Too Sweet is Bitter!

Page no. 10 of today’s Hindustan Times tells me that one more political figure has raised voice against former Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh. The old man is surely losing his leftover public image.

This trend of piling the old wounds was started some months ago by Mr. Sanjaya Baru, former media advisor to Dr. Singh from 2004-2008. I have read a few pages of the book ‘The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh’ written by Baru, where no words have been compromised to show the helplessness and the pressure under which Singh worked during his tenure. I don’t need to write from whom this pressure came. I can imagine a jungle scene in Delhi for whole 10 years where Dr. Singh was made scapegoat to extract maximum profits and power.

Inspired by the political and public storm that was created by Baru’s book; former coal secretary P C Parakh entered in the ring. He launched the super typhoon with his book titled, ‘Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other Truths’. Honestly, I have not even seen that book in person so I don’t know how that book has presented Dr. Singh. But from the news report on the book, Dr. Singh has come under bad limelight again. Who says colonial power was present in India only till 1947? It existed in our country till 2014.

If these two gentlemen were not enough to tell us what we already know, ex-CAG Vinod Rai made it to the headlines with his own version of Dr. Singh in a book named, ‘Not just an Accountant’ which is set to release in coming days. Rai has claimed that Dr. Singh was well aware of all tricks and trades which were going around 2G but he sat on his chair like a calm monk.  If the fire was still building up, ex Commerce minister Kamal Nath added fuel to it by supporting the claims made by Vinod Rai. If a saint witnesses a killing and keeps quiet in the name of peace he is as devil as the killer!

Dr. Singh was educated in University of Cambridge. He worked for UNCTAD, as advisor to Ministry of Foreign Trade, taught thousands of young minds as professor of International Trade at Delhi school of Economics, chief economic advisor in the Ministry of Finance, secretary in same ministry and played most important role as governor of RBI. He held many more posts before he became the 14^th PM of India in 2004. While people can put allegation on him for being aware of all bad deeds and not using his powers for stopping them, no one can touch his collar for being corrupt or misusing his powers for the betterment of his family. His family still live with the modest means of life and lead a simple life. Does a man with such an idolising attitude and professional knowledge deserve humiliation in the hands of wolves?

I have no idea of what Dr. Singh did in this tenure as supreme head of world’s largest democracy so I don’t have a strong opinion on what is wrong or right. But one thing is quiet sure; you can’t act like a monk when you are sitting in a place surrounded by dark powers and evil. Sometimes a swing of sword is necessary! These days too much of goodness is injurious to health.

PS- I hope soon we can read a book penned completely by Dr. Singh where he reveals the dirty tricks and trades which colonial powers used to deteriorate India.  That would be a Punjabi punch!