Chandigarh: One day in 2004, at a house on Safdarjung Road in New Delhi’s Lutyens area, a venerable Sikh Marxist leader counsels a European lady who heads one of India’s largest parties on the coming general elections. With a picture of Vladimir Lenin watching over proceedings, he tells her how to edge ahead of the ruling party that seems to be leading in the electoral race. “Call the Dravidian party,” he says. “Talk to the Maratha leader who questioned your Indianness....” That incident, which could well be an encapsulation of events leading to the Congress’ surprise win in 2004, isn’t a non-fiction retelling of the same by someone involved in the victory. Instead, it is from a Punjabi work of fiction titled Bhaau that hit the stands less than a fortnight ago. Insider’s view: Darshan Singh, author of Bhaau. (Harikrishna Katragadda / Mint)Written by Darshan Singh, 80, who has known Harkishan Singh Surjeet—the ailing Communist Party of India (Marxist) stalwart whom many consider to be the architect of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance’s ride to power in 2004—for a long time, Bhaau, which means elder brother in Punjabi, is a unique work of literature in a country where inside stories in politics are rarely written out—even if only as works of fiction. It is also a book that is likely to kick up a storm within the CPM with its not-so-kind references to current CPM chief Prakash Karat and hi
