At 60 as Independent India observes another milestone, Offstumped bemoans the lack of national leadership.
Don’t get me wrong here, Offstumped is approaching this anniversary with immense confidence and optimism about India. Infosys Chairman MR. N.R. Narayana Murthy has done a great job summarizing the visions that have shaped Independent India.
While the 60th Independence Day is a cause for celebration of these visions, it is also a day for sober introspection for this is the first Independence Day that will see a diminished Prime Minister hoist the flag on the ramparts of the Red Fort.
When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, walks up to that podium to speak, he will be doing so not with the confidence of having the people’s mandate, not even his own party’s mandate, but with this stark reality staring him in the face that he enjoys public office with the permission of the Congress President at the pleasure of the Communists.
The events of last week and this week around the politics of the Indo-US Nuclear deal have brought to forth this stark reality leading Offstumped to reflect on National Leadership.
But before we get to that a level set. This post is not going to debate the merits and demerits of the text of the 123 Agreement. Nitin over at The Acorn has an excellent essay. Offstumped’s position is similar to that expressed by Pratap Bhanu Mehta, it is not so much so the text but about how we negotiate to ensure Indian National Interest is secured and advanced.
Having said that I must break with my fellow bloggers on INI, Nitin and Rohit, when they bemoan the bad politics around the deal especially the criticism of the principal opposition BJP.
Yes, the BJP has seized on the issue as it makes perfect political sense from its perspective to sharpen the differences and bring forth the wedge that separates Manmohan Singh’s agenda from that of the Communists. But the bad politics around the deal is not about the BJP’s volte face on a deal for which it would have given an arm or a leg, the bad politics is about the lack of a political constituency in favor of the deal.
Where is the political constituency in favor of this deal ? Where are the rallies, the street protests ?
There are none.
Why is it that this defining issue, which probably will end up triggering a chain of events leading to the eventual parting of ways between the Congress and the Communists, has no political constituency in favor of it ?
The Indo-US Nuke deal will not be an issue in any election. No seat will be decisively by Manmohan Singh’s party because he secured this deal during his Premiership. No seat will be lost by the BJP because it opposed the deal, perhaps it might even be marginally helped in a few.
Most Indians care marginally about the text of the deal itself and are perhaps mildly Anti-American in their attitude towards the deal.
There in lies an important lesson for India, on this 60th Anniversary.
Leadership is about standing up for unpopular causes.
Leadership is about selling the abstract to the masses.
Leadership is about creating a political constituency where none exists for your agenda and seeking a mandate for your actions from that constituency.
Leadership is not just about doing what is Right but being able to explain it, sell it, defend it with a populist message.
So when you bemoan the bad politics over the Nuclear Deal, you must bemoan the bad Political Leadership that championed this deal.
It is not the job of the principal opposition to make the case for the deal to the people at large and hence a political constituency in favor of it. It is the job of the Prime Minister and his Government to make that case.
It is on this count that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stands failed and diminished. His Government may have negotiated the best deal for India with the Americans but it abjectly failed in selling it to Indians at large. It should come as no surprise why the Prime Minister failed to do so for this was a Prime Minister who was not elected by the people but was appointed. This was also a Prime Minister who when he had the opportunity to seek the mandate of the people directly could not to do so.
This Prime Minister simply lacked the political leadership to build public opinion in favor of this deal despite having negotiated it over the last 2 years.
Why is the Indo-US Nuclear Deal in India’s National Interest ?
The abstract strategic considerations apart, the Prime Minister should have sought to build public opinion around a simple populist message on the need for Nuclear Power. He should have enlisted the support of Chief Ministers from Power starved States, especially non-Congress ones by signing them up for a Center-State joint strategy/action plan around Nuclear Power. He should have linked the success of the Indo-US Nuclear Deal to the success of that strategy/action plan.
Had the Prime Minister shown the leadership to do all of that, it would not have been easy for the BJP to do a volte face as easily as it did nor for the Left to harp on Anti-American concerns as it would have become an “aam aadmi issue”. The strategic dimension to making the case for the deal apart, the populist dimension should not have been ignored, especially when you had two whole years going into the making of this deal.
If the Prime Minister finds himself alone defending the deal, the half-hearted support from his party and allies apart, he has only himself to blame for he should have demonstrated far greater political leadership in making the case for the deal.
Offstumped Bottomline: As we celebrate this 60th Anniversary of our Independence, Offstumped prays for this nation to be blessed with strong leadership. Leadership that can make the case for change, stand its ground and win popular support for doing what is Right.
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Well said.
