Roxna Swamy is a lawyer. Her book on her husband, Evolving with Subramanian Swamy, a rollercoaster ride, has drawn eyeballs. In a spicy chat Book Link tells the author, your book has some excellent material, especially the emergency heroics of Swamy for a Bollywood thriller. Any plans for a film? ‘I would love to see all this on a big screen. In fact, some people have shown interest in this. It’s still in formative stage. Would be happy if it materialises’, says Roxna.

Question: Dr Swamy himself is so outspoken, then why a book?
Answer: You mean the purpose of writing this book. Well, it’s there in the preface. On the 30th anniversary of Emergency in July 2016, BBC called me for an interview. I usually don’t give interviews. I agreed on a condition that they will have to mention that one emergency incidence – Vajpayee’s reaction to Swamy’s role in 1975-77! But BBC did not include that part. I thought this part needs to be told. So, first I thought of writing an article on this, but then who would publish that article? So I decided to pen this book. No publisher agreed to publish the book in the current form, so I self-published it.

So, was this the sole reason for writing the book? Highlighting Vajpayee’s reaction to Swamy’s role in Emergency?

No, this was not the sole reason. The admirers of Swamy should also know what there is to know. I have dedicated this book to the admirers of Swamy.

Why is Swamy 2000 missing from the book?

That’s already known! Also too much details would bore the readers. In fact, a famous practicing lawyer told me that the court cases dealt with in the book are boring. Now, if a lawyer says this, then imagine the reaction of people without legal background.

Were you ever interested in politics?

No. In fact I was not keen about Swamy joining politics. We didn’t have any background in politics. There was deep suspicion in my mind. Swamy, if left in peace, would have done awesome in academics. He has worked with Nobel laureates in Economics.

Battling Emergency, cancellation of appointments at D school and IIT, to a plethora of cases, where does the strength come from?

We were brought up in an atmosphere which imbibed the intrinsic value of Human Rights within us. It is no longer hidden that those values were sabotaged during emergency. That’s where it all started.

Roxna remembers the Emergency

This is Swamy’s 6th term as MP. Your book says that some of the top leaders of BJP are apprehensive of him, so did the current nomination surprise you?

No, I wasn’t surprised. See, if you are not a part of the elite club then you are an outcaste. For long Swamy was not invited to any conference despite his academic credentials. But he is smart enough to make a way for himself.

Do you plan to write any other book or any new ventures in pipeline?

I’m 75! Let things go the way they are.