Au revoir Dr Man Mohan Singh......

Au revoir Dr Man Mohan Singh......

The country is rejoicing the swearing-in of the new government. Yet it is apt to say few words of thanks for what you have done to the nation as an individual and also to remember your personal qualities and the values you stood for. 

Your contribution to the nation as finance minister was great by ushering in a modern era by setting up the framework and building a strong foundation from where the successive governments took over.

Even though, it was by chance you became the Prime Minister in UPA 1, you proved to be the man India needed to steer its course and were resilient in your policy agenda.  You were firm in pushing reforms and deals with the powers of the world against opposition from within and outside. You will be remembered for the visionary sight and goal you set for the country. I should say that it was our good luck that a person with such strong economic background was chosen to head the govt. against the conventional politician at that time. For this we (even your own self) owe a lot to the opposition parties for protesting against the ascendency of the party president to the post of the PM.

Such visionary policies and bolstered economy only decimated the opposition parties and gave a second term for the UPA 2. But unfortunately, the alliance parties took this to their credit and started to think that they were responsible for the growth of the nation. They have developed roots and started to eat into the pie. In their eagerness to have their share, they overstepped and swallowed the pie with the plate. That is probably the time you were tired of working both physically and mentally. You had health problem and started to reduce the interactions. You could not take on the struggle for power equations. Had you pressed for removing of the tainted ministers and parties from power at that time in the similar fashion you did for the passing of the Nuclear bill, you probably would have seen UPA 3 in power. But that was not the case to be. Added to the agony you also had the Brutus in your own party, who stabbed you at your back. It was literal and modernised version of a Shakespearean drama.

After the elections were over, leaders of Congress and alliance parties started murmuring and attributed to your silence and inaction against the corruption to the debacle. I know you were only like the Bhishma, who sat with anguish and apathy in the court of the Gauravas. Those who unleashed all the sinful acts, embraced corrupt practices,  looted the bounty, plundered the resources pointing fingers should really have hurt you. You were weeping within you, but still put up a grim face as if you were repaying a debt.

You were not a born politician or born in a family of politicians, or groomed to be a politician, but only had occasion to move with politicians. You were great in ensuring that you were not imbibed with the qualities of them, and not many would have come unscathed after moving for such long years with that tribe. Otherwise, you would have pulled some stunts during the last 2 or 3 years, some schemes or other that would have earned the praise from the masses and countered the oppositions. Because, the memory of the people are short and they would have voted you for the favours done in the near past, by ignoring the himalayan blunders your team did in the long past. 

You may not have big visitors now in your new residence but you will be invited to Universities and Conferences where they would like to hear you. Greatness is that you put yourself in a place of people wanting you and not that you want them. 

There is line that I would like to quote from one tamil film lyrics. மாபெரும் சபைதனில் நீ நடந்தால் மாலைகள் விழ வேண்டும். The rough english translation goes like this, "You should earn a position of people adoring you when you walk down the aisle of a great gathering". Dr Manmohan Singh, you have truly earned a place for yourself.

You were a man of few words when you were in power, but we would like to hear you out loudly on the stages of literates and economists.

Wish you the best of health and calmness.