Amit Bagaria

The Gang of Six were clinching their fists under the 21-seater oval teak table in the PMO in New Delhi. How could their Prime Minister speak to them like that? How does the Constitution of India allow such people, with just 35 seats out of 543 in the Lok Sabha, to become the PM? The Indian PM's aircraft took off from Islamabad Airport at 7:45 am IST and was scheduled to land at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi at 9:10 am IST. When the aircraft started deviating from its scheduled route, there was panic at the IGIA air traffic control tower. By 9:15 am IST, the aircraft was seen heading south, when it became out of range of the radars at IGIA. Had the PM's aircraft been hijacked? Was it headed to Sri Lanka or the Maldives? The defence minister, external affairs minister and the NSA had accompanied the PM to Islamabad. In their absence, the best men to contact the Indian Air Force Chief were the cabinet secretary or the defence secretary. Both men tried to get hold of him, but to no avail. He was not answering his office or mobile phone. They tried the Vice Chief and got no response either. What in hell was going on? By 9:45 am IST, Indian Army soldiers in battle gear began arriving in army trucks at North and South Block, and at various other ministry buildings spread across Lutyens' Delhi. Hundreds of soldiers also arrived at the residences of the union ministers in the 28.7 km2 Lutyens Bungalow Zone. At 9:45 pm Pakistan Time, about five hours after the Indian generals had finished the press conference in New Delhi and about two hours after millions had started demonstrating on roads across fifty-plus Indian cities, Prime Minister Irfan Khan chaired a meeting of Pakistan's National Security Council. A plan of action was framed.

A Spy-Military-Political Fiction Thriller Based on the Indian Subcontinent

Spies, Lies & Red Tape

Is the Modi Era the End of Congress ?

Congress-Mukt Bharat

The Tiger Gets New Teeth

Modi Stole My Mask

The four and a half hours read changed my views about many things spoon-fed into our mind from childhood days. The book, as the name suggests, demythsified many myths with concise but great insights about many leaders and important events in history about which we were taught half-truths to make someone look better. Not only it answers many inconvenient questions but will also make you ponder about many things like the problem with India's electoral system and the mysterious deaths in Indian political history. A must-read book to know about the real Indian politics, History books are full of lies. I being so much involved in reading about politics didn't know many things. The book is very well researched and all the important topics are covered. Great insights. Really loved it! Ankur Singh Digital Media Consultant, Columnist, Political Commentator This masterclass from Amit Bagaria provides a refreshing and new perspective on the most important and game changing events in India's past. It makes you stop, think about and question everything you've learned through the years. This book gives one insight into an alternate reality than the one we've been fed through our school history books, the media and politicians - from little known facts about Gandhi to the astonishing ineffectiveness of our parliamentary governance and electoral systems. It's definitely an eye opener and a must read for anyone that wishes to have a holistic picture of our nation and its real history. Ritansha Patni M.Sc., Warwick Business School, UK, Sr. Business Analyst, TARGET Head of Strategic Alliances & Partnerships (MEA), HEADOUT The absolute truth! In the case of most Indians, a lot of unquestionable information has been drilled into us and we have been forbidden to question the same. If ever, there was an alternate thought, it was hushed up saying ..".but that is not what History says." However, this book has brought all those thoughts and questions to the surface. It makes me wonder if we are really the people who need to be told the contradictory point, even though our minds nudge us to believe otherwise. This book has dealt with various issues and has smacked the Indian political world on its bottom. It helps lift the veil of questions that have been unanswered for so long. The author has done in-depth research on separating fact from fiction and that is commendable in the India of today. It is a very well written book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is willing to take a breath of fresh air in this tamasha-heavy Indian policical circus. Archana Samtani Head of Business Development, SOCH

Demystifying 18 Myths about India

Demythsifying Myths

Amit Bagaria gives extraordinary insight into India’s past, present and future as the country develops into a major economic and political power. Rigorously researched and powerfully imagined, the book is an indispensable guide to understand India and its current politics. Dr Frank-Jürgen Richter Ex-Director, World Economic Forum; Founder, Horasis The book is a brief history of electoral India. A well-researched book that maps India’s political journey with the relevant data points. A must read for those interested in electoral politics and the big question of "Who" in 2019. It is very detailed and will have a good audience. Advaita Kala Author, Almost Single, Laghbag Single, Almost There Scriptwriter, Anjaana Anjaani, Kahaani, Anaamika This book was amazing to read. I must admit that it made very lucid, if provocative, reading. I always knew Amit Bagaria had an informed opinion on current affairs, but was floored with the depth of understanding and analysis. Bharat Goenka Software Evangelist, Founder, Tally Amit Bagaria handles the extremely complex topic of Indian Democracy with amazing dexterity. His work provides in-depth information with accurate context, and is a good handbook for any student of Indian politics. This book helps you to navigate through the roads we as a nation have travelled over the decades. This is a must read for all aspiring political activists as they will be able to go through and understand the entire spectrum of ideological positions. The author has been successful in capturing the nuances and underlying paradigms in our socio political landscape. Rahul Easwar Philosophy Author & Lecturer, Activist, TedX Speaker Winner of Malayalam Bigg Boss, TV Anchor & Panellist The book is concise and moves at a fast pace. Puts the whole gambit of political rulers in perspective that people tend to forget or conveniently brush aside. It helps revive those memories. A great read for the youth who have no access to this kind of concise information which has been strategically and deviously kept from them. It’s really good and the need of the hour. Amrita Bhinder Author, Corporate Lawyer & TV Panellist

