The muffler man has the last laugh

When a national TV channel flashed 67-3, I, for a moment, thought that it was the customary Pakistani score card in a ODI cricket match.  On reconciling with the electoral reading of the Delhi election results, Arvind Kejriwal was declared as the man-of-the-match, who showed in no unequivocal terms that he can sweep and reverse-sweep.  The Delhi verdict clarified that there were few contenders, most of them  comprehensively swept under the rug. The Congress party scored a golden ‘duck’ and the paltry three seats confirmed the BJP humiliation complete.

The common man was taken casually for someone who wears muffler to fight cold and cough. But here is some one who showed he can fight the mighty and the corrupt, too.  Whether the vote is against Modi or Bedi, the clear winner is Arvind Kejriwal, the muffler man had the last laugh. If 1977 were Janata-wave, 1984 Rajiv Gandhi-wave, the 1989 V P Singh-wave, 2015 can be named a “Kejriwal-wave”, partly denting the 2014 modi-wave.  Sniffing that the Bedi-factor may not work, the BJP drafted the entire central leadership for the campaign. The phenomenal political event may well have major consequences for the national domain, as the 67-3 score-card applied the brakes on what looked like an unstoppable pan-India ride to power.  Rarely has there been an occasion in Indian politics when a party scripted such a massive victory, reminding the AIADMK-Congress alliance winning 225/234 seats in 1991.

While this victory is AAP’s defining moment for the future, the 46-year old IITian showed that agenda can outsmart propaganda and desisted from indulging in counter-smear campaign.  Calling him “urban naxalite”, bhagoda (runaway, escapist) and more, never behoved a Prime Minister to get down to name-calling.  When Mani Shankar Aiyar derided the chaiwallah, the PM was backed, but the latter did not replicate the courtesy. A few more vitrolics, AAP would, probably, have scored a centum – 70/70.  The recent attacks on the churches had its share in affecting the BJP’s poll prospects, the muslim-vote seems shifted in AAP’s favour.  Mind you, it is not a photo-finish, but a landslide victory.

Wake-up call

No state election is referendum of central government.  Good or bad central government affects state election results, not vice-versa.  But ensure that it doesn’t become one, as we all know only too well it doesn’t take long for a spark to become an inferno. BJP, nevertheless, exposed its vulnerability in a direct contest. In 2013-14, the Congress party was left bewildered by the AAP which came from nowhere to steal its thunder.  Arvind Kejriwal deserves standing ovation for his dare-devilry in making substantive inroads into the national parties, one after the other.  Though AAP did not win a single seat in Delhi in the Lok Sabha election, Kejriwal remained steadfast to his ground.

The voting pattern showed that it was a mass exodus from Congress to AAP.  Usually a vote lost from Congress goes to BJP.  But this time, it went to AAP, and in a big way. The electorate reckoned that a Congress vote is a wasted vote. Apart from maintaining positive posture, AAP also had the grace to seek apology from the electorate for its earlier missteps. The ‘broom’ swept clean and revived the sinking ship, the democracy, exhibiting the presence of a much-needed opposition.

                                

Modi should take the onus for the Delhi debacle, else there is little to distinguish him from the dynastic ‘Gandhis’.  BJP’s enormous resource base had to give way for the ‘common man’, happily showing democracy is not dead, yet.  Thousands of people including students, lawyers, retired professionals, college professors and housewives see AAP a new phenomenon which renewed their faith for a better future of the common man.  The story of AAP, in fact, is not just its story, but a story of the people, reinventing politics and themselves.

AAP must move beyond fighting corruption.  It is vital for Kejriwal to have a strong cadre before taking policies to the masses. Having said that, running a political party and maintaining a vibrant cadre is tough especially  in national scenario and we have many examples where many parties failed to maintain their establishments and shut their shops after one or two general elections.  Praja Rajyam Party in Andhra Pradesh started by the matinee-idol Chiranjeevi failed to reach its expectations, so is Uma Bharathi’s Bharatiya Jan Shakthi Party.  Former IAS Officer and often considered to be an intellectual bureaucrat Jaya Prakash Narayan’s Lok Satta too could not move into the masses.  These cases show that the vote bank and election foray in India is altogether a different and a difficult game that a person like Arvind Kejriwal needs to tackle with.

