(5 votes, average: 4.60 out of 5)
Change-It is a fashionable word these days. Obama steam-rollered into American and world consciousness with his clarion call for CHANGE. Most often, we perceive change happening only when it is accompanied by wave upon wave of public opinion, advertisement blitzkriegs, publicity and media overkill.
Just as wisdom does not come by chance, neither does change. In the history of the world there are a few handpicked individuals who have toiled hard for the progress of mankind. Yet, not all of them got or get their dues. Some rain makers are seen as mere shadows or side players lurking in the back ground of history’s unwinding.
India has undergone a metamorphosis during the past 18 years and indeed it has been a sea-change. A revolution of sorts. If we have to handpick a single individual for the greatest contribution, it will of course have to be Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Manmohan Singh, unlike Obama, does not rouse the people with charisma or eloquence. Yet, beneath his veneer of ordinariness and shyness, he has been the greatest architect of modern India. Here is a man who is incorruptible, humane, decent and secular to the core and extremely resourceful and determined when it comes to his clearly identified goals.
One of Manmohan’s greatest contributions has been his ability to float above pettiness, and bring about decency in politics. He taught his countrymen without speaking that it is possible for different cultures, religions and languages to live and thrive together without hatred. Above all, he nurtured and created the right climate for nation building – instilling a sense of pride and confidence in the minds of the citizens about the concept of India as a nation.
It has been India’s tryst with destiny that Narasimha Rao picked the most unlikely person -Dr. Manmohan Singh – to be the Finance Minister of our country in 1991. Then the sluice gates of controls and licences were opened, allowing for flow of fresh air in institutions riddled with corruption and favoritism.
As a Prime Minister, presiding over a booming economy for the best part of five years, getting the nuclear deal through – almost at the cost of sacrificing his government – and tackling terrorism with firmness are not the only changes you can credit this visionary with. He is farsighted enough to provide for decent outlays for education. Scientific and technological leaps culminating in the mission to the moon happened under his watch. And, Indians around the world are a respected lot these days.
It is a tribute to his courage, perseverence, readiness to dare and dream big – that despite his personal disinclination for petty politics and power plays – he has stayed on for 5 eventful years braving every storm that came his way, with poise and grace. He has been an example of calm and grace under pressure – an ideal he cherishes.
According to Jim Rohn, an influential thinker,
The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.
All of the above attributes reside in Manmohan Singh in good measure.
The changes brought about by him are changes we can believe in. It is there for everyone to see. Yet it has come without any fanfare or loud words. They came unannounced, softly, unsung, just like Manmohan, the man. Who will say the the gentle, incessant rain pattering on the leaves is any less majestic than the grandeur of the distant thunder or the roar of the seas? We are all prouder Indians because of Dr. Manmohan Singh.
May God Bless India!
By the way, scribes in our land are on the look out for the Indian Obama. Anyone want to venture a guess and help those poor, distressed souls?
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November 16th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Nice article. I admire Mr. Singh greatly for transforming India into one of the fast growing economies of the world. He is an outstanding intellectual with a determination to bring positive change to the country. However, I disagree with your opinion that he is a great leader. Lot of credit to his success must go to Narasimha Rao, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi(I am not a supporter of any party).Mr. Singh could not have achieved any of the “change” by himself because he was never a politician and never won an Lok Sabha election. Naturally, he did not have the legitimacy to bring in change, and for most part, it was others(Rao and Sonia Gandhi) who fought on his behalf. So essentially he did not have to confront the political challenges and could concentrate on nation building. The only time he asserted himself was during the N-deal issue and I guess he had staked too much of his prestige there and he had choice but to assert himself. And I admire him a lot for that. Let’s hope that he evolves into a better leader.
On the question who will be next Indian Obama, India is not USA and it is very difficult to have a Pan-Indian leader who can inspire people. India can have a coalition of regional Obamas who come together with a common purpose of bringing positive change to the country. Having said that, Rahul Gandhi has a lot of positive things that could make him the next Obama – He is only 38,he is from the “dynasty” which means that he does not have to create a Pan-Indian identity, he sounds very sincere, his party is inclusive and is not based on any caste,religion or regional identity.But on the negative side,he neither comes across as a strong leader nor does he seem to be able to inspire the masses to flock to him. His energy level also needs some improvement. But if he takes the right steps, he can become an Indian Obama at Barack Obama’s current age.
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November 17th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Thanks, Madhavan. Yours were insightful comments. They helped me to ponder about and understand what leadership is, a little better. If Manmohan can get people like Sonia, Rahul and Narasimha Rao to stand behind him, it is an indication of the substance in him. To me, no Indian Prime Minister including Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru brought about such sweeping, positive changes within the country.
I believe leadership can be of two types. One, the strength of the leader’s dominating personality and vision fills the political and social space and through forceful communication galvanises people into action. Gandhi was one such great leader – in fact the greatest we have had. Two, where the force of one’s vision, immense goodness, tremendous internal moorings combined with hard work draw people to them and their way of life. Manmohan falls into this category. So does Sonia. Having said this, how I wish our Prime Minister could turn into a forceful communicator and be more aggressive!
Yes, I agree with you about Rahul. There is something very genuine about him. And he has not allowed power to corrupt him. I also like Sachin Pilot. He seems to have a lot of internal strength and drive.
The point I was trying to make is that, we already have an Indian Obama in Manmohan. The difference between them is, while Obama is yet to bring about change, the other has already brought about huge changes in India. According to Saint Exupery, “What is essential is invisible to the human eye.” We have to perceive Manmohan the leader, through “the eye of the heart.”
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November 18th, 2008 at 2:32 am
Wonderful perspectives. Manmohan singh brought in change to Indian economy in 1991 by starting his budget speech by “No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come”. As pointed out by Babu, It is amazing how we somehow not notice the things which make most impact in our life. Manmohan singh along with the government in 1991 brought in the change which transformed our country. Eventhough I feel that it was just a matter of time India opened up its economy, it needed the vision of our current prime minister.
Looking at the overall political structure, I am more disappointed than excited by Indian politics. The thing about our democracy is at the top level we have the best talent taking care of the economy, Manmohan Singh, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Chidambaram. However at the domestic national policy level, they have to play their classification card to win the elections. So that might mean compromising on very important policies, like the reservation. Our politicians are deaf towards economy based reservation, no matter how logical it may sound, as they have to win their votes at the end of the day. Look at how easily one can come to power at the state level, just by sheer rhetoric.
I agree with Madhavan when he says “we need regional Obamas who come together with a common purpose of bringing positive change to the country”. However, I feel there should be a fundamental shift in the mindset of people. Remember “Lok-Paritran”? Apart from the fact that they are making some noise in the public, it is hard for people to take them seriously unless they generate a sense of belonging in the people, which the guys who play their caste card do it with dexterity.
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