BOOK REVIEW : A BOOK WRITTEN BY GYAN BHADRA
The Advent of a Statesman by Gyan Bhadra is not just a book—it is the echo of a restless Bihar searching for change. With evocative storytelling, the author presents both the wounds and the will of a state long denied its rightful place in India’s growth story.
For decades, Bihar has lived with migration, poor education, floods and droughts, and failing healthcare. These are not mere statistics but lived realities—stories of youth forced to leave home, farmers trapped in cycles of loss, and ordinary people surviving without hope. Into this bleak narrative, the author introduces a figure of possibility—Prashant Kishor, the strategist turned reformer, portrayed as a people’s statesman rather than a conventional politician.
At the heart of the book lies Kishor’s extraordinary 3,500 km padyatra, described less as a political campaign and more as a moral and spiritual journey. Walking village to village, listening, eating with families, and sharing their struggles, Kishor does not stand apart from Bihar’s suffering—he immerses himself in it. Bhadra frames this journey as both a personal awakening and a collective call for transformation.
One of the book’s most striking sections challenges a comforting illusion often repeated outside Bihar: “How can Bihar be struggling when it produces so many IAS, IPS, and IIT toppers?” The author, through Kishor’s observations, punctures this myth. Yes, Biharis succeed—but mostly after leaving Bihar. The glory of Patna Science College hostels once producing civil servants from within the state has given way to students migrating to Kota and Delhi. The message is clear: Bihar does not lack talent—it lacks leadership and nurturing ecosystems.
Stylistically, the book blends reportage, biography, and political reflection. It is less about glorifying Kishor as an individual and more about positioning him as a symbol of what Bihar could achieve under responsive leadership. In Kishor’s rise, Bhadra sees the possibility of rebirth—where governance is rooted in empathy, and politics aligns with people’s aspirations.
In conclusion, The Advent of a Statesman is both a tribute and a manifesto. It reads as Bihar’s cry for dignity and renewal, and as the author’s conviction that Prashant Kishor might embody the statesmanship to make that renewal possible. Whether one agrees with this vision or not, the book compels its readers to re-examine Bihar beyond stereotypes—and to imagine its future afresh.
Author: Gyan Bhadra
e-mail: styleandstrategy@gmail.com
You could purchase this ebook from the link :
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gyan_Bhadra_THE_ADVENT_OF_A_STATESMAN?id=nVCKEQAAQBAJ
This ebook is available in Google Play Store