The common man’s life has been miserable by the unabated price rise. FMs,  Planning Commission officials and advisory councils have been ad nauseum assuring that the prices will go down, while the common man remains in dark.  If Kejriwal makes even a small difference to the popular perception of politics, he will have done a lot.  And Kejriwal will surely experience for himself the challenge of practising politics without its attendant ills.  People of  Delhi have sent a strong message to the politicians and political parties how they should behave.

If political honesty is oxymoron, Mr. Kejriwal, the mandate has bestowed you a chance to dispute it.

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Miles to go before I sleep... Wake-up call, Rahul

(Image Courtesy: Times of India)

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi was caught napping by the Lok Sabha cameras on Wednesday (09/07/2014).  The nation is awake when Rahul naps.  Could be due to soccer fever?  Is Rahul a football  fan?  Was he giving a live-demo on the significance of power-nap? To his ill-luck, there was no ruckus, parliament was quiet.  Jawaharlal Nehru soon after independence said, “As the world sleeps, India awakens”, little foreseeing that the great-grand son would be sleeping in the House when India was awake.

What is distastefully ridiculous is the sycophants coming to his salvage.  “It is not true.  I totally and categorically deny all aspersions”, said Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi, lamenting that the matter has been “sensationalised”.  Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said that a “trivial and frivolous issue” is being unnecessarily highlighted.  This is not a controversy …. In the last 14 years during my parliament career, I have seen lot many people taking a nap or sleeping or dozing off in parliament…. Sometime people shut their eyes and listen to their speech very patiently.  This must be the case with Rahul Gandhi ….lot many BJP ministers are still sleeping …” said Shukla.  “Many people in parliament close their eyes.  It doesn’t mean they are sleeping” said senior NCP leader Praful Patel.

Consider “nap” for a moment

A power nap works wonders. Studies have shown that short naps can improve mood, alertness and performance. A mini-snooze of 10–20 minutes is recommended for recharging your batteries.  It is far better than overdosing on coffee to try and force oneself to stay awake.  The caffeine is not only less healthy, fact remains there is no equivalent for a meaningful siesta.  Sitting for long at the work spot may not sound like a lot of exertion, but it can wear you out worse than walking all day long.  It has been widely shared that power naps have been found good for rejuvenation, memory and decision-making, apart from cut down on stress.  Don’t misread naps for laziness. 

Some of the great thinkers were seasoned nappers.  John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagon, Albert Einstein … to name a few.  Winston Churchill adopted a sleep schedule for all of World War II, sleeping two hours during the day and five hours at night, and as a result was increasingly alert all through the day.  “That way you will be able to accomplish more”, he said.

Don’t be surprised, napping-breaks will soon replace coffee-breaks and more nap rooms in a few more MNCs. Alternatively, if you drive to work, nothing like that.  Recline the seat; sun-filmed windows can be merrier as you snooze. You can surprise your boss with better productivity.

 

“Every closed eye is not sleeping, and every open eye is not seeing” – Rahul can claim advantage of the quote by American comedian Bill Cosby.

 Let’s hope after every nap, Rahul wakes up  fresh and creative.  On the flipside, silence is golden and nothing is better than nonsense. 


http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/01/frankly-rahul_30.html

Congress, good riddance

“India has won.  Good days are coming again”, tweeted  a beaming and victorious Narendra Modi.

The Congress touched its lowest ever tally in the 16^th Lok Sabha election, raising  serious questions about its political future.  The party failed to open its account in some states and could not reach the double digit in any state.  The 128-year old party has been pulverised, the results corroborating it as a rejection of “dynastic politics”.  The last nail has been hammered on the coffin of the Congress party’s brand.  People showed that they can be ruthless in punishing erring parties.  The Congress party is synonymous with corruption.  On the poll day, the people dutifully discharged their electoral obligations, remembering  2G scam, coalgate, CWG scam, DLF-Vadra scam …. the list is long.

