Book Review: “Half Lion – How PV Narasimha Rao Transformed India“

One day, after a business meeting, I was conversing on a personal note with Narasimha Jagarlapudi, Consultant from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in our office and he told me that both of us are from XLRI (albeit a 20 year batch difference !). Then I brought up his namesake – our ex-PM Narasimha Rao and his biography the “Half-Lion” that I was super keen on reading. I was surprised (given his generation) to hear that he had read it ! He even offered to lend it to me and I gladly accepted. And, I had some super time with the Half-Lion and will remain grateful to the young Narasimha for the lend!!

Vinay Sitapati is Assistant Professor of Political Science and Legal Studies at Ashoka University. He holds degrees from the National Law School Bangalore and Harvard, and a Politics PhD from Princeton. This was his first book, a bestselling biography of Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, and was an Economist Book of the Year.

Vinay Sitapati paints Narasimha Rao as the man with his all successes and human frailties in a book that sustains enough interest. It’s almost a political thriller at times. No wonder that renowned fil-maker Prakash Jha is supposed to helm a biopic web-series on the ex-PM, by the same name – ‘Half-Lion’.

Few of us remember Rao, except (and not very flatteringly!) for his standout pout and his dull, sleepy, humourless demeanor. In this book, Vinay Sitapati, brings out the leader and the person who has been sidelined and buried deep and out-of-sight of the public.

At a time, when only the Nehru’s and Gandhis were remembered and venerated, the late Prime Minister Rao was denied a funeral in Delhi. Even his funeral procession on the way to the airport, was not allowed to enter the Congress party headquarters. Sitapati resurrects the hero, a transformational figure who perhaps should have ranked with “revolutionary figures” like China’s Deng Xiaoping, Ronald Reagan, or Margaret Thatcher, but that lies relegated to the sidelines India’s political and economic history.

Rao had his drawbacks, but most that came before him or after had more or similar number of controversies. Sitapati in his authentic, meticulously researched, warts-and-all biography gives a very balanced account of the life and times of the principal architect of India’s Economic reforms.

This book is a great account on how to bring in and lead through significant change & transformation that have long-term positive impact, without upsetting too many stakeholders. The book shares how Rao brought in change and transformed the Indian economy, by creating a facade that he is worshipper of legacy, while making subtle positive changes all the way. In fact, Rao managed to stay in the background while letting others take initial flak and later the credits.

Sitapati doesn’t bring in his opinions to the fore, instead he mixes anecdotes, quotes, data and connects them to focus on the hero of his book. He shines the light on varied aspects of Rao’s personality. Crafty politician, multi-lingual, scholar, grounded yet ambitious, keen leaner, reclusive person yet a public campaigner, a traveler and a family man and yet the one to stay away from family and build relationships with others – Rao was a different person, at different points in time.  

The book has a dramatic start and slowly the reader gets exposed to the scary inside workings of India’s oldest political party—something we rarely get to know about. Also, it has both Politics and Economics—a combination that is always a great read. So, why wait? Jump into this fast paced, intriguing journey and know about the nuances of being a half-lion and for the rest being half being a fox or a mouse as the times demanded.