely debated over the years and a host of literatures came out centering around various theories depicting widely divergent points of view."Your Prime Minister is Dead" is a book which attempts to present the controversies surrounding the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri, consolidating various theories in one place.The book begins with the reconstruction of events leading to Shastriji's tragic death and therafter. The author then goes on to explore in some detail the issues raised by the opposition and government's clarifications to dispel the doubts and to establish Shastriji's death due to natural causes.But the controversy would not die. 'Then all of a sudden in 1967, it blew up by way of a dirty war between two Mumbai-based tabloids. Their flamboyant Parsi editors accused each other of acting at the behest of the American and Soviet intelligence services.' (Quoted from the book.)Not only the Indian media, the international media too recorded their observations about the untimely and shocking demise of the Indian leader. Some hitherto unknown (or rather suppressed by the government) but sensational facts also came to light from these external sources. Mrs. Lalita Shastri too recorded the doubts about her husband's death in an interview published in 'Dharmayug'.The author then analysed various conspiracy theories, which can be broadly categorised as (1) American hand, (2) Soviet hand, and (3) Indian hand. He has meticulously analyzed various angles logically and, taking into consideration the way the intelligence networks of the super powers worked in those days and also the way the Indian government and a few diplomats acted, attempted to present a fair view of the strengths and weaknesses of various theories in his book.Towards the end of the book, he also tried to draw a parallel between this mystery with the greatest political mystery of the last century - the disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, (which has, of late, stole the limelight mainly due to his research and dogged persuasion). On the basis of certain facts coming to light from Shastriji's last telephone call to his family and also from his conversations with Bose family nembers before his fateful journey, Mr Dhar feels that linking the death mystery with Netaji's disappearance mystery cannot be ruled out.The book is an interesting reading and has all the qualities of a successful crime thriller - suspense, analytical reasoning and powerful presentation. It's a small book (288 pages) in paperback format and superbly printed and bound.I revommend this book for all those who want to know about Shastriji'sdeath mystery.

Received ahead of time and in good condition.