The BJP has finally become an all-India party, winning seats all over the country on its own, not in just a few states.

The Sonia Gandhi’s Congress fought this LS polls not to win, but attempted more on a negative agenda – to prevent Modi  from becoming the PM.  They also mistakenly believed that the Advani-Modi fraction will play to its political gain.  They did not show anything to convince about development, containing inflation and job creation. 

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination over two decades ago created sympathy wave for his widow Sonia Gandhi.  No such tragedy happened this LS polls.  The Nehru-Gandhi label has lost its sheen in India.  This election has recorded more of youth electorate, for many of whom Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi are mere historical figures, and for others also it becoming a distant memory. 

It is also not surprising that Rahul Gandhi, given his political IQ, is unable to bring any significant impact for the Party in the recent polls.

The anti-corruption movement initiated by Anna Hazare and subsequent emergence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) firmly generated the anti-Congress mood.  The 2G scam (2010) triggered the momentum for the impending disaster.  The think-tanks of the Party failed to foresee the writings, let alone take any corrective measures.  They sucked and looted India like parasites.

 A serious wake-up call

It calls for a forthright introspection.  If you think of internal reforms, this is the first reform: Self-critique.  The party is rudderless.  When you are routed in an election so badly as the Congress has been, you might not even see yourself in the Opposition. “Enough was enough” is the resounding message of the people.  A BJP victory can be synonymously dished out as Congress decimation.  Interestingly, the verdict says it loud and clear that no price is to be paid to any LS Member to help forming a government. 

If Modi, in the next  5 years, doesn’t commit any blunders, even if he doesn’t do anything good to the nation, it will be good enough to bury the “dynastic party” to its abysmal depth.

The political role of the Indian National Congress must have been long over.  Mahatma Gandhi demanded this soon after India attained independence.  The Congress today is only a fake avatar of the original Congress party of stalwarts and freedom fighters.  Sadly, the bankruptcy of Congress has seen to it that it had to rely on foreign origin, once led by Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and the likes.

Can new leaders be created?

Is “Charismatic Priyanka” , wife of the land baron who is the very definition of cronyism, the answer for the future  of the Party?  That opens up a bigger debate.  If yes, will it tantamount to undermining the Rahul’s role?    Rahul Gandhi, probably a boy was sent to do a man’s job?  The Gandhian appeal, name and dynasty suddenly and instantly crumbled.  Or, Congress sans dynasty can make a better equation?  Or does the equation opens up a choice of a defunct outfit?

Let the national party sit in the Opposition for a full term and contemplate on quality governance.  A tall ask, of course.  For the Congress, the task is to rediscover itself.  One way is the Party must cooperate in the House.  A rethink from the Party’s perspective is certainly warranted, urgently. 

If you see in a different perspective, the Congress party has no worries about its future.  If Congress tows the Nehru dynasty, the party has no future and has no worries.  Whereas, if it builds up a new party independent of the Nehru family, then it needs to worry about how to contest and win the elections in the future.

It was arrogance to the extreme when the Congress President and Vice-President showed no respect or appreciation of Indian voters for their democratic maturity.  The two have clearly demonstrated that they don’t belong to this land. If any self-respecting Congressmen from the original Indian National Congress  is still left in the Party, he should file a petition with the Election Commission to bar the trio (Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka) from using the Congress name any further. Those who offered tea-boy’s job will have to stand in queue to apply for sweeper’s job in Modi’s office.

Mahatma Gandhi saw its birth.  It will be Sonia Gandhi who will be overseeing its demise.

It is a fall which will be good for the country. Amen.

                                                      ========

Also read:

http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/01/mani-shankar-aiyar-hosts-tea-party.html

http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/01/congress-then-and-now.html

Can we be AAPtimistic?

"To endeavour to understand the India of today would be the task of a brave man.  To describe tomorrow's India would verge on madness" - so said Jawaharlal Nehru, in the Maulana Azad Memorial Lecture, 1959. What foresight! The first Prime Minister was able to predict his own party's realistic future.

