From resilient economist to a reluctant politician

Hittu Saluja

Crowd pulling charisma or fiery speeches - qualities that make a political leader hardly fit the bill when one talks of our unassuming Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. He is called a non-politician heading a polity. His words don’t forget basic graciousness, his language doesn’t antagonize; his deeds don’t script propaganda against the filibustering Opposition. But then that’s what the PM is innately about. The above description may leave most of us in a dilemma as to whether it really describes a politician- reflecting the cynicism deeply seated in our hearts for the very word. Therefore he comes as a refreshing change! A Prime Minister who can be described to have the most ideal qualifications like honesty, integrity, wit and intellect, is yet and unfortunately so criticized the most. Perhaps because of his unpretentious straightforward ways. An economist, not a politician! Being an economist is of course not a disqualification but not being a politician is a severe one for the Prime Minister of the biggest democracy. Especially in the era of coalition politics. No one on the earth can doubt his ability as an economist and an administrator but politics is a different ball game. A game in which, perhaps Dr Manmohan Singh is an amateur. This mild mannered technocrat’s first baby step in politics was quite bold when he accepted former PM P V Narasimha Rao’s proposal to resuscitate an almost drowned economy. He was raised to the pedestal of Finance Minister from where he ushered in drastic economic reforms that changed the course of India’s development. Once, in an interview, he said “I thought that this would be really exciting even though lots of my friends advised me to turn it down. They said I was heading for trouble, that I wouldn`t last there for six months.” He claimed in confidence, “Of course, I was not new to the world of politics. I have dealt with politicians ever since I came into the government in 1971. I have seen many Prime Ministers, many Finance Ministers.” But the fact of the matter is that be it the issue of Ram Setu or Office of Profit or reservation row or Natwar Singh’s alleged involvement in the Volker scam or Quatrocchi’s extradition, political pundits have expressed reservations on his skills to tackle astutely complex political problems. His silence on crucial issues has alluded him the stature of an impressive pivotal leader. He marginally clears routine political tests and with coalition partners breathing down his neck most of the time. With a highly charged Communist ally, a group of tainted ministers and a volatile opposition, Manmohan Singh has never played the role of a saviour. Mostly he has left it to Sonia Gandhi to circumvent through political whirlpools. Nominated Prime Minister The biggest disqualification that critics find in case of the present premier is that he is a selected, not an elected, Prime Minister. In fact, he was pitched into the sub continent’s most critical seat by his party supremo Sonia Gandhi. He was not an aspirant during the 14th Lok Sabha elections but the ‘anomaly’ occurred because Sonia’s status of a foreign origin drew flak from the Opposition. She refused the job and thus the PM’s post fell in Dr. Manmohan Singh’s lap. Dual centre of power Dr Singh may deny it but the question often put to him is “Mr. Prime Minister, are you really the Prime Minister?” It is often perceived that the road to 7, Race Course goes via 10, Janpath. The reason is not the lack of ability but an obligation more obvious than genuine. From the allocation of portfolios to crucial policy matters to major national issues, it is believed that the actual decisions are taken by Sonia Gandhi and finally conveyed by Manmohan Singh. Even unhappy ministers prefer rushing to her with their complaints and problems instead of following protocol- approaching the “designated” PM. Does it mean that the country is run by two Prime Ministers? Dr Singh defended his position by saying, “Maybe those who raise the issue (of Prime Ministerial authority) are unaware of this framework. Maybe they think other parties function like theirs, allowing shadowy organisations to interfere in the work of elected governments. That has not been the culture of the Congress party". Not even an elected MP The fact may sound unusual but still remains a fact – the Prime Minister has never ever won a popular election. Instead he has been nominated for the Upper House of Parliament twice. Well, from Assam! He is the only Indian PM who has never been an elected member of the Lower House of Parliament. Ironically, the only time he contested the Lok Sabha elections, he lost. That too from South Delhi, the most prosperous constituency of the country with supposedly an educated and well informed electorate. He was pitched in for the seat because of his integrity, his track record, his remarkable success as the Finance Minister who brought India back from the edge of bankruptcy and introduced crucial economic reforms. The defeat was therefore