Let's begin with the basic question: what did Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's address to the media seek to achieve? The simple answer is nothing. Like most things during his tenure at the helm, it lacked a sense of purpose and did not appear intended to convey anything meaningful. Now, let's get into the other questions.
Was it meant to be a goodbye speech? If at all it was, where was the need for one? Nothing in the Congress camp suggests that he would be replaced by Rahul Gandhi or someone else when the AICC meets on January 17. If the party announces its prime minister candidate for the parliamentary polls, it does not mean he would have vacate his office. Someone needs to be really brave to shoulder the burden of his controversy-heavy legacy months before the elections. It is possible the prime minister is privy to inside party information no one else is. Even in that case a goodbye speech was the least warranted. He could have saved it for later.
Was it meant to pave the way for Rahul Gandhi's candidature for the top job? The prime minister said he did not want a third term and Rahul was the most suited for the job. Read together the sentences would have sounded significant some other time, maybe two years ago, but not now. Neither of these comes as revelation.
Manmohan has said all this before. Of course, he would be aware that the elevation of the Congress vice-president is a matter of the party and he is not supposed to raise it during his address as the prime minister of the country. So what was he driving at? If you are confused, don't despair.
Manmohan Singh at the press conference. AFP.
Was the mention of his place in history an effort to redeem himself? Here's a prime minister who has been called all thing bad – from weak to spineless to poodle to Gandhi family supplicant. For five years at least he led a government many felt did not exist. Ministers chose to ignore his authority and the biggest scandals in the country took place under his watch. As quality of governance took a dip, everything else around, including the economy, slipped. All the while public anger was growing. The only response from the government was silence.
Manmohan feels he is being unfairly targeted by all and the air needed to be cleared. If the purpose of his address today was to dispel the negative perception around him, he did not achieve much - ironically he is still considered by many an honest man, incorruptible at a personal level, and, believe it or not, his government has been the most reformist in the last few decades despite the coalition constraints. Had he communicated more frequently and more honestly with people, history would have been kinder to him. His effort comes too late in the day.
Was it aimed at berating Narendra Modi? The prime minister was uncharacteristically direct in his attack on the BJP's prime minister candidate – even Rahul Gandhi plays discreet in case of the latter. It is known that Manmohan loses it some days when he is called weak - senior BJP leader LK Advani would vouch for that. Maybe today was one of those days.
But yes, what would be weighing heavy on him is the comparison between him and Modi, particularly in the party circles. In public perception as well as that of the party he has not proved any match for Modi – this despite being more intellectually gifted. That's the reason there's open talk about his replacement with Rahul. It is possible all this is getting on his nerves.
In the final analysis, it was not Prime Minister Manmohan Singh speaking to the national media, it was Manmohan Singh the private individual. He was out there defending himself and his troubled legacy. It meant nothing.
No comments:
Post a Comment