Publisher's Synopsis
Former foreign secretary, Maharajakrishna Rasgotra joined India's external affairs ministry when Jawaharlal Nehru, Girija Shankar Bajpai, Sardar Patel were - with a mix of pragmatism and hope - creating the foreign policy of the newly independent nation. This was taking place as the Cold War slid into a subcontinent and complex relationships - China, Pakistan and Nepal - were taking shape. Looking back on those crucial years with a discerning eye for the interplay of personalities - Nehru, Krishna Menon, or S. Radhakrishnan, for instance - Rasgotra assesses their influence on events and their impact on the evolution of Indian diplomacy.