India has changed dramatically since Manmohan Singh was our prime minister for a decade. His contribution to an economically emergent India must indeed be accepted by the most passionate exponents of new India. None other could have steered so adroitly a state-dominated economy to the reality and opportunity of market forces.
Liberalisation of the economy came with a carefully crafted social safety net with trappings of a social welfare state. Singh’s stewardship of our democracy will be remembered as a living example of Baba Bhimrao Ambedkar’s caution to the constituent assembly that the constitution is as good as the people who implement its vision.
I had the privilege to be part of Singh’s council of ministers when he led the United Progressive Alliance I (UPA I) to a resounding victory in the general elections of 2009. The ground for a successful second tenure had been laid in five years and it remained to build upon the foundations that had been laid. He used to speak often about the terms of trade needing to be shifted to the agriculture sector. Even as that required fundamental restructuring, immediate intervention was achieved by the over Rs 70,000 crore loan waiver for farmers, perhaps the single most important factor in re-electing UPA.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or MGNREGA (employment guarantee) was to be a cherry on the cake with added welfare benefits like Right to Education or RTE (free and compulsory education), National Rural Health Mission or NRHM (free health care) and finally the new Land Acquisition Act that introduced the far sighted scheme for equitable compensation and rehabilitation.
What is often said about China, that economic reforms did not come with political reforms might be applied with modification to India, in that economic reforms were sought to be stalled by democratic deficit. Dissent was turned into disruption. The very political system was brought under disrepute. The Congress, itself born in satyagrah, was subjected to unrelenting civil disobedience.
Suddenly all the farsighted measures for equitable growth were obscured as exaggerated, even false claims of corruption shattered the sublime welfare state edifice. What has emerged from the disruption is there for all to see and no propaganda can deny the damage being done to the liberal worldview inspired by former prime minister Singh.
The hard sell histrionics of contemporary divisive politics cannot erase the comforting memory of the age of equity and enterprise he has left us as his legacy. But of course he must have agonised about how distortion and disinformation has been resorted to in recent years. Much as we all mourn his passing and feel the emergence of a philosophical and psychological void in our national life, we cannot but sense that it must be great relief for him not to see his dream of a happy and wholesome society being torn apart. As we engage to protect the soul of India and preserve our constitution, he will not be there to gently share wisdom and sagacity to provide courage and conviction.
On a personal plane, I cannot but remain eternally grateful that Singh gave me his trust in representing the prime minister at the Colombo Commonwealth Conference as indeed the Nuclear Conference right in the middle of 2014 general elections. The delicate moments of the UN Human Rights Commission vote on Sri Lanka and the Pranab Mukherjee-led negotiations with India Against Corruption, the gentle debriefing and instruction exchange opportunities he gave were typical of his generous, teacher-like personality that left a mark on all our colleagues who served under him.
Also read: Manmohan Singh: Humility, Unwavering Integrity, Dedication to Public Service Set Global Benchmark
Foreign policy as well as social policy were always foremost in his mind even though the world celebrated his deep grasp of economics. We were in very difficult times when social and economic coalitions were strained and excessively demanding. Former US President Barack Obama has said, “When Dr Singh speaks, the world listens.” Sadly, we chose not just to not listen, but even to talk back.
In robust defence of secularism, he spoke up for the rights of minorities, admitted by Sachar Committee to be most vulnerable and disadvantaged. A noble, humanistic sentiment was cynically twisted into appeasement. He chose not to interfere with law taking its course and was attacked for being ineffective. He showed respect to the Congress president and the party, brought upon himself the charge of not being independent. His refined intellect and unimpeachable character made him an ‘accidental prime minister’ but for people who care about the future of our children he was a providential prime minister.
He has left a high water mark for public figures of the future in terms of gentle personal attributes and high intellectual character. Politics, people say, has fallen to abysmal depths of degradation and deviousness. If there are yet some star gazers left, they will spot a shining star in the sky with features of decency, dignity, dedication, erudition, devotion to the nation, named Manmohan Singh. May we chart our course ahead, always guided by that star.
Salman Khurshid is a former external affairs minister of India.
