The decade of 1990's was the most tumultuous time in the Indian history. Lack of strong political leadership, factional politics at the national level with the emergence of regional parties, success of caste and religion as the key determinants in elections - have all the elements that could have taken India in the same direction of Pakistan as it is today.
But, that did not happen. Economically India was in biggest crisis. Indian youth were with out direction. There was no private investment in the country to motivate any entrepreneurship of any kind.
Bureaucracy was at it's height of inefficiency. There was no accountability in the system. All speed breakers for the progress of the nation in the right direction, were in the national interest.
Pakistan was the peer nation on one side and Bangladesh on the other side - politically, economically and socially. We were at the mercy of Russia and on a cold war with United States of America. Most of the Indians did not even know China beyond, 1962 war.
Then came the so called weakest leader in the history of India. For 5 years from 1991, PV Narasimha Rao changed the destiny of the nation and with his political leadership - ensured that economic reforms that were initiated are irrevocable. In the five years, India moved away from Russia, understood China, realised Pakistan and Bangladesh were only noisy neighbours with whom we have to live for ever. Bureaucracy was destroyed to a larger extent, the new generations become confident about their future, for the first time in the 50 years of history. Indians were seeing the other side of the coin with the free and liberalised press and television, Mobile phones. For all that, PV lived rest of his life around courts pleading guilty of various allegations. His own congress party stripped him off all dignity even in his death. Though he was cleared by all courts before his death, he was a political orphan.
With out any doubt, the other part of the 1990's belonged to the tallest Indian leader in the contemporary India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. If PV put the resurgent India in the right direction, it is Vajpayee - who took India further ahead. Despite his RSS origins - Vajpayee is no doubt still the darling of the secular India. He is the only one leader who can still command respect across the length and breadth of the country in every class of the society. Despite the limited knowledge of Hindi, I am a fan of Vaypayee speeches. I never ever found him extreme in his views. Nor during his tenure of the PM, never he acted in that direction. Even in the case of Gujarat rights, Vajpayee was not happy with Narendra Modi and wanted to take action. Yet, his ideological background and other forces in the party stopped him.
If Mr Manhohan Singh is enjoying all the honour and pride at White House, Washington, it is the time for Mr Singh to realise that it is Vaypayee who gave him the honour in front of Obama or Bush. If Singh is enjoying the luxury and comfort in the G-7's and G-20's it is PV and Vajpayee who gave him the that privilege. If Manhoman can talk down Pakistan it is Vajpayee who game him the command. If Mr Singh can talk about the 7-10% GDP growth is PV and Vajpayee who gave him that confidence.
Today, if in the Babri Masjid case - Vaypayee is indicted in the Liberhan commission report I wonder where India is going. The two leaders who steered India out of one of the worst crisis - are branded like this, and falsified for one reason in this manner, I wonder who else, other than with a Gandhi tag could survive in this country at top without blemishing their image?
Now, that Vajpayee is indicted, I wonder I too may be extremist Hindu - at least in the eyes of Liberhan commission and I think like me, most of the Hindu Indians.
Mr Manmohan Singh, do remember you are also not a Gandhi! Who will apologise to Vajpayee?
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