CHOICES

Shivshankar Menon

During his long career in government, the diplomat Shivshankar Menon either participated in or was associated with numerous major Indian foreign-policy milestones, such as the India-US nuclear deal, the first boundary-related deal between India and China, and India’s decision not to use overt force against Pakistan in response to the 2008 militant attacks on Mumbai. Menon describes how key personalities often had to make choices based on incomplete information, under the pressure of fast-moving events. He examines what these choices reveal about India’s strategic culture, its goals and priorities, and its policies towards the use of force.

Penguin India, 224 pages, Rs 599