President chronicles decade of '70s in a book

Drawing from personal diary extracts, conversations with key personalities and vital secondary literature, President Pranab Mukherjee has chronicled the fascinating decade of the 70's, including the crucial Emergency period, in a book that will be released in December, the publishers said Tuesday.

The book titled "The Dramatic Decade: The Indira Years" (Rupa) will be released Dec 11.

"The book focuses on one of the most fascinating periods in the life of this nation, the decade of the 1970s. This was when India found itself engaging with the true meaning of democracy. The nation displayed its commitment to liberty by extending full support to East Pakistan's struggle for Independence," said an official statement from the publishers.

"Later, between 1975 and 1977, during the Emergency, India was grappling with the limits of personal expression. Finally, in 1977, the country saw the emergence of the politics of coalition, with the Janata Party," it added.

This was the time, the statement said, when Mukherjee committed himself to the role of a political activist. As a keen observer, Mukherjee recounts many episodes of this time.

The book will present a portrait of a complex nation.

In the past, Mukherjee has written books like "Midterm Poll", "Beyond Survival" and "Challenge Before the Nation".