Manmohan Singh – India's “good leader” is remembered with steely resolve

It is somewhat difficult to imagine the possibility of a timid politician. Unless that politician is Manmohan Singh.

since The former Indian Prime Minister passed away on Thursday. Much has been said about the “gentle and soft-spoken politician” who changed the course of Indian history and It affected the lives of millions.

His official funeral will be held on Saturday, and the Indian government has announced an official mourning period of seven days.

Despite his illustrious career – as RBI governor and federal finance minister before becoming prime minister for two terms – Singh has never emerged as a politician on the big stage, lacking the public swagger of many of his peers.

Although he gave interviews and held press conferences, especially in his first term as Prime Minister, he chose to remain silent even when his government was mired in scandals or when his cabinet ministers faced allegations of corruption.

His polite ways were both frowned upon and loved in equal measure.

His admirers said he was careful Don't pick unnecessary battles Or make lofty promises and focus on results – perhaps the best example of this Pro-market reforms He took over the position of Finance Minister who opened India's economy to the world.

He added: “I don't think anyone in India believes that Manmohan Singh can do anything wrong or corrupt.” His former Congress colleague, Kapil Sibal, once said,. “He was very careful, and he always wanted to be on the right side of the law.”

On the other hand, his opponents ridiculed him, saying that he showed a kind of ambiguity that does not suit any politician, let alone the prime minister of a country with a population of more than a billion people. His voice – hoarse and breathy, like a tired whisper – often became the butt of jokes.

But the same voice was also beloved by many who found it relatable to the world of politics where high-pitched, high-octane speeches were the norm.

Singh's image as a shy, modest, media-involved politician never left him, even as his contemporaries, including members of his own party, went through dramatic cycles of renewal.

However, it was the dignity with which he handled every situation – even the difficult ones – that made him unforgettable.

Born to a poor family in what is now Pakistan, Singh was India's first Sikh prime minister. His personal story – as a Cambridge- and Oxford-educated economist who overcame insurmountable odds to rise to the top of the ranks – coupled with his image as an honest and thoughtful leader, has already made him a hero to India's middle classes.

But in 2005, he surprised everyone when he made a public apology in Parliament for the 1984 riots in which about 3,000 Sikhs were killed.

The riots, in which several members of the Congress party were accused, broke out after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. One of them later said they shot the Congress politician in retaliation for military action she ordered against separatists hiding in Sikhism's holiest temple in Amritsar, northern India.

It was a bold move, as no other chief minister, including from the Congress party, had gone to the extent of offering an apology. But it provided a healing touch to the Sikh community, and politicians across party lines respected him for this brave act.

A few years later, in 2008, Singh's easy-going leadership style received more praise after he signed a landmark agreement with the United States that ended India's decades-long nuclear isolation, allowing India access to nuclear technology and fuel for the first time since it conducted nuclear tests. . In 1974.

The deal was widely criticized by opposition leaders and Singh's allies, who feared it would jeopardize India's foreign policy. But Singh succeeded in saving his government and the agreement.

The period 2008-09 also saw global financial turmoil, but Singh's policies were credited with protecting India from it.

In 2009, he led his party to a resounding victory and returned as prime minister for a second term, reinforcing his image as a benevolent leader, or rather the sensational idea that leaders He could Be a philanthropist.

For many, he became the embodiment of virtue, the “reluctant prime minister” who kept a low profile and refused to make any dramatic gestures, but who was also not afraid to make bold decisions for the future of his country.

And then, things started to unfold.

A series of corruption allegations – first in connection with the hosting of the Commonwealth Games, then illegal allotment of coalfields – have plagued the Congress party and Singh's government. It later became clear that some of these corruption allegations were incorrect or exaggerated. Some cases from that period are still pending in the courts.

But Singh is already starting to feel some pressure. During his tenure, he made several attempts at reconciliation with Pakistan, India's arch-neighbor, in the hope of thawing decades-long icy relations.

This approach was strongly questioned in 2008 when A Horror The attack, led by a Pakistan-based terrorist group, killed 171 people in the city of Mumbai.

The siege, which lasted 60 hours, was one of the bloodiest sieges In the country's history, it opened a chasm of accusations, as the opposition blamed this tragedy on the government's “soft attitude” towards terrorism.

In the following years, other decisions made by Singh backfired badly.

In 2011, an anti-corruption movement led by social activist Anna Hazare shook the Singh government. The frail 72-year-old has become a symbol of the middle classes, demanding strict anti-corruption laws in the country.

As a middle-class hero, Singh was expected to handle Hazare's demands more perceptively. Instead, the Prime Minister tried to suppress the movement, allowing police to arrest Hazare and break up his demonstration.

This move sparked a wave of popular and media hostility against him. Those who once admired his easygoing manner wondered whether they had misjudged the politician and began to see his quiet ways through a less generous lens.

This feeling increased the following year when Singh refused to comment on the horrific gang rape and murder of a young woman in Delhi for more than a week.

To make matters worse, India's economic growth has been slowing. Corruption spread and jobs decreased, sparking waves of popular anger. Singh's unassuming personality, which made his every move seem like a revelation, has been described as showing complacency, shyness and even arrogance by some.

However, Singh never tried to defend himself or explain his position and faced the criticism calmly.

That was until 2014. In a rare press conference, he announced that he would not seek a third term in office.

But he also tried to put things right. “I honestly believe that history will judge me better than the contemporary media, or the opposition parties in Parliament,” he said after listing some of his biggest achievements during his tenure.

He was right.

As it turned out, neither the Congress nor Singh were able to fully recover from the damage they sustained after losing the general elections to the BJP. But despite the many obstacles, Singh's image as a kind and distinguished leader remained fresh in his mind.

Throughout his tenure as Prime Minister, and despite his second term plagued by controversies, he maintained an aura of personal dignity and integrity.

His policies were seen as centered around the middle class and the poor – he approved multiple increases in salaries for central employees, kept inflation under control and introduced Feature plans On education and jobs.

Perhaps this was not enough to get him out of political dilemmas or protect him from some failures in his professional life.

But there was more to his shyness. He was a leader with steely resolve.