₹600
I felt that to remain in politics and keep fighting for the principles was my calling. So, I thought that working with the people of similar
ideology might be more fruitful. I felt affinity with those parties which were neither corrupt nor power-drunk…. Ideologically, I found myself close to Jana Sangh and Swatantra Party. I was in a dilemma to choose between the two. So, I decided to contest the election on the ticket of both these parties. I became candidate of Jana Sangh from Karera constituency of Madhya Pradesh Assembly. Tihar is not a jail, it is hell on earth. And those people were pushed in this hell whose penance threatened to dethrone Indiraji. There were piles of filth at different places in Tihar jail. It would make the inside air polluted which was stifling. While eating one had to constantly drive away the flies with one’s hands. The ears would be abuzz with the sounds of insects. In the darkness the brooch would glow and crickets would speak. Life was difficult. But despite that we would have sound sleep. Ayodhya is not a city made of bricks and mortars. It is a symbol of India’s soul and national identity. That’s why when the Rath Yatra was taken out, Hindus and Muslims participated in it alike. This national integration caused heart burns to those vested interests that were in the habit of taking the advantage of social division.
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Contents
Truth of Time —Pgs. 7
1. My Nanaji —Pgs. 13
2. My Mother —Pgs. 28
3. My Maternal Home (Nanihaal) —Pgs. 35
4. Moulds and Shapes —Pgs. 46
5. Changing Relations —Pgs. 55
6. What is Allotted cannot be Blotted —Pgs. 67
7. Towards the Destiny —Pgs. 74
8. Majestic Family of My In-Laws —Pgs. 82
9. Merging of Identities —Pgs. 88
10. Our Gwalior —Pgs. 102
11. Merger of Princely Estates —Pgs. 119
12. A New Turn —Pgs. 133
13. The Catastrophe —Pgs. 140
14. The Buster Killing —Pgs. 148
15. Political Stratagem —Pgs. 159
16. The Split in Congress and its Outcome —Pgs. 177
17. Emergency —Pgs. 188
18. The Prisoner —Pgs. 209
19. Prisoner No. 2265 —Pgs. 222
20. Separation from My Son —Pgs. 235
21. New Politics —Pgs. 251
22. The Galloping BJP —Pgs. 262
23. No Halts in the Path of Duty —Pgs. 276
24. Being a Woman —Pgs. 282
25. The Re-awakening —Pgs. 292
26. Sati can never be a Social Practice —Pgs. 298
27. Being a Great-Grandmother —Pgs. 304
28. The Golden Jubilee Year of Independence —Pgs. 309
29. Dharma, The Ultimate Defender —Pgs. 315
मृदुला सिन्हा
27 नवंबर, 1942 (विवाह पंचमी), छपरा गाँव (बिहार) के एक मध्यम परिवार में जन्म। गाँव के प्रथम शिक्षित पिता की अंतिम संतान। बड़ों की गोद और कंधों से उतरकर पिताजी के टमटम, रिक्शा पर सवारी, आठ वर्ष की उम्र में छात्रावासीय विद्यालय में प्रवेश। 16 वर्ष की आयु में ससुराल पहुँचकर बैलगाड़ी से यात्रा, पति के मंत्री बनने पर 1971 में पहली बार हवाई जहाज की सवारी। 1964 से लेखन प्रारंभ। 1956-57 से प्रारंभ हुई लेखनी की यात्रा कभी रुकती, कभी थमती रही। 1977 में पहली कहानी कादंबिनी' पत्रिका में छपी। तब से लेखनी भी सक्रिय हो गई। विभिन्न विधाओं में लिखती रहीं। गाँव-गरीब की कहानियाँ हैं तो राजघरानों की भी। रधिया की कहानी है तो रजिया और मैरी की भी। लेखनी ने सीता, सावित्री, मंदोदरी के जीवन को खंगाला है, उनमें से आधुनिक बेटियों के लिए जीवन-संबल हूँढ़ा है तो जल, थल और नभ पर पाँव रख रही आज की ओजस्विनियों की गाथाएँ भी हैं।
लोकसंस्कारों और लोकसाहित्य में स्त्री की शक्ति-सामर्थ्य ढूँढ़ती लेखनी उनमें भारतीय संस्कृति के अथाह सूत्र पाकर धन्य-धन्य हुई है। लेखिका अपनी जीवन-यात्रा पगडंडी से प्रारंभ करके आज गोवा के राजभवन में पहुँची हैं।