TRIPLE
STREAM
P.V.
– A Unique Human Being
I. V. Chalapati
Rao
When Shri P. V.
Narasimha Rao assumed the reins of office in 1991 as Prime Minister of India in
extraordinary circumstances, sour sacks and doomsters prophesied that the
minority government would not last even for six months. It was a miracle of
miracles when he successfully steered the ship of state for the full term of
five years by means of his strategic thinking and political acumen. He brought
unusual talents to the management of power. At a time when Congress was in
distress and doldrums being unable to face the united opposition, he gave it a
face lift and a boost to its bruised morale. The way he dealt with the
Speaker’s election and the election of the President and the Vice-President is
a proof of his diplomatic prowess. All attempts to dislodge his government were
defeated.
P.V. realised
that it was time to think outside the quasi socialism’s tattered box. He was
the morning star of economic reforms. India marched ahead under his dedicated
leadership at a critical time in its history. His major achievements include a
paradigm change in the economic policy, devolution of power to the people by
making the Panchayat Raj and Nagarpalika Schemes as Law, ending decade-long
insurgency and restoration of peace in the troubled states of Punjab and Assam,
weaponisation and “operationalisation” of the nuclear policy, his initiatives
on China, remarkable increase in the public stocks of food grains and above all
the fabulous economic growth.
In 1991 our
economy had sunk to the lowest level of 1.96, within one year it soared to 4.31
and soon rocketed to 5.7. Unimaginable acceleration indeed! The country which
collapsed into economic morass made a spectacular recovery thanks to P.V’s bold
and risk-taking reversal of the old economic policy and ushering in of the
new-age reforms of liberalisation, globalisation and deregulation. Besides, he
had to deal with a polity left divided by the politics of Mandal and Mandir.
18.36 metric tonnes of gold worth Rs. 2,208 crore rupees sold by the previous
government was repurchased and brought back. A further 46.91 tonnes of R.B.I’s
gold mortgaged by the previous government in dire distress, was brought back.
What more could be done by a patriotic Prime Minister to rehabilitate the
country in economic growth and restore the country’s pride and prestige in the
comity of nations? Foreign Exchange reserves rose to an all-time record.
Manufacturing sector and capital goods sector grew at an unprecedented rate.
The succeeding Governments have followed the economic policy of liberalisation
and globalisation which was pioneered by P.V.
His choice of Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister was itself evidence of
his leadership qualities in finding the right man for the right job.
P.V. was a
seasoned administrator, an eminent educationist, a far-sighted statesman, a
multi-lingual scholar, an outstanding writer, a connoisseur of fine arts, a
persuasive public speaker and above all a unique human being. He was an ardent
patriot, a staunch Gandhian and a champion of land reforms. His consensual
style, facade of detachment, unflustered nature, calculated adoption of
‘inaction’ and the art of salutary delay in decision making were his well known
techniques in management. Though he was an effective public speaker, he spoke
less and listened more. He was a visionary with a passion for literature. Like
Jawaharlal he gave to Indian politics a touch of Philosophy. He had the
foresight to upgrade India’s diplomatic representation in Israel to full level
of Ambassador. He was deeply interested in the fields of science and technology
with world-wide proficiency in the use of computers.
Above all he
was a STITHAPRAJNA, a title conferred on him at a mammoth public meeting in the
presence of the three Chief Ministers of Maharastra, Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh in connection with the centenary celebrations of Swami Ramanand Tirth
at Hyderabad.
Like the
famed Duke of Wellington “he stood four square to all the winds that blew, and
sought but duty’s iron crown” and proved that “the path of duty is the way to
glory”. In the words of Sir Walter Scott:
“Now is
the stately column broke
The beacon
light is quenched in smoke
The
trumpet’s silver sound is still
The Warden
silent on the hill.”