President Pranab Mukherjee pens book on Indira years

NEW DELHI: A book by President Pranab Mukherjee is set to hit stands this December, publishers said today.

Titled " The Dramatic Decade: The Indira Years," the book "chronicles the history of India from the perspective of a parliamentarian and statesman par excellence."

The book is expected to be out on December 11, Rupa Publications said in a statement.

The tome, is said to draw from Mukherjee's personal diary extracts and his conversations with "key players of the 1970s".

"This was when India found itself engaging with the true meaning of democracy. The nation displayed its commitment to liberty by extending full support to East Pakistan's struggle for independence.

"Later, between 1975 and 1977, during the Emergency, India was grappling with the limits of personal expression. Finally, in 1977, the country saw the emergence of the politics of coalition, with the Janata Party - an amalgam of Indian parties opposed to the Emergency, comprising the Congress (O), the Bharatiya Lok Dal, the Jana Sangh and the Socialists- coming to power," publishers said.

Mukherjee assumed office as President on July 25, 2012. He has served in top portfolios like Foreign, Defence and Finance. He was elected five times to the Rajya Sabha from 1969 and twice to the Lok Sabha from 2004.