THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING A MANMOHAN SINGH

During the confidence vote, a comparatively assertive Prime Minister told that Leader of the opposition Sri Advani should hereafter consult more professional astrologers his previous ones having given wrong predictions. But judging from the happenings, I wonder if Dr.Singh enjoys the benevolence of all the planets in his horoscope more than any other politician.

Dr.Singh when chosen by Ms.Sonia Gandhi was the unlikeliest of all candidates which included a loyalist Arjun Singh who was de facto no.2 in Narasimha Rao cabinet, a more matured Pranab Mukherjee who was bidding his time since Indira Gandhi’s assassination and once who signed Dr. Singh’s appointment order to the post of RBI Governor. The traits that won him the coveted post were his unimpeachable integrity a trait he shares jointly with perhaps A.K.Antony, having no mass base like many other old timers in Congress party, no ambitions like say perhaps Sonia’s closest ally Shivraj Patil and unlike Sharad Pawar, an economist of international repute- a rare quality among our politicians, a scholar at par with perhaps the late Narasimha Rao and Sonia Gandhi thought him to be the best bet among all likely candidates and we were fortunate to have a trained economist at the helm of affairs and despite his dalliance with Nehuruvian socialism when he was RBI Governor he preached for a more open liberal economy to integrate our country with the world economy.

Ever since he occupied the Akbar Road Residence of the Prime Minister, friends and foes alike gave him benefit of doubt in every matter concerning politics. One Yashwant Sinha alone described him in uncharitable terms as being a Sikhandi. When unholy alliances were sewed in people said that Dr.Singh has no choice but to abide by whatever 10 Janpath says in such matters But no one criticized Dr.Singh when he sewed an alliance with SP a party Ms.Sonia loves to hate. This was the un holiest alliances of all the time and yet people gave him credit for calling the lefts’ bluff. Even Sonia Gandhi should have been astonished at his new found aggression. When allies fought for plum cabinet posts, taking away his prerogative to nominate Ministers to his council, people blamed it on 10 Janpath. When corruptions charges were leveled against some of his colleagues and PM chose to close his eyes shut, people put the blame on 10 Janpath as if this man could do no wrong. He lied in India’s Parliament that the Government will not sign the Indo US nuclear deal without its permission but signed it nevertheless upon left withdrawing support and he managing to win the trust vote by questionable means. Yet the friendly speaker bailed him out stating that he committed no breach of privilege. Contrast this with US where perjury is a serious crime for which Clinton was about to be impeached. This is not so in the land of Mahatma Gandhi. Wads of currency were shown by elected representatives in the august house prior to voting in the confidence vote, but a friendly parliamentary panel gives clean chit to the obvious perpetrator Amar Singh. Dr. Singh comes unscathed yet again.

Then suddenly the economic turmoil catches the world. Respectable Investment bankers duck under the cover, filing for bankruptcy and praying federal bail outs. To a large extent our economy is insulated but this not because of Dr.Singh but despite his and his teams efforts in mindless liberalization. For the first time, Dr.Montek singh Ahuluwalia acknowledges that after all western ideas are not worth emulating and praises bank nationalization a first step of socialist India. PM dares to speak otherwise at G-20 summit claiming that he and his team were aware of the writing on the wall. If this is not unadulterated lie nothing else qualifies to be called so.

If a person can retain the aura even after such scandals – favorable disposition of planets and stars in the horoscope alone can offer a credible explanation. Are they not ? May be Dr.Singh may not make it again but his tenure has proved that Luck plays a very important role in a man’s destiny. Dr.Singh has been the luckiest of all. He has been the most powerful man in India with no accountability to any one. May be because he knew this before hand, he chose to be a Rajya Sabha MP rather than getting elected to Lok Sabha.