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Reading between the lines

Through the Corridors of Power: An Insider's Story authored by former diplomat and administrator P.C. Alexander is an autobiographical account of his days right from his Civil Service career to his aborted candidature to post of the President of India.

The book translated into Malayalam from English by Pala S.K. Nair recently came handy for former Chief Minister A.K. Antony to field a question. posed to him by a nosey correspondent. "Will you take the lead in bringing back K. Karunakaran and his son K. Muraleedhran to the Congress party as Mr. Karunakaran had done while you parted ways with the Congress?"

Pat came the reply: "You can read P.C. Alexander's book." Dr. Alexander, who served as Principal Secretary to the late former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, touches on various topics, including political and national issues.

Mr. Antony and others had returned to the Congress party in 1978 following the initiative of Mrs. Gandhi. A book by a seasoned bureaucrat detailing behind-the-scenes can sometimes come to the rescue of a leader instead of making him parry a question at a news conference.

BIJU GOVIND

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