Two books that promise to tell the story of the rise of the former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda from Haradanahalli village in Hassan to the seat of political power in Delhi, will be out in November.
While the autobiography, recorded by Mr. Deve Gowda’s lieutenant and MLA, Y.S.V. Datta, and his daughter Shylaja Chandrashekar, is set to go to print, another volume on his 11-month tenure as Prime Minister is being worked on by two Mysuru Univeristy scholars. The JD(S) is making preparations to release both the volumes by the end of November.
Mr. Gowda’s autobiography invokes curiosity because he has promised to reveal “lesser known facts”, including events surrounding his son, H.D. Kumaraswamy’s decision to head the coalition government with the Congress, and later the BJP. “We are providing an annexure, letters, and notes too, as there will be references about some of the prominent political leaders in the autobiography,” Mr. Datta told The Hindu .
While Ms. Shylaja is dwelling on the personal life of Mr. Gowda, Mr. Datta is delineating the former Prime Minister’s five-decade-old political career.
“The Kannada version of the autobiography will hit the shelves first, and it will be followed by English and Hindi versions,” said Mr. Datta.
The Deve Gowdara Sadhaneya Shikhararohana, the Kannada version on his tenure as Prime Minister is being drafted by professors Pradhan Gurudutt and C. Naganna and is in its final stage. According to Mr. Naganna, visiting professor, Department of Comparative Literature, University of Mysuru, the ‘hallmark of this volume is malice towards none’.
Mr. Naganna said the 500-page volume will contain rare pictures. English and Hindi versions of the volume will follow.