more a poor reflection on the voting than the Manmohan Singh the candidate. It was a sad day for Indian democracy that a man of impeccable integrity and ability was kept out while hordes of corrupt and criminal elements are voted in to the house repeatedly. “Too weak to rule”? His once dead-sure critics are perplexed to see that Manmohan has somehow survived for three years as Prime Minister. And could complete his tenure if the Left allows. Stacked with predictions about the affable and shy politician, most concluded he would be a big flop before the beginning. They tagged him a ‘too weak to rule’ leader. Meanwhile, his track record has been fluctuating since he has held the top position. In the first year, Manmohan Singh rated himself 6/ 10 saying, “On the side of governance and policy-making, I do not wish to claim more than what is our due. I am not satisfied with what we have been able to do in terms of implementing new policy initiatives.” This was unlike a political leader who would have claimed glory with hundreds of bold promises and vows. His upfront honesty in assessing himself also came in for criticism from some quarters of his party itself. By the third year, the PM had wisened but finds himself in a quagmire of problems mostly created by his coalition partners. Purveyor of Indo-US nuclear deal What no one imagined confounded the Left as well. Our very soft-spoken, mild-tempered Prime Minister delivered a blow to the Red allies by asking them "to do whatever they want to do." In an interview he reiterated, “If they (Left) want to withdraw support, so be it...” What is being touted as one of the most intelligently negotiated deals has precipitated into the worst-ever political crisis for UPA government. This has proved to be the most rigorous deadlock within the UPA leading to fears of early Lok Sabha polls. The Manmohan Singh led UPA knows that the Left is not just their compulsion; they are equally valuable. The deadlock persists with Left toning down their criticism and Congress treading down cautiously on the deal’s implementation. Architect of India’s economic reforms In his maiden speech as Finance Minister he famously quoted Victor Hugo - "No power on Earth can stop an idea whose time has come". And the idea of Manmohan Singh actually came to PV Narasimha Rao. During his stay in the late Prime Minister’s cabinet as the Finance Minister, he successfully steered the economy through troubled waters. He countered the balance-of payment crisis by pioneering liberalization in India. He arranged for the cash reserves to meet the country’s monetary needs from the Bank of England. He strongly advocated "mixed economy model" for India. He supported government-owned companies for the public welfare and to build in public infrastructure and agriculture. Singh promoted privatization but not on the cost of profit-yielding public projects. He maintained that Indian economy should present a blend- well equipped state-run companies and healthy private competition. He opened the nation’s doors to foreign direct investment. He simplified the cumbersome taxation system and restricted the knotty the practice of red tape. He further took the impeded economic growth to higher level by ending the "License Raj". His 1991 moves placed the economy back on the track and stimulated industries. He checked inflation and invigorated growth rates. The economy, under Manmohan Singh`s stewardship, grew at a steady 7% per annum. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is a major achievement for Manmohan Singh government. The very policy is believed to have received positive response.A leaf from Dr Manmohan Singh’s life Thinking about what could have inspired Dr Manmohan Singh to study economics perhaps lies in the fact that he knows what deprivation means. Talking about himself once he said, “From the beginning, as a thinking student of 15, 16 years ago, I was troubled by the grim poverty that I saw around me.” Born on September 26, 1932, in a village in the Punjab province of undivided India, Dr Singh is a migrant who experienced the grief of the bloody partition of India in 1947. Undaunted by circumstances, he worked hard and earned scholorships. He is today the most educated Prime Minister of India. Dr Singh graduated from Punjab University, Chandigarh and also did his post-graduation there. He then went on to study in St John College of Cambridge University and earned his PhD from Oxford University (Nuffield College). The University of Oxford and , the University of Cambridge also awarded him an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree in June 2005 and in October 2006 respectively. The journey for Dr. Manmohan Singh from a career bureaucrat to a professor to an economist to finally the Prime Minister has not been a cake walk. But at the same time he is a distinguished personality in the public domain with the rarest of rare quality of ‘Mr. Clean’. High hopes are pinned on him for correction of his image from an inactive to a dynamic leader. Perhaps future years will unfold this facet of our down-to-earth PM.