I, Witness: India from Nehru to Narendra Modi

The betrayals of 1962 and 1965; the steel tests of Shastri; the making and unmaking of Indira; Morarji’s castle of sands; the real culprits behind the massacre of 1984; the deep-seated conspiracy behind the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi; Rao’s gambits; Vajpayee’s fate; the decline of the Congress and the emergence of the BJP from the womb of the Ayodhya tragedy. A mirror to modern India—flawed, fervent, fractured, yet forging ahead. I, Witness is the saga of a nation reborn from the ashes of Partition—scarred, yet unbroken—rising through trials and tribulations to become one of the world’s most vibrant and enduring democracies. Entwined with this national journey is the life of a man born at the dawn of India’s new age, on 15 August 1950—an eyewitness to its triumphs and traumas, a chronicler from within the corridors of power. With the dual lens of journalist and a political thinker, Shahid Siddiqui stood as a rare observer—shaped not only by the events he reported but also by the very forces that forged modern India. This memoir, distinct from others of its kind, bears the mark of one who lived history, not merely recorded it. In his singular voice, Siddiqui recalls encounters with the titans of Indian politics—portraying them not as distant icons, but as fallible beings, their virtues and vices laid bare. With all their flaws and frailties, these figures—by design or default—helped shape an India that strives to be inclusive, resilient and democratic. I, Witness invites the reader on a compelling journey through the shifting landscape of post- Independence India, recounted with the unflinching honesty and the nuanced perspective of an Indian Muslim who has walked the margins and the mainstream. In this tapestry woven of memory and history, Siddiqui unveils the silent struggles and unspoken tales that have shaped both a people and a nation—sometimes steadfast as a stone in unity, at other times torn asunder by the rifts of religion, region, caste or tongue. Yet, in the crucible of crisis, when shadows loomed and trials mounted, they cast aside their divisions, remembering, above all, that they are one. Historical Turning Points Covered: • The betrayals of 1962 and 1965 • The leadership tests of Lal Bahadur Shastri • The rise and fall of Indira Gandhi • Morarji Desai’s unstable government • The hidden culprits of the 1984 massacre • The conspiracy behind Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination • P.V. Narasimha Rao’s political manoeuvres • Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s political journey • The decline of Congress and the rise of BJP from the Ayodhya tragedy A Portrait of Modern India: • Flawed, fervent, fractured—yet forging ahead • A nation reborn from Partition, scarred but unbroken • Rising through trials to become a vibrant democracy Unique Perspective: • Honest, unfiltered accounts of India’s political titans—flawed and human • A nuanced view from an Indian Muslim navigating both margins and mainstream A National Journey through Personal Memory: • Unveils silent struggles and untold stories • Reflects on unity and division—across religion, region, caste and language • A testament to the spirit of a nation that remembers its oneness in times of crisis