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- The failures of former prime ministers
Commentarao
S.L. Rao
Writings about past prime ministers tend to focus on their achievements, and, at times, touch on their failings. Here, I propose to look only at their mistakes and their failings. Thus, I shall not dwell on Jawaharlal Nehru's essential role in building and respecting democratic institutions in India and crafting an extraordinary foreign policy that insulated India from the rivalry of the Great Powers; Lal Bahadur Shastri's role in leading India to victory in war against Pakistan; Indira Gandhi tackling a massive refugee influx due to the atrocities committed by the Pakistan army in East Pakistan and supporting East Bengali insurgents to create their own nation of Bangladesh; Rajiv Gandhi initiating the information technology revolution and taking the first hesitant steps towards economic reforms; P.V. Narasimha Rao dramatically changing India's economic direction from State control towards market economy; A.B. Vajpayee offering friendship to Pakistan and beginning the process of public sector disinvestment and Manmohan Singh getting India accepted as a nuclear power and so ensuring uranium supplies.
What emerges is that India has never taken easily to a democratic cabinet form of government. The prime minister's opinions are final. There is little dissent even in the cabinet. When the party in power has an authoritarian prime minister and few talented ministers, as is the case with the present Bharatiya Janata Party government, mistakes are made and decisions are often rolled back.
Since Independence, India has been plagued by frequent demands by Pakistan for a United Nations-monitored plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir that was committed to by Nehru. Jammu and Kashmir was to choose between acceding to India or to Pakistan. Pakistan tried wars and 'civilian' infiltration to win Jammu and Kashmir. India defeated all of them. India then declared that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India. Without the offer of a plebiscite, the rancour in Pakistan might have been less. In taking the dispute to the UN after removing Pakistani invaders from much of Kashmir in 1948, Nehru coloured Pakistan's perceptions of India for decades.
It is said that in 1955, the then Great Powers offered Nehru a permanent seat for India in the new United Nations security council. He asked it to be offered to China instead. For decades since, China has used its veto in the security council to obstruct many matters of interest to India.
India has since Nehru's time hesitated to use the recognition of Taiwan, which China regards as its integral part, as a counter in other negotiations with China.
When China overran Tibet, India recognized Chinese sovereignty over Tibet. If that had not been so categorical, India could have used Tibet as a bargaining counter with China in the later years.
In the war with China in 1962, India was ill-served by belligerence and poor leadership. The army was ill-equipped due to Nehru's appointment of his close friend, V.K. Krishna Menon, as defence minister. Menon deprived the army of essential supplies for a war at high altitude. General P.N. Thapar was asked to lead the army at war, superseding other officers. This is said to have led to India's comprehensive drubbing.
Indira Gandhi persuaded Prime Minister Nehru when she was made Congress president to dismiss the first elected communist government in Kerala. This led to a spate of dismissals of state governments by her and her successors in later years. It was controlled only when the Supreme Court intervened to prevent this misuse of a constitutional power.
The mystery of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's death or disappearance is unresolved. Bengal police files suggest that his family was under surveillance till 1972.
Indira Gandhi is widely believed to have put the Indian economy back by 20 years by her policies. Her leftist orientation severely strained India's relations with the United States of America. She was inherently suspicious of other politicians and hungry for power. This reflected itself in the nationalization of banks and insurance to control all financial resources, the regulation of private enterprise in every step, and the stifling of entrepreneurship and innovation. She made the Indian economy inefficient and uncompetitive in the global economy. Even the Green Revolution, which she initiated under C. Subramaniam, had little follow-up by her or by her successors.
She led the war that led to the dismemberment of Pakistan and the formation of Bangladesh. Millions of Bangladeshis illegally entered and settled in India, creating a Muslim vote bank for her party.
During the Simla negotiations, after the stunning defeat of Pakistan's army in the war, she chose not to settle the Kashmir dispute, once and for all. Z.A. Bhutto immediately initiated a nuclear programme (by theft). Pakistan could send soldiers into India and yet escape retaliation by brandishing the nuclear threat.
She surrounded herself with sycophants and imposed the Emergency to keep power in response to an unfavourable court verdict. An 'extra-constitutional' authority - her son, Sanjay - exercised vast powers over the government. She tampered with the integrity of the democratic institutions (judiciary, legislature and state governments) that her father had nurtured. The Congress party was converted into a family business, which it still is. This has had severe adverse effects on the governance of India.
Narasimha Rao presided over the demolition of the mosque at Ayodhya, considerably heightening communal tensions in future years. His tenure witnessed the unseemly 'cash for votes' scandal in which money was paid in return for MPs' votes in Parliament.
