Manmohan Singh's Legacy Has Lessons for Democratic Governance, Statesmanship

With the passing away of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the country has lost a great leader and statesman whose wisdom, humility and humbleness were so overwhelming that even his worst critics bowed down before him. He will be long remembered for his role in serving the country as Finance Minister and liberalising the economy. As Prime Minister, his record of governing the nation was exemplary in terms of steering clear of so many challenges faced by India, especially the global financial crisis of 2007 that originated in the US and the gravely affected economies of developed countries.

Landmark Legislations Diluted by Modi Regime

It was during Singh’s tenure that the landmark legislation, the Right to Information was enacted and implemented. It is tragic that just a few days before his demise, the Election Rules of 1961 have been amended by the Narendra Modi regime severely restricting people's access to crucial information and several documents, including CCTV footage and other electronic data concerning conduct of elections.

Manmohan Singh is also deservedly credited for MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) mandating a minimum of 100 days of guaranteed wage employment every year to every rural household. It was to be put in practice by the participation of adult members willing to take up the task of unskilled manual work.

Modi Ridiculed MGNREGA

In 2015, a year after he became Prime Minister Narendra Modi ridiculed the Manmohan Singh government's MGNREGA in the Lok Sabha, terming it a “living monument” of the Congress’ failures. When he was applauded by BJP MPs for those derisive remarks, he went on to disdainfully add, “After 60 years in power, all that you were able to deliver for the poor is to dig ditches a few days every month. Main gaaje-baaje ke saath iss smarak ka dhol peethata rahoonga (I’ll keep playing the orchestra around this monument)…. My political instinct tells me that MGNREGA should not be discontinued….”

Read Also: MGNREGS: Disempowering the People

Modi did not “play the orchestra”, but throttled it by taking many measures by cutting off funding to it and giving inadequate wage rates. When COVID hit the country and people left urban areas and fled to the villages, the wages they earned by working under MGNREGA schemes helped them to survive.

Manmohan Singh’s government stood vindicated in enacting such a legislation often hailed as the largest employment guarantee programme in the world.

During his regime (United Progressive Alliance-I) several other legislations were enacted. Some of these are Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, National Food Security Act, 2013 and Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2012. All these testify to the caring dimensions of his governance, which apart from witnessing record growth of GDP beyond 7% stressed on inclusivity.

Saving India From Global Financial Crisis

It was during Singh’s first tenure that the global financial crisis originating in the US engulfed the developed countries and crippled their economies. India was saved from those devastating effects primarily due to the economic and monetary policies followed by Singh’s government.

It is worth noting that in January 2012, Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel prize winner economist, in his lecture delivered in the Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata, praised the Indian economy's performance under the leadership of Singh by saying that the country had been doing a good job when institutions in the US and several other countries faltered. He flagged the point that a government needed to play an important role in any economy correcting pervasive market failures.

Manmohan Singh was the author of the economic reforms that resulted in the withdrawal of the State from many key areas of governance and gave centrality to the private sector in our economy.  But later, as Prime Minister, he said in many of his speeches that India was greatly saved from the global financial crisis not because of the private sector but due to the resilience of public sector enterprises and public sector banks, as the latter was never subjected to deregulation, as was done in the US.

Manmohan Singh’s leadership made him an admirable economist-statesman whose views were sought in crucial global fora to deal with recurring challenges confronted by developed countries.

Manmohan Singh Upheld Ambedkar's Legacy

The manner in which Singh set a high benchmark of public discourse spoke volumes about his towering stature and standing as a leader. While serving as Director in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), I suggested that Prime Minister Singh, in his first address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort on August 15, 2004, should use a quote of B R Ambedkar that people who became victims of caste discrimination might give up material benefits but not their right to education. My suggestion was eventually accepted and when those words of Ambedkar were used by Singh in his first address to the nation, Prabhu Chawla, a prominent mediaperson, in a TV debate, wondered how Ambedkar was ever considered as an educationist and why Prime Minister Singh chose to quote him.

Amit Shah's ‘Insulting’ Remarks on Ambedkar

How Manmohan Singh was unfairly targeted for invoking Ambedkar’s name in his first address to the nation should be seen in the context of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent ‘derogatory’ remark that it had become “a fashion to take the name of Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar and Ambedkar and instead if the name of God is taken then it would pave the way for heavens for seven births.” Shah, to flag the point that BJP has done more to honour Ambedkar, referred in a denunciatory manner to Jawaharlal Nehru and Congress which, he claimed, had “heaped insults” on Ambedkar. Prime Minister Modi also defended Shah by blaming Nehru and Congress.

Manmohan Singh's Statesmanship

In contrast, Singh, to uphold the legacy of Ambedkar, never blamed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Hindu Mahasabha or Jan Sangh for their proven record of bitterly attacking him. All these three organisations had rejected the Constitution, burnt effigies of Ambedkar and even took out his funeral procession when he piloted the Hindu Code Bill.

What Singh said while unveiling the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Ambedkar in the precincts of Kerala Assembly on September 3, 2005 testified to his statesmanship. He quoted President of India, late K R Narayanan, who while synthesising their vision had said, "If Mahatma Gandhi gave to the nationalist movement a mass dimension and a moral purpose and Jawaharlal Nehru an economic and socialist dimension, Dr Ambedkar gave it a profound social content and a challenging social-democratic vision."

That legacy of Singh assumes added significance when attempts are being made to uphold the universal respect shown to Ambedkar and his legacy in the face of Amit Shah's disdainful remarks.

When the nation is mourning the sad demise of Singh, it is of crucial importance to remain tuned to his high sense of civility, humility and courtesy associated with his tenure as Prime Minister (for 10 years) and leader in public life and urge the powers that be to learn lessons from his rich, instructive and enduring legacy.

The writer served as Director in the Prime Minister's Office during the tenure of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from 2004 to 2009. The views are personal.