Published by HarperCollins India, "Reflections Of An

Extraordinary Era" has a foreword by Vinayak. Bhattacharjee says "Reflections Of An Extraordinary Era" is about her memorable experiences with Gandhi when she was a child. "It is not an academic research. It is for my children, It is about my little experiences with Gandhiji. My own spiritual journey is also reflected in the book," Bhattacharjee, daughter of Gandhi's youngest son Devadas and Lakshmi, says. She remembers being part of Gandhi's evening prayers in Delhi, visiting him at the Aga Khan Palace where he was put under house arrest along with wife Kasturba and his secretary Mahadev Desai, and later meeting him in Shimla during her summer break from school. Gandhi's Satyagrah, his efforts to end social disparities at Harijan Ashram, his compassion for anyone who came seeking advice, and his life as a family man, a parent and a grandfather are seen through the prism of a young Bhattacharjee's impressions. Asked if he plans to write a book on Gandhiji, London- based Vinayak says, "So much has already been written and I do not intend to write on Bapuji for the sake of it. If I have an unusual insight or perspective then I will consider it." In the foreword he mentions about the attitude of users and consumers of public service. "A culture of tolerance of substandard services has crept into society (consider Railways). Instead, to effect change and improve service levels people need to demand better standards. A nation is run for its citizens and residents and a government's first role is to look after the interest of its people. People in turn must act responsibly and should not accept poor service nor should they feel that their own activities do not affect the standard of living of others," he says.