The current administration has become so used to the Left beating its chest like a spoilt child and then coming into line, that it has no patience for negotiation and and discussion. The current situation is just a world away from the regular meetings between the government and Sonia and her advisors during the NDA days. There is so much legislation that the Congress could pass if it sought the BJP’s support and met with their leaders, but they prefer to run democracy unilaterally. What else do they expect the opposition to do but get angry if they are perenially ignored and abused by two Commie chairs in the Upper and Lower House?
Yossarin,
There can be no disagreement to the point that Manmohan Singh is not merely a failed leader, he never was a leader to begin with. The failure of leadership runs right across this government; from day one.
It is in anticipation of this that I had argued (after the 2004 elections) that Sonia Gandhi must become prime minister herself.
The author of this article is abjectly unfair to one of the finest leaders of modern India – Dr. Manmohan Singh! He may not be the suave and dashing Bill Clinton type of leader that many of you may dig, but he is a man of highest integrity with a sense of purpose unparalled amongst the entire lot of political leaders (cutting across all parties) today in India. His achievement as a FM and PM and his contribution to India is matched by very few in mordern India. I would rate him after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi in terms of his contriution to India as a Political leader.
What you guys have always held against him is the fact that he is not directly elected by the people (Lok Sabha). Therefore he cannot, by implication, be a true leader like those who are elected by the Lok Sabha like Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mayawati, etc – who are (by that logic) more suitable to lead the nation as the Prime Minisiter.
In a Presidential form of Government, where the poeple directly elect the President of the Country, that happens ! Not in our Country as per our Constitution. Now don’t start saying our Constitution is all flawed and needs to be changed and we want to become follow the US System !!…
By the way, there is much more to India than the Indo-US Nuclear Deal. The focus of the Manmohan Singh’s Independence Day speech announcing Rs.25,000-crore public spending targeting education, health care, agriculture and rural development was welcome.
Right or Wrong!
Please read the article from Bhanu Pratap Mehta (Dr. Do Little?) in Indian Express.
And please don’t tell that he had to leave knowledge commission and thats why he is too critical of Mr PM.
He holds a dignity in intellectual world and that was a reason he could take such a drastic decision to quit instead of being sitting duck and cook his pension.
Manmohan Singh is one of the Finest FM India has seen till now but I would like to disagree with you on his being one of finest PM.
We need to judge political leaders not just by reading one or two articles by some start Asses !
In the days of Nehru and Indira Gandhi, PMs ran Govts with absolute majority and they could take bold decisions.
In today’s political scenario, PMs run Coalition Governments. They operate under severe constraints. Look at Atal Bihari Vajpayee – the first BJP Govt under an able Prime Minister. He could not implement a Unified Civil Code, solve the Ayodhya problem, some of the bloodiest terrorrist attacks (including the Parliament attack) took place in his time. Key Govt decisions were held hostage by the RSS thru Advani (like many of you accuse of the Sonia factor in Manmohan Singh Govt).
So lets be fair in judging leaders ! You would’nt say things were falling apart like they are doing now during the Vajpayee Govt ? Were they ? Was Vajpayee a weak Prime Minister because RSS was cutting him down to size using Advani ? What was his contribution ? He sent his Cabinet Minister to escort the dreaded Terrorist back to Pakistan with a huge amount of booty ?
VAJPAYEE DID SOME GOOD THINGS AS PM ! WE SHOULD THANK HIM FOR THAT. MANMOHAN SINGH HAS DONE MORE GOOD THINGS AS BOTH FM AS WELL AS A PM ! WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO HIM…
When you say that Vajpayee did some good things as PM and we shud be thankful, then why you need BJP to be doomed and become non-entity in next election
.
BJP still is much better than leftists and 3rd fronts
There is a difference between being the head of a government who has to be a bit flexible because of alliances, then there is another thing for us to have Mr. Singh. I will honestly tell you, in 2004, I was pleased that he would get the post based on his tenure under Rao. Three years later, I think it is a tragedy. We have come to realize he never has, and never will have any power in the Congress hierarchy. He is a doormat in the eyes of all Congress leaders, upper-rung through the bottom ranks. Let alone how the Left and UPA allies regard him…in their eyes, he is non-existent. Once he finishes his tenure, he is going to be primarily remembered as Servant number one of Sonia, a role which he seems to relish in, and the weakest PM ever…yes, even weaker than Chandrashekhar, who at least had some voice of his own. IK Gujral, Gowda, Vajpayee, Rao and others will be remembered as individuals. If MMS feels that is enough for his legacy, good for him…bad for India, which deserves better. Apparently Sonia and Co. don’t agree.
Raaj !
