The betrayals of 1962 and 1965; the steel tests of Shastri; the making and unmaking of Indira; Morarji’s castle of sands; the real culprits behind the massacre of 1984; the deep-seated conspiracy behind the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi; Rao’s gambits; Vajpayee’s fate; the decline of the Congress and the emergence of the BJP from the womb of the Ayodhya tragedy. A mirror to modern India—flawed, fervent, fractured, yet forging ahead.
I, Witness is the saga of a nation reborn from the ashes of Partition—scarred, yet unbroken—rising through trials and tribulations to become one of the world’s most vibrant and enduring democracies.
Entwined with this national journey is the life of a man born at the dawn of India’s new age, on 15 August 1950—an eyewitness to its triumphs and traumas, a chronicler from within the corridors of power. With the dual lens of journalist and a political thinker, Shahid Siddiqui stood as a rare observer—shaped not only by the events he reported but also by the very forces that forged modern India. This memoir, distinct from others of its kind, bears the mark of one who lived history, not merely recorded it.
In his singular voice, Siddiqui recalls encounters with the titans of Indian politics—portraying them not as distant icons, but as fallible beings, their virtues and vices laid bare. With all their flaws and frailties, these figures—by design or default—helped shape an India that strives to be inclusive, resilient and democratic.
I, Witness invites the reader on a compelling journey through the shifting landscape of post- Independence India, recounted with the unflinching honesty and the nuanced perspective of an Indian Muslim who has walked the margins and the mainstream.
In this tapestry woven of memory and history, Siddiqui unveils the silent struggles and unspoken tales that have shaped both a people and a nation—sometimes steadfast as a stone in unity, at other times torn asunder by the rifts of religion, region, caste or tongue. Yet, in the crucible of crisis, when shadows loomed and trials mounted, they cast aside their divisions, remembering, above all, that they are one.
Historical Turning Points Covered:
• The betrayals of 1962 and 1965
• The leadership tests of Lal Bahadur Shastri
• The rise and fall of Indira Gandhi
• Morarji Desai’s unstable government
• The hidden culprits of the 1984 massacre
• The conspiracy behind Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination
• P.V. Narasimha Rao’s political manoeuvres
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s political journey
• The decline of Congress and the rise of BJP from the Ayodhya tragedy
A Portrait of Modern India:
• Flawed, fervent, fractured—yet forging ahead
• A nation reborn from Partition, scarred but unbroken
• Rising through trials to become a vibrant democracy
Unique Perspective:
• Honest, unfiltered accounts of India’s political titans—flawed and human
• A nuanced view from an Indian Muslim navigating both margins and mainstream
A National Journey through Personal Memory:
• Unveils silent struggles and untold stories
• Reflects on unity and division—across religion, region, caste and language
• A testament to the spirit of a nation that remembers its oneness in times of crisis
Shahid Siddiqui is a journalist and editor of the popular weekly Urdu newspaper Nai Duniya. He has served as a member of Rajya Sabha, representing the state of Uttar Pradesh from 2002 to 2008. Born in 1950 in Ballimaran in Delhi, Siddiqui has stood witness to the making of India, its political and social changes, from close quarters as a journalist, teacher, activist and political scientist in the last 75 years.
Siddiqui started his political career in the Indian National Congress (INC), where he served as Chairman of the Congress Minority Department from 1997 to 1999. After leaving the INC in 1999, he joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) in the same year; he served as National General Secretary of the party from 2002 to 2008, and later as general secretary of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for a brief period. He rejoined SP in 2012, and finally moved away from active politics the same year after a fallout with the party over a political interview he conducted in his capacity as a journalist.
Known for his unabashed stances on journalistic ethics, Siddiqui launched his first fortnightly magazine Waqiat in 1971. He did a master’s in political science in 1974 and became a lecturer at Deshbandhu College under University of Delhi, where he taught till 1986. Apart from his zealous participation in politics and continued dedication to fearless journalism, Siddiqui has an ardent taste for literature, reading and writing. From a young age, he translated several English classics into Urdu and wrote short stories; he published his first English novel The Golden Pigeon in 2014.
