Thursday, September 1, 2011

Will the real Manmohan Singh please stand up?

That's this week's article. You'll find it here. As usual, I struggled to squeeze all I wanted to say and ended up chopping a few angles. Like the paradox of being the clean leader of the dirtiest government in Indian history. Also, I'm nonplussed by the number of friend requests I'm getting on FB from people I don't know. These are people who've read my blog posts. And they don't even include a line of introduction/context in their friendship request. How is one supposed to respond? And wouldn't LinkedIn be a better forum for such requests? Anyway, the next hot topic - perhaps a fad - in Indian politics is Right to Recall. It's interesting if nothing else. As always, I look forward to your feedback and wish you well.

3 comments:

  1. Parthasarathi sir's comment via email:

    Eshwar,
    Nice read though much of what you have written is public knowledge but you have put it interestingly.
    In the olden days of USSR, the Communist Party Secretary was the real power with its PM a non entity unlike in India when Jawaharlal was PM, the Congress President was a nominee of Jawaharlal or a powerless voice from the party. The PM was the only important functionary then.Indira Gandhi was everything rolled in one. Now during Manmohan Singh’s tenure as PM, the role is reversed with the real power vesting with the Chairman of UPA with the PM playing a second fiddle.The driving force of the UPA government naturally is to remain in power acquiscising to the pressures of wily partners in the alliance.As a result PM has no say in the selection of ministers, composition of cabinet, allocation of portfolios or appointment of ministers to crucial committees that do the regular work. When the shots are called by someone else, there is little point in blaming the good man except questioning his prudence to continue in such circumstances. Even his own ministers dared to defy him. The power to PM will return completely when someone from the first family takes over. Till then this unhealthy arrangement will continue. There is little point in asking MMS to stand up when everyone knows he has been propped up as a temporary arrangement.
    kind regards,
    KP

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  2. Maybe he was always mediocre. Too much is made about his bringing India out of bankruptcy in 1991. But he really had no choice at that time and any other semi-competent minister would have done what he had done.

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  3. Maybe you're right. And his second tenure as a PM has, unfortunately, negated a good deal of his past achievements.

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