Its not everyday that a bureaucrat dares to differ from the Prime Minister, that too such a strongheaded PM like Narendra Modi. But, here is an IAS officer who not only had an opinion different than the Prime Minister – not only had a different than the PM but he also convinced Modi to agree with his point of view.
An incredible feat indeed for a bureaucrat. But, Anil Swarup is a no-nonsense bureaucrat. And it comes out vividly in his brilliantly written book of memoirs –Encounters With Politicians. He is on his candid best in describing personality traits of various political leaders he came across during his career as a civil servant.
Few bureaucrats, even in private conversations, describe their experiences of working with political masters. But, Anil Swarup has written about his interactions Four Prime Ministers, Five Presidents, Six U.P. Chief Ministers, 24 Chief Ministers of other states, 29 Union Ministers and a host of other politicians.
Dear Diary
He apparently maintained a diary throughout his 38-years long career and everyday used to share his day’s summary with it. He has quoted extensively from his diary in writing about legendary personalities like Mrs Indira Gandhi, Gyani Jail Singh, R Venkataraman etc.
He has also written about colourful politicians like Arun Jaitely, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati and Kalyan Singh.
In a candid conversation with Indian Masterminds, he admits that this is an account of his experiences with the politicians. This may or may not describe the person’s personality in totality. But, readers do get a good glimpse of politicians’ traits. Kindly watch the full interview on YouTube…
