Then, 71 years old, Manmohan Singh began his first term as India’s 14th Prime Minister on May 22, 2004, attired in his familiar white kurta-pyjama and blue turban. A reclusive economist who rarely uttered a word in public, his ascension to power was as unprecedented as it was contentious. While his tenure did boast a few remarkable achievements like the 2008 India-US Civil Nuclear Deal, a spree of scandals, indecision, policy paralysis and the pervasive perception that he was a weak Prime Minister controlled by Sonia Gandhi marred much of it.
In the early hours of 27th December, the Union government has declared a period of national mourning for seven days to honour former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who breathed his last on 26th December, at the age of 92.
The Making of a Technocrat
Singh was born on September 26, 1932, in the village of Gah, which is now in Pakistan. His childhood was full of hardships; the traumatic partition of India in 1947 compelled his family to leave everything behind and move from Gah (Pakistan) to Haldwani (India).
Later, they relocated to Amritsar. Despite all the hardship faced, Singh’s academic brilliance helped him reach the heights he ended up scaling in his 9-decades of rich lively journey.
After moving to India, he completed his graduation from Punjab University. He then moved abroad for higher education at the University of Cambridge and later finished his Ph.D. from Oxford University in Economics.
His credentials placed him among the top economists as a possible academician cum public service professional. For some years before joining active politics, Singh had already accused key high-ranking positions including Chief Economic Advisor, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, and deputy chairman of the Planning Commission.
The Accidental Prime Minister
He made politics a serious profession after 1991, when the then Prime Minister, PV Narasimha Rao, nominated Singh to become Finance Minister and bring India out of its grave balance-of-payments crisis.
Under the political leadership of PV Narasimha Rao, Dr. Singh introduced the Liberalisation, Privationisation and Globalisation (LPG) reforms. At a political level, Singh fell short in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections and he lost his south Delhi seat.
In 2004, in a surprise result, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance scrapped through to from the government. While Sonia Gandhi left no stone unturned to assume India’s highest political office, BJP leaders namely Sushma Swaraj, Uma Bharti and others flagged her Italian links to challenge her claim to the throne. While the BJP leaders had cornered the Congress president and forced her to make way for an Indian-born leader, she resorted to undemocratic means to retain power in her hands. In the process, she chose her confidant, Dr. Singh. His media adviser Sanjay Baru, in his book on Dr. Singh’s political journey, dubbed him as ‘Accidental Prime Minister’.
Also read: Manmohan Singh, Former Prime Minister Of India, Passes Away At 92
A Decade of Governance: Achievements and Shortcomings
Singh’s innings as Prime Minister were also a mixed bag. He brought programs like the Right to Information Act, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the Right to Education to empower citizens to check some socio-economic inequalities.
However, Singh’s public and political posturing vis-a-vis the Gandhi family’s undemocratic tactics always remained in question. He was often criticised for not coming out of the shadows of the Gandhi family’s confidant. He feel short in steering the country in right direction or flagging wrongdoings that were taking place under his nose, only to stay perenially indebted to the Gandhi family for giving him the throne, an act not worthy to categorise a man in the ranks of Morally upright, rather a sycophant.
The Scandals That Tarnished His Legacy
Singh’s tenure was marred by corruption scandals that brought to the fore systemic rot within the UPA government. While Dr. Singh often remained immune to direct charges of corruption, or political allegations to that affect, his credentials of being a morally upright, a man of principle who never compromised on non-negotiables like corruption, ‘loaning countries resources through phone calls, power broking, took a beating on a regular basis. Taking a jibe at the Dr. Singh’s teflon quoted image crafted by the ecosystem, BJP stalwart and his counterprary political rival, Narendra Modi said, “Only Dr. Manmohan Singh knows the art of bathing in a raincoat.”
Here are some of the major scandals that broke national headlines, every now and then, for which the ultimate responsibility of flagging it, holding corrupt accountable, rested with Dr. Singh, who incidentally too had to once face the heat of scandal, the Coal gate scam.