Narendra Modi says, “Congress has destroyed the country.”  Manmohan Singh says, “If Modi were to become the next Prime Minister, it will be disastrous for the country.”  Arvind Kejriwal says, “Both Congress and BJP have robbed the nation.”

A moment about the AAP

The most visible Indian movement in 2013 was the anti-corruption movement.  The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) showed that “winnability” in politics can be redefined.  By their resignation in Delhi, AAP unequivocally displayed that they will not compromise in their fight against corruption.  AAP can more be identified as a cohesive anti-corruption movement, capable of commanding greater support from the aam aadmi, slowly but steadily.  The depth of corruption has made the common man to raise his head and look up at the emerging party, the AAP, beyond the usual considerations of religion, caste, money, and muscle power.  Corruption has become an overwhelming attitude and way of life and India definitely lacks grooming and character-building methods.

Clean politics and good governance appear impractical words for the two so-called national parties.  When a scam is exposed, Congress says, "It's rubbish…there is no loss to the government."  BJP says, "We won't let parliament function...Congress is corrupt...vote us in for a Congress-free India."  BJP keeps mum till the corruption is exposed; then it starts the blame game.  AAP says, "We have filed FIRs...investigation will follow…passing a strong Lok Pal bill... giving more power to the people...AAP is only for a corruption-free India."  All scams of the Congress are not possible if BJP does not extend its tacit support. We have consistently tolerated the Congress party for nearly six decades.

Arvind Kejriwal, an IIT-pass out, a pioneer of the Right To Information (RTI) Act, has the ability to identify himself as the common man next door, that someone every Indian seemed to have met in a bus or on a train – basically a reflection of you and me.


AAP, a fledgling party

AAP has a lot more jobs to do.  They have to face not only corrupt politicians, but they also have to handle criminal politicians; in which case, they must be prepared to face worse opposition. Gone are the days of perfume spray, they are now replaced with “pepper” spray.  One should be grateful to the “pepper” MP for not carrying a hand-gun.  To blow up parliament, we don’t need terrorists from across the border. We are ‘self-sufficient.’  The sanctity of the House has been routinely violated.

Poor show by the major parties on Black money

Over 70 lakh crore rupees (about US $ 1,500 billion) of unaccounted Indian money are lying in numbered accounts in Swiss banks.  This is the highest amount lying outside any country, from amongst the 180 countries of the world, as if India is the champion of Black Money.  Swiss government is willing to share the information if the Indian counterpart officially seeks the details.  Neither the ruling Congress nor the BJP (Opposition?) shown any serious interest as if the problems pertained to some other country, obviously because most of the amount is owned by the politicians of both Congress and BJP.  The interest on the stashed booty alone can take care of our annual budget, year after year.  India has more in Swiss banks than all the other countries put together.

What is transparent is that AAP is not desperate for power unlike other major political parties.  They are willing to be an effective AAPosition. They are in the process of changing the politics in the country purely based on the promise to remove corruption.

They are fighting the electoral battle without Black money and muscle power. Some small aberrations, part of the political process, will pale into insignificance when compared with the Himalayan blunders of the traditional parties, more so reported in recent years.

AAP has categorically demonstrated that it can cut into the votes of Congress & BJP.  AAP frankly admits that they cannot make a dramatic change at the national level overnight, but they certainly can decimate the Congress. Though new, untried, and untested, Kejriwal’s unconventional brand of politics has become a thorn in the flesh of both the Congress and the BJP.

Soon after its spectacular showing in Delhi elections, the evolving-AAP had made it clear that it had national ambitions and would contest the Lok Sabha elections.

Elections in India are won based on speeches, allegations, and counter allegations.  Government is run on experience, and it takes years to learn the niceties of governance.  Kejriwal may be honest, but in politics, dishonest people are usually more successful.

This is a new freedom struggle for India! 
Expectations are high.  And we have an interesting party to look out for!
AAP doesn’t have a magic wand, but definitely a broom which seems to scare the other mainstream political parties!

==========

Also Read:
http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/04/my-mission-is-to-make-politics-good_1.html
http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/03/nandan-nilekani-square-peg-in-round-hole.html

Nandan Nilekani, the square peg in a round hole

Money, politics, politicians, and professionals all make news. If it is Rs.7,700 crores (USD 1,260 million), belonging to a co-founder of a top IT company and also a new entrant to politics, it has to be big news.