Why is 2019 not 2014?

1914: NaMo or MoNa

When framers of the American Constitution debated the document (and form of government) in 1787, they chose not to adopt the British system as they knew its flaws. In 230 years, USA has grown beyond what the framers could have envisioned, but the Constitution has endured. The American President has far less powers than the British PM. British PM William Evert Gladstone had said: “Nowhere is there a man who has so much power with so little to show for it in the way of formal title or prerogative.” British historian Sir Sidney JM Low wrote in 1904: “An English Prime Minister, with his majority secure in parliament, can do what the German Emperor, the American President, and all the Chairmen of all the Committees of the United States’ Congress, cannot do (together).” India was already the world’s largest democracy on August 15, 1947, but, for almost 2½ years, we followed the British Constitution. The 6-member Constitution Drafting Committee, with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as Chairman, prepared a draft Constitution. This was debated and 2000+ amendments were moved over two years. On November 26, 1949, the Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution. The committee had several choices in which model to follow. In 1947, USA’s population was about 44% of India, but we still chose to adopt a system from a country which was just 15% our size. ALL BECAUSE OF ONE MAN WHO HAD VERY CAREFULLY READ SIR LOW’S WORDS AND WANTED THAT ABSOLUTE POWER FOR HIMSELF. Has the parliamentary form of government worked for us over the past 68 years?

Yes, Prime Minister

Mr President

"The name is Bond - JAMES BOND. I am sure you've seen at least one, if not more of the 26 films made on fictional British spy 007. You may've also seen TV shows like The Americans, Blindspot, Chuck, Covert Affairs, Homeland, Nikita, Quantico, The Blacklist, and/or The Night Manager. I wrote this book after I realised that the average person may not know even one-sixth of what I know about spies and spying. Almost each of the Top 50 nations (by GDP, population or military power) has a spy agency/service. Many countries have more than one 'secret service' or 'intelligence agency'. USA has 16. Some countries' spy agencies are more powerful than entire smaller nations, with annual budgets larger than their GDPs. This books attempts to tell the story of 20 of the world's largest and most powerful spy agencies, details their important missions, reveals their darkest secrets, and gives you an inside perspective of the often quite gory but thrilling 'world of spies'. It gives you a 360° view of those spy agencies you only read about or see in a movie or TV show. With one chapter per agency, you can read only chapters you may be interested in. The life of most spies is not as glamorous as it is made out to be. You may think it is all about high-tech and guns and car chases and 'hot' women, but that's not the case. In the real spy world, the techniques boil down to the interpretation of basic human psychology. Even though a spy learns several action techniques on how to get out of a dangerous situation, including how to withstand torture, if he/she is resorting to car chases, it means they're doing something wrong. Spies don't get paid very well. Gambling at a casino or flying on a private jet may be part of the job, but a spy doesn't get to spend this kind of money on personal expenses. Spies cannot disclose the nature of their work to their family and friends, to maintain secrecy. Many have to live away from home for weeks, months, even years. Married life is a mess, as the spouse starts suspecting the spy of having an affair. Who can become a spy? Do you need a law enforcement (police) or military background? Not really. Spies have degrees as diverse as law, political science, finance, economics - even professional athletes have become successful spies."

