An Unusual raja

In this book Apa Pant writes about his father, Raja Bhawanrao, ruler of Aundh – an unusual tale of an unusual Raja.

Starting with a description of how the Raja came to rule over Aundh — a princely State in western India — the author recounts the events leading to the historic meeting between the Raja and the Mahatma which resulted in a unique constitutional experiment. 

Mahatma Gandhi's ideas about how he envisioned democracy in India, and how these ideas took concrete shape in the Aundh experiment — these form the crux of the book.

As the experiment began to bear fruit in the form of a responsible electorate, the Quit India movement engulfed the country. The role that Aundh and its Raja played in aiding the forces of resistance in the turbulent days that followed, is colourfully described.

The Aundh experiment in decentralized democracy ended over forty years ago — yet it continues to be relevant, particularly at a time when the problems caused by excessive centralisation of governmental powers are begin recognized the world over.

The valuable appendix includes letters from Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel.