In a somber moment for India, the nation is mourning the loss of one of its most influential leaders. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh passed away on Thursday at the age of 92, leaving behind a complex legacy as the architect of India’s economic liberalization and a controversial figure in the country’s political landscape.
Singh, a mild-mannered economist turned technocrat, was handpicked by Sonia Gandhi, the powerful leader of the Congress party, to serve as Prime Minister in 2004. Over the course of his decade-long tenure, he presided over a period of rapid economic growth and deepening ties with the United States, exemplified by the landmark U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement in 2008.
The Architect of India’s Economic Reforms
Manmohan Singh’s most enduring legacy is undoubtedly his role in unleashing India’s economic potential. As Finance Minister in the early 1990s, Singh was the mastermind behind a series of groundbreaking reforms that dismantled India’s stifling license raj system and opened up the economy to foreign investment. These bold measures laid the foundation for India’s emergence as a global economic powerhouse in the 21st century.
“No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come. The emergence of India as a major economic power in the world happens to be one such idea.”
– Manmohan Singh, addressing the nation on economic reforms in 1991
Under Singh’s stewardship, India’s economy grew at an impressive annual rate of around 8% during the 2000s. Millions of Indians were lifted out of poverty as the country rode a wave of outsourcing and IT-driven growth. Singh’s government also made substantial investments in infrastructure and social welfare programs, aiming to make the benefits of growth more inclusive.
Forging Stronger Ties with the United States
Another defining feature of Manmohan Singh’s tenure was the strengthening of India’s strategic partnership with the United States. The highlight of this deepening engagement was the signing of the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement in 2008, which recognized India as a responsible nuclear power and paved the way for greater cooperation in civil nuclear energy.
The nuclear deal was a diplomatic triumph for Singh, who staked his government’s survival on the agreement in the face of fierce opposition from left-wing parties in his coalition. By bringing India closer to the United States, Singh sought to balance against the rising power of China and secure India’s place as a key geopolitical player.
A Tainted Legacy: Corruption Scandals and Policy Paralysis
Despite his achievements, Manmohan Singh’s reputation was tarnished in his second term by a series of high-profile corruption scandals and a growing sense of policy paralysis. The controversies ranged from the murky allocation of 2G telecom spectrum to the chaotic organization of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
While Singh himself was never personally implicated in any wrongdoing, the scandals eroded public trust in his government and fueled perceptions of weak leadership. Critics accused Singh of being a mere figurehead, with real power resting in the hands of Sonia Gandhi and her inner circle in the Congress party.
In his final years in office, Singh struggled to push through key economic reforms in the face of opposition from allies and a resurgent BJP led by Narendra Modi. The sense of drift and indecision ultimately cost the Congress party dearly, as it suffered a crushing defeat to Modi’s BJP in the 2014 general elections.
A Complex Legacy for Modern India
As India mourns the passing of Manmohan Singh, his legacy as a transformative economic reformer is secure. The changes he unleashed in the 1990s as Finance Minister and then shepherded as Prime Minister have irreversibly altered India’s economic trajectory and its place in the world.
However, his record as a political leader remains more mixed. While lauded for his personal integrity and intellectual prowess, Singh was often criticized for his hands-off leadership style and failure to stamp out corruption within his government. The fall from grace of the Congress party in his final years in office also raises questions about the sustainability of the political model he represented.
“I have always believed that politics is not a career. It is a mission to serve the people and to work for the betterment of our country.”
– Manmohan Singh, in a 2014 interview
As India grapples with the challenges of the post-COVID world, Manmohan Singh’s legacy offers both inspiration and cautionary tales. His vision of an India that is economically dynamic, socially inclusive, and engaged with the world remains as relevant as ever. Yet the turbulent final years of his tenure are a reminder of the complexities and contradictions of the Indian political system that he spent a lifetime navigating.
In the end, Manmohan Singh will be remembered as a dedicated public servant who left an indelible mark on India’s economic and political landscape. As the nation bids farewell to this gentle technocrat turned accidental prime minister, his ideas and ideals will continue to shape India’s trajectory well into the future.