“Nilekanis worth Rs.7,700 cr. (USD 1,260 million)”

Nandan Nilekani, the ex-CEO Infosys, on the eve of filing his nomination papers, reveals that he and his wife Rohini jointly hold assets worth Rs.7,700 cr.

Nandan Nilekani--the individual

Nandan, at the outset, deserves to be congratulated for the money well-earned. The announcement infers he must be promptly filing his IT returns.  Do you remember any such huge declarations published anywhere by an Indian politician? “I am proud of the fact that my wealth is completely transparent,” he said. It is heartening to know that he didn’t earn the money “illegally” or “hid it in investment outside the country.”  Will this disclosure guide his senior political colleagues to follow suit?   His intent to serve India rather than running away to lucrative jobs abroad inspires admiration.

Affluent and educated, Nandan has already proved his credentials as a founder and former CEO of the topnotch Infosys tech giant.  When politics and rottenness are supposedly made for each other, here is a self-made scholastic man who has enriched himself financially in an ethical way.  His profile undoubtedly is bound to thrust him into the limelight.  A corporate entry into politics presents a new dimension.

Nandan is known in different “avatars”:

(a) Co-founder of Infosys / Tech guru

(b) Brain behind “Aadhaar” card

(c) Author ("Imagining India") and

(d) Congress party candidate for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Bangalore (South) constituency. The Nilekanis have been generous givers too, donating about Rs.400 crores since 1999 to causes in the areas of education, drinking water resource development, etc.

Nandan Nilekani—the politician

In a recent interview, he has justified his entry into politics. Perfectly welcome. He claims to be a fast-learner and a problem solver.  Is this enough in politics? Will it be possible for him to be a role-model in our democratic system, given the party that the Congress is?

One is intrigued about his compulsions to join the Indian National Congress Pvt. Ltd. If he contested as an Independent candidate, it would have added greater credibility and ensured an emphatic win.  How comfortable would Nandan be to rub shoulders with the likes of Kalmadi? It is difficult to visualize Nandan in the company of Laloo, Sibal, Tiwari, and the others.  A non-Congress ticket would have augured well.  The Congress party is staring at one of the most disastrous defeats in the post-independence era.  This is a totally a different ball game. Can he come out of his comfort zone?  He will be surrounded by Coalgate, Adarsh scam, Commonwealth Games scam, slowing economy, a weak Prime Minister, ignorant Rahul, and arrogant and corrupt ministers.

We are familiar with the dismal performance under the leadership of most qualified economist-turned Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.  With such an impeccable pedigree, playing second-fiddle to Sonia Gandhi is a huge disgrace to the top chair and a burial of his self-respect.  How does Mr. Nilekani explain this dilemma and how does he place himself in such a perspective?

Nandan could have shown his courage by joining AAP.  Was it probably time to repay Congress who in the past offered him a post?  Both Nandan and AAP are planning good things through wrong ways.  His “ideological reason” to join Congress has a weak defence. While the original ideals and values of the Indian National Congress are long back dead, the present Congress is the revised corrupt outfit.

Even if Nandan wins, Congress may not secure even 100 seats in the coming polls. It is either a lose-lose situation or a win-lose one for him. He is not likely to get any power or office after the elections.  He needs to wait and consolidate his ideas for another five years. Probably, Congress is counting on him to win a few seats in the coming elections; Nandan can do it as an Independent candidate anywhere in India, but it is doubtful whether he can do so on a Congress ticket. Congress is on the back foot and needs technocrats like Nandan.  He has joined a party which thrives on corruption.

There may be a section of people of the view that the Rs.7,700 crore can be multiplied by 5 or 10 times.  Yet another theory is floated that he can be an instant “hero” if he spent hardly around 10 per cent of his money in his constituency. In this scenario, it is heartening to see an upright Indian declare his wealth before entering politics, whereas we are all too familiar with people making this kind of money after entering politics. He has dared the taxman to challenge him.

