Mukherjee regrets delay in second volume of memoirs

President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said that he had "committed" to his readers that the second volume of his memoirs would come out by December 11, 2015 and expressed regret for the delay.

Speaking after "The Turbulent Years - 1980-1996" was released by Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari here at Rashtrapti Bhavan before selected invitees, he said: "Unfortunately I could not keep this commitment and the book is coming out only today (Thursday, January 28, 2016)."

Ansari said the book was a "commentary on our times and the age in which we live".

"It has several pertinent observations on the nature of Indian polity and Indian federalism which needs to be read carefully," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, senior Congress leader and MP Karan Singh said the book is of great value because of the assessment of various personalities in it, description of major events of the period and the light it throws on important economic issues of that time.

"The most fascinating aspect of the book is the description of the president's political career with its remarkable ups and downs," he said, describing Mukherjee as highly intelligent, seasoned and gifted politician, blessed with tremendous memory and a great intellectual stature.

Senior journalist and BJP leader Chandan Mitra said the book shows that Mukherjee was a keen observer of events with an unparalleled memory and strong commitment to democracy.

He said this book should be made mandatory reading for every student of political science and be part of university curricula.

The first volume, "The Dramatic Decade: The Indira Gandhi Years" had come out last year.