The Unhappy Sardar

It is ironical how many people just refuse to get it.

Take for example case of our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, or to be more precise infantile fascination of our middle class with dubious legacy of gentle doctor.

Let’s deconstruct the man.

First consider the myth or at any rate embellished narrative of economic liberalization.
Manmohan Singh is hailed as the architect of 1991 reform.
This is wrong, on two counts

First India reformed not because her leaders had a moment of clarity, but because World Bank made them do so.

Second, the idea of reform was not brought down by Manmohan Singhji from some mountain. In addition to being a pre-condition of the World Bank loans, there were many economists and politicians since time of Chacha Nehru who vociferously pointed out the folly of central planning and socialism. Instead they advocated adopting free market and capitalism for much needed industrial growth, that is to say reform as a prescription to “secular rate of growth” was not really unknown.

However vote bank politics and vice like grip of socialists meant that even when the follies of Nehru were realized, Indian leaders (to be precise Gandhi Dynasty) continued on the path of bankruptcy. If credit for reforms should go to anyone it should go to P. V. Narsimha Rao because it was due to his backing that bureaucrat turned politician Manmohan Singh could achieve what he did. Hence to call Manmohan Singh architect of reform is pure exaggeration.

Second, a Prime Minister is supposed to lead the country. He is also supposed to present a cogent image of government’s policy and most important he is supposed to support his ministers to the hilt in implementation of the policy. When Prime Minister fails to carry out what is expected to him, he is a failure. It is immaterial if he is a poet or surgeon or economist or noble laureate or reincarnation of Bhagwan VishnuGod.

From failing to prevent disastrous reservation policy, to tax and spend welfare schemes, to dismal state of infrastructure, to return of state interference, Manmohan is a failure without a question. His regimen reminds one of Sleepy Gowda or clueless Gujral. Last two years have seen gradual erosion of central authority, emergence of parallel power centres, ministers (of Congress and Allies) pursuing populist and divisive politics to further their narrow agenda.

And yet Manmohan Singh emerges unscathed out of this mess.
Somehow Manmohan Singh on account of his white kurtas is absolved of any blame, instead his image of a gentle academician is used to create a false and most pernicious dichotomy of a noble Manmohan Singh thwarted by villains of the story that is overambitious and cussed ministers, of Congress and allies.

Granted that ELM has shed even any pretense of neutrality and joined the court of 10 Janpath, but when the breakdown of governance is apparent to all, shouldn’t the leadership of Manmohan Singh and what is more the man himself should be put under scanner ? Shouldn’t the question be if the governance is rotten what does it say about Manmohan Singh. If blame for failure is to be put anywhere it should not be on individual ministers, it should be on Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi.

Sooner the Indian middle class comes out of self induced delusions, the better it will be for India.