Manmohan Singh ji - Is it time to leave the office?

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ji got a choice of question to answer - "why are you leaving?" or "when are you leaving?". Wise people who held a position of such great importance always choose to answer the first question rather than the later. Of course, rarely an Indian Politician choose the opportunity to answer the first question.


But, Dr. Singh is not a politician. He came into politics by accident. But he never mastered them.


When Dr Singh took office four years back, whole nation was elated and proud of a man who changed India in early 90's with his economic reforms. There were high expectations. Everyone thought that Dr Singh could do a miracle and put India on road to success.


Four years down the line the record is blurred. Dr Singh struggled all along to establish himself as a PM. He sounded weakest man in the post since independence. He appeared a stop gap arrangement till the (Rahul) Gandhi Jr is ready to take up his seat. Everyone including Aam admi knows that it is Madam who is writing the screen play and Dr Singh is a actor on the screen. Dr Singh - you are not an actor then, why you got trapped into this game?


The reforms could not be pushed. The social inequalities are growing wider. The rich are getting richer and poor are getting poorer. India became a contrasting story to tell with host of global billionaires and poorest.


While India is getting recognised a raising global power - it simply turned out as a poor cousin of China. As of matter of fact in the past four years, only the rich and speculators on the Bombay Stock exchange have benefited while the dreams of naive investors shattered.


Education and health are becoming expensive even for the middle classes. Infrastructure is collapsing. For every two steps, Dr Singh is forced to take one and half steps backward due to political compulsions.


To hit nail on the top, the inflation ghost has emerged to challenge this Economic Architect of India.


Dr Singh's political mentor, PV Narasimha Rao had a purpose when he became PM. Rao knew what he wanted to do - and did it against all the odds. Dr Singh's predecessor Atal Bihari Vajpayee too knew, that he was destined to do his job and took risks, and left a solid legacy like Rao.


What will be Dr Singh's legacy? Dr Singh lacks the courage of Rao or vision of Vajpayee and in the end, he became a puppet of Madam. Of course everyone will remember him as the most honest and uncorrupted politician in Indian history.


Now the best opportunity has come for our Sardar ji. With imminent failure of the nuclear deal (which Dr Singh considered as his legacy and biggest policy initiative), is it not time for him to leave the office?


Will you choose to answer "why are you leaving?"

22nd June 2008
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