Manmohan Singh - A weak but an honest PM.

Many would call him the weakest Prime Minister India has ever had and a lot more will blame his famous silence as the cause of UPA's defeat this general election. Having resigned from the position on 17th May 2014, Dr. Manmohan Singh was one of the longest serving PM of the nation. He has described his tenure in office as an 'Open book'. So, let's go through some of the chapters, shall we?

I am an honest man

In 2004, when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) came to power, its chairperson Sonia Gandhi under pressure from the Opposition had to relinquish the top position to Manmohan Singh. In a book written by Sanjaya Baru, the Media Advisor to Dr. Manmohan Singh during UPA-1, he stated "why Sonia Gandhi chose Dr Singh to be the Prime Minister, his answer is simple: “she needed to bury the controversy over her Italian birth and retain control of the Congress Party till her son or daughter was old enough to take charge. She required, therefore, a reliable, trustworthy and capable head of government".

Remove the weak PM. 

Manmohan Singh has often being called a puppet in hands of Gandhi family by the Opposition (Now in power of course). He was labelled as a weak administrator who has no control over the nation's affairs. The constant interference of the Congress President Sonia Gandhi and its Vice President Rahul Gandhi in decision-making only made it worse for him. His political opponent, L K Advani had asserted, "He is weak. What do I call a person who can't take his decisions until 10 Janpath gives instruction". His public image suffered a major blow when Time Magazine's Asia edition on its cover remarked that he is 'An Underachiever'. 

However, Singh was not just the above mentioned things. Dr. Manmohan Singh was acclaimed as a thinker and a scholar. He is well regarded for his diligence and his academic approach to work. In 2010, Newsweek magazine recognized him as a world leader who is respected by other heads of state, describing him as "the leader other leaders love".

I have nothing to say

During his first term in office, he executed several key legislation and projects, including the Rural Health Mission, Unique Identification Authority, Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and Right to Information Act. In 2008, opposition to a historic civil nuclear agreement with the United States nearly caused Singh's government to fall after Left Front parties withdrew their support. Dr. Singh stood firm on his stand. India was on the right track in his first term. Nation's economy grew rapidly under UPA I.

The 2009 general election saw the UPA return with an increased mandate, with Singh retaining the office of Prime Minister. However, Dr. Singh's second term was a total disaster. His simplicity was taken for granted. His authority was questioned and the government was also accused of various scams and corrupt practices. The Opposition continued to press high and demanded his resignation for his alleged role in the Indian Coal block allocation scam. His failure to contain his own party leaders was another reason for his weak image. 

I am Rahul Gandhi I can do anything

The infamous tearing up of the ordinance, which sought to protect the convicted MPs and MLAs in a press conference by Rahul Gandhi added insult to injury and left Manmohan Singh in an embarrassing position while he was away in US. 'Rahul baba' called the Ordinance a 'complete nonsense' and other leaders followed his suit. Since then Dr. Singh was seen as accepting his role as a seat warmer for the Congress Vice President.

I consider Dr.Manmohan Singh as a good person, a brilliant economist but I do not see him as a good leader. His silence on certain issues were uncalled for. Perhaps, he reconciled himself too readily to a situation where he would be in office while the real authority lay elsewhere. Nonetheless, his work for the nation will always be remembered. He may well be the only honest man in the office during his tenure.