Anurag Thakur:
“Who ate the Halwa of Bofors, Antrix Devas, National Herald, Submarine, Augusta Westland, 2G, Commonwealth, Coal, Valmiki, Fodder & Urea SCAMs?”🔥~ Entire house was chanting CONGRESS after every Scam. ABSOLUTE CINEMA👌 pic.twitter.com/69fK30zjJv
— The Analyzer (News Updates🗞️) (@Indian_Analyzer) July 30, 2024
2G Spectrum Scam: Allocation of telecom spectrum licenses at below-market rates led to a loss of ₹1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer. Singh can well argue that he had no knowledge of the anomalies, but silence and inaction raise very serious questions.
NDA is focused on the path of development, whereas UPA is indulged in corruption.
I am amazed to see that Stalin is talking about corruption, has he forgotten the 2G scam & SunTV scam?
DMK is no longer a political party, infact it is unofficially a business organisation. pic.twitter.com/LTzuEKMNI0
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 1, 2021
Commonwealth Games Scam: The 2010 Commonwealth Games were supposed to reflect India’s status in the world. Instead, it turned out to be a classic case of corruption where inflated contracts and kickbacks stood at about ₹70,000 crore.
Satyam Scam: This corporate scam threw open regulatory failures under the administration of Singh.
Coalgate Scam: Malpractices in the coal blocks’ allotment led to the loss of ₹1.86 lakh crore. Singh, the head of the Coal Ministry for some parts of this period, has been accused of being an accomplice by omission.
Adarsh Housing Society Scam: The housing scheme, which was meant to be for war widows and veterans, was misused for the benefit of politicians, bureaucrats, and the military at the cost of people.
UPA Scam: Their failure to pass the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill that resulted in Anna Hazare leading a nation-wide crusade against the government gave rise to widespread public agitation over corruption.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, “I want to tell the Congress party and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin that changing the name does nothing. As soon as you go in public, people remember the commonwealth scam, 2G scam, commonwealth scam, coal scam,… pic.twitter.com/bTnC4Vt4mw
— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2023
These scandals cumulatively eroded the credibility of Singh’s government. Singh rarely took a firm stand against these malpractices. His silence on these matters earned him a reputation as an individual who, as much as he sought loyalty, seemed to hold national responsibility secondary. He failed in shattering the notion that he was a confidant to Sonia Gandhi and the Congress high command, which didn’t give him the strength of authority to take necessary decisions even against corrupt members within his cabinet.
Why Singh Said, “History Will Be Kinder to Me Than Media”
When Singh’s second term was nearing an end, his government had received much criticism. Speaking candidly on this rare occasion, he said, “I honestly believe history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media or for that matter, the opposition parties in Parliament.”
This was an expression of his belief that over time, his efforts in India’s development would be vindicated, especially on economic reforms and social welfare programs. It showed his angst at being called a weak leader, though. And it does the same for Singh: where his defenders argue he chose policy over politics, detractors suggest that passivity paved for corruption and eroded the people’s confidence in governance.
‘History Will Be Kinder To Me’: Revisiting Former PM Manmohan Singh’s Defining Statements | #Watch #TNVideos #TopQuotes #ManmohanSingh pic.twitter.com/96lhoF4983
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) December 27, 2024
The Verdict on His Legacy
Singh was a prime minister of contradictions. Although he was undeniably a skilled economist and played a pivotal role in the 1991 LPG reforms, his tenure ultimately ended with India being labeled as one of the ‘Fragile Five’ economies. A combination of policy paralysis, corruption scandals, and a sluggish economic downturn led to his political decline and eventual loss of power. As a politician, he could not make himself assertive, with scandals dominating the headlines over achievements.
His servility to Sonia Gandhi and the Congress high command only made it appear that he was a mere figurehead. The dynamic not only weakened his government but also damaged India’s democratic institutions because decisions were seen to come from unelected party leaders rather than elected representatives.
A Final Farewell
On December 26, 2024, Manmohan Singh passed away at the age of 92. Tributes flowed in from all corners of the political spectrum as people from all walks of life spoke of his role in the economic transformation of India. His legacy remains, however, polarizing. He was a man of intellect and integrity to his admirers, who steered India through the turbulence. To his detractors, he was a weak leader whose silence and inaction enabled corruption to flourish.
Reflecting upon his life, one inevitable question remains: Will the course of history eventually kinder this India about Manmohan Singh or will his tenure act out as a cautionary example of how mere technocratic expertise is insufficient in steering effective leadership within this realm of politics? As answers go, so may his legacy.
