4:50pm Tuesday 16th March 2010
By Asian Image reporter
An original Edwardian bookshop was the setting for the launch of new book by Jaswant Singh.
Jinnah India – Partition - Independence delves into the life of one the 20th century's greatest political leaders.
Mohammed Ali Jinnah’s political journey began as ‘an ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity’yet ended with his becoming the ‘sole spokesman’ of Muslims in India; the principal proponent and voice of separation between the two, the creator of Pakistan, the Quaid-e-Azam. This book attempts an objective evaluation.
Singh asks where and when the thesis of ‘Muslims as a separate nation’ first originated and where it led the Indian sub-continent. Why then a Bangladesh? And what now of Pakistan?.
Mr Singh is among the most respected names in India’s public life and in the world of diplomacy.
Indian politician and eight-term Member of Parliament, he has headed six core ministries of the Government of India.
He served as Finance Minister in the short-lived government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which lasted from May 1996 - June 1996.
After Vajpayee became Prime Minister again two years later, he became Minster for External Affairs of India, serving from December 1998 until July 2002. Responsible for foreign policy, he dealt with high tensions between India and Pakistan.
In July 2002 he became Finance Minister again, switching posts with Yashwant Sinha. He served as Finance Minister until the defeat of the Vajpayee government in May 2004 and was instrumental in defining and pushing through the market-friendly reforms of the government.
He was conferred the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for the year 2001. He is the author of eighteen books, the most recent being Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence.
After criticism over remarks made in this book, he was expelled from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in August 2009.
Guests at the launch included, Leading Management Guru Mr Suhel Seth , Actor Dalip Tahil, International Statesman Mr Kamalesh Sharma - Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Radio 1 DJ & Presenter Nihal, Writer & Journalist Carey Schofield, Journalist Shekhar Bhatia, Internationally applauded Asian comedian Paul Chowdhry, Monika Kapil Mohta - Nehru Centre.
Jinnah India – Partition - Independence is available to buy now priced at £27.50.
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