A MENTOR AND HIS PUPIL
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A MENTOR AND HIS PUPIL

Our Prime Minister probably would never have thought in his lifetime to have occupied this position. He was catapulted to media glare at the height of our financial crisis when a minority Government headed by late Sri PV Narasimha Rao assumed office as the man to handle the nations'finances. World Bank was breathing behind our back and we are about to default on interest payments. Sri Narasimha Rao declared that he would like to be remembered as the Development Prime Minister. He thought the best way to handle the situation was to bring in an apolitical economist as Finance Minister to take hard decisions so that in case they succeed, the government would take credit and if it fails, the FM could be made the scape goat. I am sure any other FM would have done only precisely that as mandated by World Bank and IMF with the PM firmly backing the actions. But had been a political person, it would have carried far greater risk of credibility. The gamble paid off handsomely and we were able to come out of shackles of a self imposed closed economy under Nehruvian Model of mixed economy. Neo rich people increased in numbers and were demanding and fuelling a consumption growth for white goods. More and more MNCS set up shops in India after George Fernandez as India's Industry minister saw the back of many of them almost 3 decades back. This widened the gap between the rich and poor and that is another issue for a lengthy debate.

Dr Singh has many similarities with PV Narasimha Rao. Dr. Singh has no charisma and can not win votes for the party. PVN also had no charisma and was a miserable failure in AP as CM before Channa Reddy saw him off to Delhi. Rao had to fight elections from Nanded in Maharashtra, Behrampur in Orrisa to make it to the Loksabha forgetting Nandyal which was gifted to the Telugu bidda by NTRama Rao. PVN when he became PM also was Party President and in the Tirupati session saw his opponents winning CWC elections handsomely much to his chagrin. Arjun Singh, Antony won handsomely while chamchas like Jitendra Prasada and RK Dhawans barely managed to get elected. Rao asked his cronies to resign in order to recast the CWC with adequate representation to Minorities and Women. Others had to follow suit and Rao nominated them again in Indira Gandhi fashion even though he was no Indira Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi it is said, chose PVN as he was an old loyalist. It was alleged that when Charan Singh arrested Indira Gandhi in the jeep scandal, she had given a piece of paper with her chosen nominee of leader which was PVN. Moreover, PVN had no grass root support and he was seen not be a serious threat to Nehru family much like the Syndicate thought of Indira Gandhi. PVN was shrwed enough to keep Sonia always at a distance using cronies like VC Shukla to talk about Bofors ghost every now and then. For all his acumen, PVN was very much the modern day chanakya who defeated his own king by supporting chandragupta Maurya. PV was sure that so long as UP remains out of reach for his party, Nehru family can not dominate the party or the government. He chose to be silent when Sangh Parivar had decided to pull the Babri Masjid under the garb of Kar seva, Barely months ago, PV pulled a coup of sorts when a group of VHP sadhus listned to his sane advice and did only a symbolic kar seva. But this time armed with full mandate by the National Integration council to do whatever he could to prevent the mosque from razed down by  and the Supreme Court demanding the UP Government to safe guard the mosque Rao turned the other way when hooligans did the unthinkable - razed down the mosque. Ek Dhaka Aur Dho screamed Sadhvi Rithambara and Uma Bharti when a galaxy of BJP stalwarts watched almost in total disbelief the mosque being pulled down the repurcussions of which still reverbarates in the country.  PV did this to ward off the Nehru clan from becoming a threat. I believe PV would most certainly have regretted this decision of his although he claimed to have been fooled by BJP.

Dr.Singh became Prime Minister under similar circumstances. This time there were few contenders. Pranab was always treated with suspicion, Antony had no all india appeal and Chidambaram was yet to grow in stature. When the foreigner issue cropped up and Pawar walked out with motely of supporters, Sonia did the wise thing to give up her claim instead annoint Dr Singh an academic with impeccable integrity. This time also Sonia's calculations had gone wrong. Dr. Singh has been a monumental disaster as PM but he had a very friendly media. <Media pilloried PVN for his JMM bribery issue which helped his government to survive a no confidence vote, even the SC declared him guilty while exonerating the bribe takers under constitutional immunity. But in the cash for vote scam where money played a far greater role inthe  confidence vote that Dr.Singh won, the PM has never been accused of foul play while Amar Singh, Sudheendra Kulkarni have been arrested. UPA won a second mandate to govern because of pro poor policies like MNREGS and RTI and other empowering tools. Dr. Singh thought that it was he who was responsibile for the second innings. He never trusted his cabinet colleagues and trusted bureaucrats with  the result that policy decisions of ministries were questioned by bureaucrats. Institutions like CAG dared to question policy decisions quoting bureacratic file notings. Even an independent regulator like TRAI was threatened by the official dom. The result is that utter chaos prevails and decision making has been the casualty. You had the PM who chose to blame it to coaliation compulsions. He could have if he thought he is being overlooked by his own minister stood his ground as he did while the no confidence motion was there against Indo US nuclear deal.

So many people including SC talk much about his letter to his Telecom minister to ensure transparency and go for auction of spectrum since some telecom companies had complained him of the alleged partisan role of the minister. But tell me the minister was following the settled New Telecom policy which had placed improving tele density even at the cost of revenue. the earlier players had got the spectrum- start up spectrum to be precise free. What about level playing field if the later day entrants were asked to pay a market determined price? IF the PM had thought that the policy needed to be revisted at the best he could have convened a cabinet meeting and got his idea endorsed to enforce on his Minister. His writing a mere letter to ensure transparancy has no constitutional sanction . Parliamentary democracy demands that decisions on policy matters are taken after due deliberations in a cabinet meeting. If PM could take policy decisions on his own what is the purpose of cabinet?  Again this another matter,.

I have always believed having a non political person as head of Government is not a good idea. They can be only advisors to a Government and never take up the mantle of leadership. Dr. Singh has proved himself to be such a poor leader that we have had one of the worst form of mis governance in all these years. The irony is Dr, Singh has come clean on this moral, ethical and governance deficit issues while the party will have to pay the price in the elections. sooner he is replaced, UPA will be saved.

 

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