Power comes with price

Woven in and around the context of one of the largest politically influenced and ruled countries in the world, whether in a monarchial era or in the so called developed and evolved democracy, Chanakya’s Chant emerges as an outstanding figment of Ashwin Sanghi’s imagination in carving out the characters from India’s unprecedented historical and present political scenario. The basic plot evolves from the time dating back to 2300 year old unanimous and mighty Maurya Empire, and the political Godfather disguised also as an economist, Chanakya. The story switches places between, the original kingmaker Chanakya and his aggressive political measures in crowning his protege Chandragupta Maurya as king, to a contemporary kingmaker Chanakya reincarnated as Gangasagar Mishra and Chandini substituting Chandragupta. The story begins in the backdrop of Mauryan empire with the murder of Paurus; contender for the kingship of Kaikey and Magadh empires and slowly unfolds Chanakya’s ruthlessness, and deceitful ways to win. On the parallel line of Chanakya; Mishra a believer in the great kingmaker’s mantras used everything at his disposal, good or bad, to succeed in his endeavors of taking Chandini to highest position of Prime minister of India. The author has meticulously revealed the fact that the society and political scenario remained as unchanged as the human nature itself. Society still remains divided on the basis of religion, caste, community and economic status and and is eventually exploited and ruled by the golden “Divide and Rule” policy. The basic four principles for winning and ruling over have strengthened rather than diminishing by time, i.e. ruling by intellectual pacifying ‘saam’, by using wealth as a foul means ‘daam’, by the fear of punishment ‘dand’ and by inducing inequality by social discrimination amongst individuals or populations ‘bhed’. The book has a flavor of reality, fiction, history, thriller and romance in calculated proportions that keeps its reader captivated and thrilled till the end. However historical events revolving around Chanakya’s neeti portray Chandragupta as a mere puppet with strings of his moral values and valor in the hands of a master strategist.