Pavan Varma ignites introspection

 Celebrated author Pavan Varma addresses Chandigarh Literary Society

The author of 19 bestselling and highly regarded books, Mr Pavan Varma was in the city on the invitation of Chandigarh Literary Society who unveiled the agenda for every Indian to be the change agent for the betterment of the country.

Mr Varma who has been press secretary to the President of India, official spokesman of the Foreign Office, director general of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and India’s ambassador to Bhutan, took premature retirement on 1st January 2013, from the Indian Foreign Service, and got involved in active involved in public life.

Having written 19 best sellers, Pavan Varma is best known for The Great Indian Middle Class; Being Indian: The Truth about Why the 21st Century will be India’s and Becoming Indian: The Unfinished Revolution of Culture and Identity.

His latest book “Chanakya’s New Manifesto: To Resolve the Crisis Within India” published by Aleph Book Company formed the backdrop of his interaction with local literati to initiate the debate on how everyone can contribute to change India for the better, informed Mrs.Sumita Misra, President of Chandigarh Literary Society. .

Modelled on Chanakya’s seminal fourth century treatise—the Arthashashtra—Mr Varma has worked out a practical and detailed plan to bring about reform and change in five key areas that require urgent attention—governance, democracy, corruption, security, and the building of an inclusive society.

Whether it is laying the foundation for an independent and effective Lokpal, or decriminalizing politics and successfully weeding out the corrupt, the solutions he proposes are substantive, well within the constitutional framework, and can make all the difference between intent and action.

As Mr Varma puts it in the introduction to the book, ‘As a civilization, India has shown a remarkable talent in reinventing itself. That is the secret of our survival through an incredible 5,000-year-long journey. We have been known as a civilization in which moulik soch or the power of original thought was cultivated. This is a legacy that we can, and must, revive.

“We are fortunate that our founding fathers bequeathed to us a framework of a functioning democratic order through a farsighted constitution. We do not need to throw this aside, or to transplant, borrow or mimic what others have done. But what we do need to do is to make the system that was bequeathed to us work. For, it is obvious to anyone except to those who deliberately choose to be blind, that the current manner of functioning of our nation is unacceptable. Our future is at stake. The future of our youth, and upcoming generations, is at stake. There is no time to be lost,” he says.

Both a call to action as well as a deeply insightful account of the challenges facing the country today, Chanakya’s New Manifesto is a book that should be attentively read by everybody with a stake in India’s future, added Mrs Sumita Misra.

What the reviewers are saying about Chanakya's New Manifesto

Mr. Pavan Varma's new book, Chanakya's New Manifesto: To Resolve the Crisis Within India, is a journey through the ideological terrain of modern India striving to streamline governance, hone the democratic apparatus to make it more inclusive, purge corruption and install foolproof security—key areas that continue to throw up fresh challenges 66 years after Independence.'—Hindustan Times

'Simple, lucid and easy for the young to relate to, [Pavan] Varma presents his prescription for change in the form of a political manifesto—a point-wise analysis of the problems and their solutions.'—Zee News

'A thoughtful analysis of India in its current state for the inquisitive youth who believe in redressal and redemption.'—The Times of India

'Chanakya famously strategized to overthrow the corrupt Dhana Nanda, ruler of Pataliputra, and replace him with Chandragupta who eliminated misgovernance and ruled what was the first pan-Indian empire. Unlike Chanakya, [Pavan] Varma does not suggest an overthrow of the system. Varma's New Manifesto (even if he modestly calls it Chanakya's) is full of ideas within the constitutional framework of India.'—India Today

Mr. Pavan Varma would be in Chandigarh on 29th March at UT Guest House, Sector 6, Chandigarh at 5pm. Will you be there? 

Chanakaya's New Manifesto

The celebrated author of 'Chanakya's New Manifesto' and former Ambassador of India to Bhutan, Mr. Pavan Varma, will be the guest speaker at Chandigarh Literary Society on Friday, 29th March 2013, at the CII Convention Centre, Sector 31 from 5pm - 7pm.

Chanakya’s New Manifesto published by Aleph, is both a call to action as well as a deeply insightful account of the challenges facing the country today. It is a book that should be attentively read by everybody with a stake in India’s future, and how anyone can effect positive change in the country.

Mr. Pavan Varma, had been the former press secretary to President of India, official spokesman of the Foreign Office, director general of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and India’s ambassador to Bhutan. Having taken premature retirement from the Indian Foreign Service, he now seeks to be actively involved in public life.

Pavan K. Varma has authored several acclaimed and bestselling books, among them, Ghalib: The Man, The Times; Krishna: The Playful Divine; The Great Indian Middle Class; Being Indian: The Truth About Why the 21st Century Will be India’s; Becoming Indian: The Unfinished Revolution of Culture and Identity and When Loss is Gain.

He has also translated into English the poetry of Gulzar, Kaifi Azmi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

This will be an interesting session and we look forward to everyone's participation.