India Wins Freedom: The Complete Version

"India Wins Freedom looks at the historic freedom struggle from the unique perspective of one of the most prominent faces of the Independence movement, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. In this classic, narrated to his secretary, Humayun Kabir, between 1956 and 1958, Maulana Azad speaks of the momentous events between 1935 and 1948 that shaped the destiny of a new-born nation. Briefly touching upon his early life, his family, education, travels, indoctrination into revolutionary politics and his disillusionment with it, this volume goes on to discuss the evolving political discourse of that era. It brings alive the hopes and sorrows of nationalist leaders as they fought to realise the collective dreams of a deeply fractured polity. It also provides an inside view of the workings of the Indian National Congress during the early twentieth century and interesting insights into the Maulana's chequered relationship with Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Vallabhbhai Patel, as well as his disagreements with Gandhi and Nehru. Mindful of hurting the feelings of his contemporaries, the Maulana had directed certain selected portions of this book, containing incidents and reflections mainly of personal character, to be left out for a period of thirty years, which was released for publication by a court order in 1988. This edition is the complete text, with the original tone and temper fully restored. More than half a century later, Maulana Azad's forthright views expressed with honesty and courage and the clarity with which he predicted the outcome of the difficult paths chosen by India and Pakistan, provide the readers a compelling and unputdownable read." --