Book Review: Indira by Devapriya Roy & Priya Kuriyan

Having read about the fine drawings by Priya Kuriyan in the graphic novel "Indira", I bought & finished the visual part of the book in an hour admiring the artistry of the illustrator - a modern day Mario Miranda (for the way she draws pan-India characters). The informal dialogue which go with the illustrations (printed on slick paper) is sprinkled with Hindi words making the narrative interesting.

The book also serves as a very entertaining history lesson covering the period from 1920s to the 80s, though it is mostly sympathetic to Ms Gandhi. Critics have condemned Indira Gandhi's imposition of Emergency rule in 1975 during which she ruled without constitutional constraints and jailed Opposition leaders. How the first lady Prime Minister who was ridiculed as "goongi goodiya" (Hindi word for a dumb doll or puppet) by the Opposition, managed to rule for two more terms in the male-dominated Indian politics is proof of her will-power & tenacity. Surprisingly, she did not appoint any women to full cabinet rank during her terms in office though she believed in feminism

The book is said to have drawn material from several biographies and sources including the memories of Priyanka Gandhi,  the former PM's grand-daughter. Though it seems well-researched if I have to nit-pick, I found a few typos & a factual error (the current population of India is 130 crores so there is no way Indira could have planned to address 200 crore people back then)