Neu clear deal, 8.5% growth will be Manmohan Singh’s legacy

New Delhi: A thorough gentleman politician Manmohan Singh, who for many is a seasoned economist credited with ushering in economic reforms in the 1990s, will become third longest-serving Prime Minister so far when he demits office on May 17. At the end of his long tenure — 10 years as the head of government — he leaves a mixed legacy of achievements and failures for contemporary commentators, though Dr Singh has hoped that history would be “kinder” to him.

It is to his credit that Dr Singh happens to be the second only to first Prime Minister of India Pt Jawaharlal Nehru to occupy the top executive post for two consecutive terms. The 81-year-old leader, however, had to take some beating to his image, as a few damaging scams surfaced during UAP-II, which undermined the good work accomplished during last one decade. Dr Singh will demit office irrespective of the results on Friday. He scheduled to hold his last Cabinet meeting on Saturday and thereafter will go to Rashtrapati Bhawan and tender his resignation.

A celebrated economist, he entered politics at the height of the 1991 economic crisis when late Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao inducted him into the government as finance minister. Together they lifted the economy out of the balance of payments crisis and then steered the economic reforms on which no successive government ever looked back. Notwithstanding pulls and pressures from allies, especially the Left, Dr Singh displayed considerable determination to go ahead with the Indo-US nuclear deal unmindful of the threats to his government. This is considered to be one of the highest points in his long tenure.

With the image of being an economist PM, first eight years of his tenure marked a robust 8.5 per cent GDP growth. But the last two years proved to be difficult because of global economic meltdown and also the scams. Thus a perception was created that the government suffers from policy paralysis, which has stymied his performance.

When asked by this correspondent about Dr Singh’s future plans, his communication advisor, Pankaj Pachauri said: “As of now he plans only to settle down in his new house at Motilal Nehru Marg. Though, he has offers from Universities abroad to teach, he has not yet consented for such assignments.” More to these he also has several invitations pending for his consent from various international organisations for lecture. Dr Singh’s rise to the top highlights what a man with a humble background can achieve in Indian democracy.