I agree, BJP under Vajpayee’s leadership is definitely a better alternative to the Left or the clueless 3rd Front..
Unfortunately, Vajpayee is all but history and there is a serious leadership deficit in BJP. On top of that there is a ideologic deficit in BJP. It is like a Corporation which is 100% owned by RSS but does not want any representation on its Board of Directors from its primary Shareholder. The RSS, on the contrary, not only wants Board control but also the CEO to be its appointee.
BJP needs to sort out serious problems and while it does so, Congress remains the best political alternative for the Country atleast for the time being !…
And in Dr. Manmohan Singh – a man of highest integrity & a sense of purpose – we can be certain about moving in the right direction (in spite of all political complusions he may face from time to time)
Janpar, I very well agree with you.
When MMS became PM I was thrilled with the prospect that at last we have a thinking PM. And things would be better understood by the Govt and better implemented.
3 yrs down the line I feel a bit cheated. It is fine that we have 9% growth and it can breach 10% Mark. But that was something which had to happen even if NDA was there. And that is the reason NDA was so disaapointed to loose since they knew that they have lost a big opportunity to make votes out of it.
But yes 2004, I was gr8 admirer of MMS and his personality. Now I am still a gr8 admirer for his economics but I wud hate to have him as PM.
In a Congress-led Govt with Manmohan Singh focussing on Governance, and Sonia manging the real politic – it has been a remarkable combination of complimentary skills that has worked !
If Congress comes back with an absolute majority in the next General elections, it will be the best thing for the Country… There will no Left and other coalition partners to spoil the broth and the nation will progress much faster.
All this bunkum about Manmoham Singh being a failed leader is nothing but a cry of frustration like most BJP leaders are doing these days !!
Yossarin, your next blog is missing from offstumped paged although it’s on common nationalinterest.in page?
There isn’t an iota of doubt that what we have as so called leaders are uninspiring and imposed ones.
Check this right from start…
The President…aap ki RashtraPatiL.(Should i say any thing!?)
Vice President…some one who is carrying the baggage of Marxism.
Super Prime Minister…who never speaks,yet controls every thing!
A man called PM,who him self is in doubt about weather he is PM or not!BUT never know any thing,”Mainu Pata Nahin”.
A Speaker…finicky and always in rage.
Leader of Opposition…who has lost the sting.
Yossarin,really I feel depressed so this time on the eve of Independence day,I just posted a video and believe me this is the right expression.
must listen to this http://theprudent.vodpod.com/video/221628-on-the-eve-of-60th-independence-day
>>>> Right Or Wrong?
Man! You your self seem in doubt,yet commenting! Any Way,at least I look forward to Narrender Modi as a future leader and wish and pray he comes and become the PM.Of course an ‘Elected’ one not the ‘Selected’ one like we have.
What do you say?
PI.
Prudent Indian!
Your Choice – “Narendra Modi” as the PM – tells volumes about you !
If you are based in the US please do not return… If not, we need to outsource you to the US
Its other way round Right or Wrong
If you are in US then stay there.
and if you are here, we will plan for your export to US. Be there and enjoy life. We will not miss you
Prudent, I think every Chief Minister who I really respect is facing rebellion…Narendra Modi, Sheila Dikshit, Vasundhara Raje, BC Khanduri….when one runs an administration to efficiently, they automatically get the label of “autocratic”, “dictatorial” or whatever from those nameless, faceless dregs of corrupt, socialist politicians who are the product of extreme babudom. So it makes perfect sense our PM and President are the most spineless people on earth. Those that want to make change are too few and too over-ridden by the self-interested politicians, everyone from Keshubhai Patel to Ajay Maken, all of them should be thrown out of India, perhaps into the Indian Ocean rather than elsewhere, because no other country could find a use for them.
OH! Man! “Right or Wrong”, have u really decide what you are? Are u right or r u wrong? Man! do tell do not live in ‘confusion’,please.OK?
Any way,I hope your basics are ‘passable’ ,but since u asked,well I m ‘here’ in India and if u want just do some google search,OK?
>>>> RAJ,well said…but why US? Won,t it will be a reward for IT? Sorry, do not mind,tell me the gender please again of either right or wrong or both.
>>>> Janpar,Man! You are damn right.Just look who are complaining? Black sheep in every party,and they alone! And BJP too have their more than fair share.And why are they complaining? Because they want the ROI (Return on Investment) incurred on elections.
No party is free of these elements,yet we all know from where the Ganga starts…!
PI
Do excuse some silly spell mistakes. Thanks
PI
Prudent Indian! – Both your silly thought process and your spelling mistakes – leave us with no option but to excuse you !…
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