The Peacemakers

    The Peacemakers: India and the Quest for One World is the gripping story of India’s quest to create a common destiny for all people across the world based on the concept of human rights. In the years leading up to its independence from Great Britain, and more than a decade after, in a world torn asunder by unchecked colonial expansions and two world wars, Jawaharlal Nehru had a radical vision: bridging the ideological differences of the East and the West, healing the growing rift between capitalist and communist, and creating ‘One World’ that would be free of empire, exploitation and war.  Madame Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Nehru’s sister, would lead the fight in and through the United Nations to turn all this into a reality. An electric orator and outstanding diplomat, she travelled across continents speaking in the voice of the oppressed and garnering support for her cause. The aim was to lay the foundation for global governance that would check uncontrolled state power, address the question of minorities and migrant peoples, and put an end to endemic poverty. Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy would go global. All that stood between the Indians and success was their own fallibility, diplomatic intrigue, and the blinding haze of mistrust and fear engendered by the Cold War. As Manu Bhagavan recounts the story of this quest, iconic figures are seen through new eyes as they challenge all of us to imagine a better future. Based on seven years of research, across three continents, and written in a crisp and riveting style, this is the first truly international history of newly independent India.   ‘The book combines dramatic flair with rigorous and path-breaking scholarship. It is a must read for anyone interested in India’s role in global affairs’ – Pratap Bhanu Mehta, President and Chief Executive, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi     ‘In this vividly written page-turner, Manu Bhagavan recovers a moment of extraordinary possibilities … [and] renews the study of how human rights norms were put on paper, with great consequences for their revival today’ – Samuel Moyn, Author of The Last Utopia: Human Rights in History     ‘[A] book that should be required reading for all who care about the potential of India to advance human rights and international justice’ – Jonathan Fanton, Emeritus Chair of the Board of Human Rights Watch and President Emeritus of the MacArthur Foundation     ‘Brilliantly researched and vividly written, Manu Bhagavan’s study of India’s role in the ongoing quest for human rights is a life-enhancing book urgently needed now … As we contemplate this moment of violent insanity on every continent, alternative paths toward peace in a world united for justice are herein profoundly illuminated’ – Blanche Wiesen Cook, Author of Eleanor Roosevelt, vols 1-3