I-Spy: A Peep Into the World of Spies

Amit writes a riveting history of the Tata group and captures the sense of nostalgia associated with JRD Tata and the early industrial efforts. Importantly, Amit takes a contrarian view of the carefully cultivated image of the group, it’s inflexion points and the family. Sampath "Sam" Iyengar PE Investor, Advisor & Former Global CEO The difference between an “Entrepreneur” and an “Investor” became more distinct to me after i read this book. While most Investors judge a company by its “data’ an entrepreneur will mine that data, and Amit has done in his own unique and through manner, which I must say is very engaging and an eye opener.This book by Amit is has insights and revelations about the most trusted companies we have known in India. Pravin Malkani Architect and Entrepreneur, Mumbai A frank voice that opines in a no-holds-barred manner, he plays not only the single role of an author, but also that of part historian, part observer, part journalist, and part critic. Loaded with data, figures, graphs, and photographs, this quick handy guide about the Tatas is a researched compendium replete with analysis and commentary. Preeyam Budhia President - Business Development, Patton Group OK Tata is another example of what Amit does best - challenging perspectives. The book doesn't force its ideas on the reader, it rather keeps it open and lets the reader draw their conclusions. It has a bold take on Mr. Ratan Tata and the legacy surrounding him. Pick it up and you are guaranteed a roller coaster ride into the world of Tatas even though you may not agree with it all. Amit - you have done it again. Yeshaswi Ramaswamy Human Resources Professional

WHY IS TATA IN THE ICU?

OK, TATA

To replace 244 aged MiG-21 fighters of IAF, a case to procure 126 Mirage-2000 jets was initiated in 2000. After a 7-year delay, in August 2007, the UPA government invited bids for 126 jets. Six bidders submitted proposals. In January 2012, UPA government announced that Dassault’s Rafale had won. Dassault was to build 18 jets in France, with 108 to be produced by HAL in India. Negotiations remained incomplete 28 months after Rafale was chosen, due to disputes on costs and terms, explained in detail. When India renegotiated with Dassault, by January 2014, the deal cost would become ?1669 crores by when the first jets were to be delivered. In five different speeches or tweets, Rahul Gandhi quoted figures of ?520 crores, ?526 crores, ?540 crores, ?570 crores and ?700 crores per jet as the UPA’s negotiated price. Thus, there was no Rafale deal signed under UPA. For 10 years, UPA governments could not finalise a deal to buy crucial firepower for India’s national security. Less than two months after Modi became PM, negotiations were held between India and France. In April 2015, just 10½ months after coming to power, during a visit to France, Modi announced a “government-to-government deal” to acquire 36 Rafales in “fly-away condition”. The Agreement was signed in September 2016. Deliveries would begin in September 2019 and be completed by April 2022. The negotiated cost per Rafale jet was ?1623 crores. Thus, Modi got the Rafales cheaper than MMS. India got many other additional terms and benefits, explained in great detail. 14 months after the deal was signed, Gandhi started calling it a scam. In different tweets, he alleged a scam of ?58,000 crores (21 Feb. 2018), ?36,000 crores (16 Mar. 2018), ?40,000 crores (19 Mar. 2018) and ?130,000 crores (22 Sep. 2018). When the deal itself is for ?58,428 crores, how can the scam be ?58,000 or ?130,000 crores? In an Inter-Government deal with no middleman, how can bribes be paid? Who pays whom? To the best of my knowledge, this is the first book on the much-talked-about Rafale deal, and should put all controversies to rest once and for all.

RAFALE : EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT RAFALE ?BUT DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO FIND OUT

The name is Bond – JAMES BOND. I am sure you’ve seen at least one, if not more of the 26 films made on fictional British spy 007. You may’ve also seen TV shows like The Americans, Blindspot, Chuck, Covert Affairs, Homeland, Nikita, Quantico, The Blacklist, and/or The Night Manager. I wrote this book after I realised that the average person may not know even one-sixth of what I know about spies and spying. Almost each of the Top 50 nations (by GDP, population or military power) has a spy agency/service. Many countries have more than one ‘secret service’ or ‘intelligence agency’. USA has 16. Some countries’ spy agencies are more powerful than entire smaller nations, with annual budgets larger than their GDPs. This books attempts to tell the story of 20 of the world’s largest and most powerful spy agencies, details their important missions, reveals their darkest secrets, and gives you an inside perspective of the often quite gory but thrilling ‘world of spies’. It gives you a 360º view of those spy agencies you only read about or see in a movie or TV show. With one chapter per agency, you can read only chapters you may be interested in. The life of most spies is not as glamorous as it is made out to be. You may think it is all about high-tech and guns and car chases and ‘hot’ women, but that’s not the case. In the real spy world, the techniques boil down to the interpretation of basic human psychology. Even though a spy learns several action techniques on how to get out of a dangerous situation, including how to withstand torture, if he/she is resorting to car chases, it means they’re doing something wrong. Spies don’t get paid very well. Gambling at a casino or flying on a private jet may be part of the job, but a spy doesn’t get to spend this kind of money on personal expenses. Spies cannot disclose the nature of their work to their family and friends, to maintain secrecy. Many have to live away from home for weeks, months, even years. Married life is a mess, as the spouse starts suspecting the spy of having an affair. Who can become a spy? Do you need a law enforcement (police) or military background? Not really. Spies have degrees as diverse as law, political science, finance, economics – even professional athletes have become successful spies.

Amit Bagaria

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