While we are frequented with illiterates and criminals in politics and making it an ugly den, it is refreshing that a “gentleman” with a difference is seeking to redefine politics.  He appears a man of vision.  He is also gutsy he is taking his entry into politics through Lok Sabha and not the back-door entry (Rajya Sabha). He had the opportunity “to join as professor in top universities in the US, join think-tanks, join a Venture Capital firm, and join the World Bank.” He carefully weighed all options and finally decided to give his “time to make the lives of millions of Indians better.”

When asked how the repeated shadow of corruption could be countered, he said “corruption cannot be countered by more policemen, more laws or more ombudsmen. Corruption can be solved by reducing monopolies, reducing discretion and increasing accountability, which is what I know how to do in every area.” He has plans for introducing reforms for higher education.  Why did he not opt to join AAP?  His answer? “Agitational DNA is different from governance DNA, and the AAP has more of the former and less of the latter”.

Nandan Nilekani—the capitalist with a conscience

Nandan is categorical that wealth must be earned through legal and ethical means.  “In a country with as much wealth disparity as India, we should be tempered in our display of wealth.  I am all for austerity.  While working in Delhi for five years (for the Aadhaar project), I didn’t take any salary from the government and was travelling to and fro from Bangalore at my own cost.  My wife joins me in doing philanthropic activities.”

He is humble enough to admit that he is a beneficiary of India’s growth and success.  He doesn’t have any personal needs, least of all any money.  “If, in the rest of my life, I can make a difference to the lives of millions of Indians, I have done my best.  Politics gives the leverage.  I would like the change to happen. I want to be an agent of change.”

Nandan doesn’t have the baggage or the ripe old age of Manmohan Singh or a scammer’s background and is definitely non-controversial.  We need more Nandans playing a constructive role in Indian politics.  It is easy to stay out and trash everything that is wrong with the country and its politics, whereas it warrants a will to become part of it and go about cleaning it from within.

Aadhaar prepared him to enter the political world; otherwise, a leap from Infosys to politics would have been a difficult one.  He strongly advocates the need for “systemic change” for India.

Is he too innocent to realize who he has joined? Is he gambling with his immaculate image?  He certainly adds value to the Congress, but does the party degrade him?

A cat entering a lion’s den.  Wishing you the very best, Sir.
==

Read: http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/04/my-mission-is-to-make-politics-good_1.html

Dr.Manmohan Singh’s tenure : A corruption decade decayed the system

In a rare press conference, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh called Mr. Narendra Modi as a “disastrous choice” if he becomes the Prime Minister, in addition to declaring that  he will not seek the PM’s office for the third term.  Mr. Rahul Gandhi will be the appropriate choice with all the credentials as the Congress party candidate, Dr. Singh added.

I am not a big follower of politics.  I, however, happened to watch the entire press conference yesterday (03/01/2014) and it left me with a disgusting impression.  When Dr. Singh was long ago introduced to the parliament, for a moment I thought that we are going to be blessed with a statesman amid tainted politicians,  but yesterday I noticed to see the body language of an apologetic guilty-Singh.

It was childishly ridiculous that Dr. Singh gave a clean chit to himself during his tenure for nearly a decade.  During his interaction with the media, he mentioned that history would be kinder to him than the media and the opposition parties.  He floated the flippant theory that most scandals of UPA-2 occurred during UPA-1.  It is unfortunate that he sought to take refuge that people endorsed Congress to power in 2009, desperately attempting to ratify the wrong-doings of UPA-1.  It was also sickening to listen to him when he bid to distinguish between his personal conduct and the performance of the government.

His utterances lacked even political logic.  Dr. Singh accused Mr. Modi  of “presiding over the massacre of 2002 riots” in Ahmedabad.  That the Supreme Court has already cleared Mr. Modi of all the charges is public knowledge, Dr. Singh’s allegation against Mr. Modi amounts to reviewing the Court ruling.   Can somebody clarify that under the recently enacted Lok Pal Bill, can a contempt petition be filed against a sitting Prime Minister?  As a PM , Dr. Singh could have, nay, should have initiated appropriate action against Mr. Modi.  Yet again he exposed his inability in saving the situation.   In the same breath, did not Congress party instigate the anti-Sikh riots in the aftermath of Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s assassination?  Applying Dr. Singh’s formula, are we to believe that Mr. Rajiv Gandhi was a “disaster” for presiding over the 1984-riots?