Rajiv Gandhi presided over India's first major defence scandal (Bofors). The jeep purchase scandal by Menon under Nehru was small. The purchase of Bofors guns siphoned off big sums. It is still unresolved. Blatant use of connections by Snamprogetti represented by Ottavio Quattrocchi in contracts for new fertilizer plants was another landmark event.
Rajiv Gandhi also badly mishandled the threat to Sri Lanka by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. He initially sided with the Tamils. Then he responded to Sri Lankan pleas for help and sent the army to root the LTTE out. The Indian army returned in ignominy.
He passed a law to reverse the Supreme Court order on payment of alimony to a Muslim woman, Shah Bano. He thus halted the progress to reverse gender-discriminatory Muslim personal laws. He initiated the Ayodhya temple agitation by breaking the lock in the Babri Masjid to allow worship there by Hindus.
Succeeding him were the miscellaneous prime ministers - V.P. Singh, Chandra Shekhar, H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral. They presided over the decline of the Indian economy at a time of a world crisis caused by shortage and rising prices of crude oil.
Manmohan Singh's term was of 10 years. For the second time in our history (after Indira Gandhi with her son, Sanjay), India experienced the subjugation of the prime minister's authority and leadership by an unelected person, the Congress president. It was more blatant than in Sanjay Gandhi's case since his authority was limited unlike that of Sonia Gandhi. Indira Gandhi exercised prime ministerial decision- making powers. In the case of Prime Minister Singh, it is alleged that confidential files were sent from the Prime Minister's Office to the Congress president to take decisions.
The Singh tenure saw the biggest scams in Indian history. Ministers and officials were found to have made vast sums of money by favouring select firms and giving away government-owned natural resources. More than one cabinet minister had to resign.
Vajpayee's tenure witnessed no big failures. He could have struck a Kashmir deal but for Pervez Musharraf's vacillation.
Indian democracy panders to a single leader like the prime minister (unless he or she surrenders leadership to an external authority). Such democratic institutions as legislatures and the cabinet, and now the independent fourth estate, are ignored or subverted with 'loaves and fishes'. We must find ways to moderate such an unbridled exercise of power by a prime minister. We need ministers who are talented and prime ministers who would listen to all views.
The author is former director-general, National Council of Applied Economic Research
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160803/jsp/opinion/story_100139.jsp#.V6HXrc6cGW9
- The failures of former prime ministers
Commentarao
S.L. Rao
Writings about past prime ministers tend to focus on their achievements, and, at times, touch on their failings. Here, I propose to look only at their mistakes and their failings. Thus, I shall not dwell on Jawaharlal Nehru's essential role in building and respecting democratic institutions in India and crafting an extraordinary foreign policy that insulated India from the rivalry of the Great Powers; Lal Bahadur Shastri's role in leading India to victory in war against Pakistan; Indira Gandhi tackling a massive refugee influx due to the atrocities committed by the Pakistan army in East Pakistan and supporting East Bengali insurgents to create their own nation of Bangladesh; Rajiv Gandhi initiating the information technology revolution and taking the first hesitant steps towards economic reforms; P.V. Narasimha Rao dramatically changing India's economic direction from State control towards market economy; A.B. Vajpayee offering friendship to Pakistan and beginning the process of public sector disinvestment and Manmohan Singh getting India accepted as a nuclear power and so ensuring uranium supplies.
What emerges is that India has never taken easily to a democratic cabinet form of government. The prime minister's opinions are final. There is little dissent even in the cabinet. When the party in power has an authoritarian prime minister and few talented ministers, as is the case with the present Bharatiya Janata Party government, mistakes are made and decisions are often rolled back.
Since Independence, India has been plagued by frequent demands by Pakistan for a United Nations-monitored plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir that was committed to by Nehru. Jammu and Kashmir was to choose between acceding to India or to Pakistan. Pakistan tried wars and 'civilian' infiltration to win Jammu and Kashmir. India defeated all of them. India then declared that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India. Without the offer of a plebiscite, the rancour in Pakistan might have been less. In taking the dispute to the UN after removing Pakistani invaders from much of Kashmir in 1948, Nehru coloured Pakistan's perceptions of India for decades.
It is said that in 1955, the then Great Powers offered Nehru a permanent seat for India in the new United Nations security council. He asked it to be offered to China instead. For decades since, China has used its veto in the security council to obstruct many matters of interest to India.
India has since Nehru's time hesitated to use the recognition of Taiwan, which China regards as its integral part, as a counter in other negotiations with China.
When China overran Tibet, India recognized Chinese sovereignty over Tibet. If that had not been so categorical, India could have used Tibet as a bargaining counter with China in the later years.