For once, I was able to observe a decisive politician in Dr. Singh.  The more he smacks of Mr. Modi, make no mistake, the more stronger the latter will be.  Hate speech against Mr. Modi only diminishes Dr. Singh’s stature.  Or is it that Dr. Singh is subtly playing the self-side goal as a settling score to the ignominy he suffered  all these years in the hands of the Gandhi family? After all, when it comes to politics, there is no permanent friends or foes!    On a serious note, it felt like a contrite looser talking to media, not like a PM of India.

The best joke comes when he says that Mr. Rahul Gandhi has outstanding credentials to become the PM, showing how low sycophancy can take you down.

Hopes were aplenty with the people, because as a former bureaucrat before joining the government, Dr.Singh knew all kinds of inefficiencies existing in the bureaucratic system.  Alas, he failed to apply his knowledge for the improvement of the economy.  Or is it because he had to work under remote control?   In the whole of media comments and analysis, I found one thing common – corruption and inflation, huge issues we are facing today.

Pause for a moment.  Recall the series of scams – Common Wealth Games (CWG), Adarsh Housing scams,  2G scam, Coalgate – to name a few.  If you can restore the swindled amount, the Finance Minister will be presenting “Surplus” budgets, year after year; and I don’t have to pay Rs.100/-for a kg. of onions.

Or does he want to come to the open and say that the black money or hoards of it, all these, are due to “coalition partnership”?   Well, if you want to enjoy power, you should as well take ownership, Dr. Singh.  Or does he want to say that these are entirely the misdeeds of the Congress alone and the “beneficiaries”  have taken monstrously unfair leverage of the meekest PM we have ever had?  Or does he want to say the Congress had used the most qualified PM, as a shield and made him the obvious scapegoat who will be blamed for the Congress’ failures and the party will emerge out of this whole shoddy affairs as an unintended victim of a  bad prime-ministership and in the same stroke Mr. Rahul Gandhi will emerge as the savior?  Or at least, does he think that he could have done a better job as a Finance Minister than a thankless Prime Minister?

The reality is that after 10 years to Dr. Singh and 60 years to Congress, we are flooded with scams and rapes and inflation.  The people are visibly angry and disappointed.  Public opinion is severely against the Prime Minister and the Congress government.  India is potentially a rich country, but its fortunes are stolen by a few and stacked offshore.  Dr. Singh has grossly failed to communicate effectively what his government was, is and intended to do to curb corruption at high levels.  The anger and anguish of the people shoots because Dr. Singh is most educated and a seasoned economist.   He is relating the inflation to international economic changes.  Is the price rise happening in all countries?

But as a top leader Dr. Singh should know not the price increase, but the rampant corruption that led his party down in the recent assembly elections.  He can explain the price rise and always say it was beyond his control, but it would have been qualified statesmanship if he had taken  cognizance that corruption was the chief factor for the crisis.  Never in free India’s history has food inflation touched the dreaded double-digit.  All the hopes aspired by the people of this country are belied, thanks to the spinelessness displayed by the technocrat-turned-politician.  Sadly, he was unable to rule or control.  The people of India should be very careful in exercising their franchise.  Even if they poll for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the coming Lok Sabha elections, it tantamounts to allowing the same corrupt Congress through the back door.

Yet with all the failures, Dr. Singh still claimed that he was not a “weak leader”.  He has dented his goodwill.  His arguments were totally indefensible.  Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has paved the way for Mr. Rahul Gandhi and Mr. Narendra Modi, leaving the government with a legacy of guilt and shame.After all, there is a huge gap between a good man and a good Prime Minister.

Let historians script their documentation.   Can we simultaneously expect the PM-in- office-not-in power, Dr. Singh relax and pen a memoir annexed to his conscience? 

Jai Hind!