In the war with China in 1962, India was ill-served by belligerence and poor leadership. The army was ill-equipped due to Nehru's appointment of his close friend, V.K. Krishna Menon, as defence minister. Menon deprived the army of essential supplies for a war at high altitude. General P.N. Thapar was asked to lead the army at war, superseding other officers. This is said to have led to India's comprehensive drubbing.
Indira Gandhi persuaded Prime Minister Nehru when she was made Congress president to dismiss the first elected communist government in Kerala. This led to a spate of dismissals of state governments by her and her successors in later years. It was controlled only when the Supreme Court intervened to prevent this misuse of a constitutional power.
The mystery of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's death or disappearance is unresolved. Bengal police files suggest that his family was under surveillance till 1972.
Indira Gandhi is widely believed to have put the Indian economy back by 20 years by her policies. Her leftist orientation severely strained India's relations with the United States of America. She was inherently suspicious of other politicians and hungry for power. This reflected itself in the nationalization of banks and insurance to control all financial resources, the regulation of private enterprise in every step, and the stifling of entrepreneurship and innovation. She made the Indian economy inefficient and uncompetitive in the global economy. Even the Green Revolution, which she initiated under C. Subramaniam, had little follow-up by her or by her successors.
She led the war that led to the dismemberment of Pakistan and the formation of Bangladesh. Millions of Bangladeshis illegally entered and settled in India, creating a Muslim vote bank for her party.
During the Simla negotiations, after the stunning defeat of Pakistan's army in the war, she chose not to settle the Kashmir dispute, once and for all. Z.A. Bhutto immediately initiated a nuclear programme (by theft). Pakistan could send soldiers into India and yet escape retaliation by brandishing the nuclear threat.
She surrounded herself with sycophants and imposed the Emergency to keep power in response to an unfavourable court verdict. An 'extra-constitutional' authority - her son, Sanjay - exercised vast powers over the government. She tampered with the integrity of the democratic institutions (judiciary, legislature and state governments) that her father had nurtured. The Congress party was converted into a family business, which it still is. This has had severe adverse effects on the governance of India.
Narasimha Rao presided over the demolition of the mosque at Ayodhya, considerably heightening communal tensions in future years. His tenure witnessed the unseemly 'cash for votes' scandal in which money was paid in return for MPs' votes in Parliament.
Rajiv Gandhi presided over India's first major defence scandal (Bofors). The jeep purchase scandal by Menon under Nehru was small. The purchase of Bofors guns siphoned off big sums. It is still unresolved. Blatant use of connections by Snamprogetti represented by Ottavio Quattrocchi in contracts for new fertilizer plants was another landmark event.
Rajiv Gandhi also badly mishandled the threat to Sri Lanka by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. He initially sided with the Tamils. Then he responded to Sri Lankan pleas for help and sent the army to root the LTTE out. The Indian army returned in ignominy.
He passed a law to reverse the Supreme Court order on payment of alimony to a Muslim woman, Shah Bano. He thus halted the progress to reverse gender-discriminatory Muslim personal laws. He initiated the Ayodhya temple agitation by breaking the lock in the Babri Masjid to allow worship there by Hindus.
Succeeding him were the miscellaneous prime ministers - V.P. Singh, Chandra Shekhar, H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral. They presided over the decline of the Indian economy at a time of a world crisis caused by shortage and rising prices of crude oil.
Manmohan Singh's term was of 10 years. For the second time in our history (after Indira Gandhi with her son, Sanjay), India experienced the subjugation of the prime minister's authority and leadership by an unelected person, the Congress president. It was more blatant than in Sanjay Gandhi's case since his authority was limited unlike that of Sonia Gandhi. Indira Gandhi exercised prime ministerial decision- making powers. In the case of Prime Minister Singh, it is alleged that confidential files were sent from the Prime Minister's Office to the Congress president to take decisions.
The Singh tenure saw the biggest scams in Indian history. Ministers and officials were found to have made vast sums of money by favouring select firms and giving away government-owned natural resources. More than one cabinet minister had to resign.
Vajpayee's tenure witnessed no big failures. He could have struck a Kashmir deal but for Pervez Musharraf's vacillation.
Indian democracy panders to a single leader like the prime minister (unless he or she surrenders leadership to an external authority). Such democratic institutions as legislatures and the cabinet, and now the independent fourth estate, are ignored or subverted with 'loaves and fishes'. We must find ways to moderate such an unbridled exercise of power by a prime minister. We need ministers who are talented and prime ministers who would listen to all views.
The author is former director-general, National Council of Applied Economic Research
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160803/jsp/opinion/story_100139.jsp#.V6HXrc6cGW9
