Manmohan for Cong apology to Sikhs

"Operation Bluestar was one of the most unfortunate developments…and if any section can be soothed by someone expressing regret on behalf of the Indian nation … it should be done."

Dr Singh is being seen in certain quarters as a possible head of a Congress-led non-BJP government this March, should such a situation come to pass. But his journey to 7, Race Course Road, is not going to be easy. Seven years after he was initiated into politics, his strength remains in his ability to distance himself from any of the lobbies in the faction-ridden Congress.

Being appointed by Narasimha Rao as his Finance Minister, by Sitaram Kesri as his first appointee to the Congress Working Committee and being handpicked by Sonia Gandhi to be on the Indira Gandhi Trust and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation testifies to Singh’s ability to remain unidentified with any camp. The deftness with which this bureaucrat-turned politician worded his replies during the interview to this newspaper only reinforced this.

Dr Singh said he believed that Sonia Gandhi would have a strong impact on the party’s fortunes in the coming weeks. He also said that contrary to current estimations, history would be kind to Narasimha Rao and identify the now-discredited ex-prime minister as the person really responsible for economic reform.

As for Kesri, Singh said his articualtion of the aspirations of the economic and socially weaker sections of Indian society would be an asset to the Congress.

If Sonia is discounted, Arjun Singh, Madhav Rao Scindia and A K Antony are arguably prime ministerial candidates should the Congress head a coalition this March, but given the pulls and pushes within the party, Manmohan Singh could emerge as the most acceptable person for the job.

Singh’s financial probity is his biggest asset in a party that is trying hard to live down its image of being one of power brokers and touts. The Congress might field him in South Delhi against Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sushma Swaraj, though he still has three and a half years to go in the Rajya Sabha. Manmohan Singh will also send a suitably reassuring signal to the International finance community about the continuity of the reform programme.

There is also the Sikh factor. Today the Sikhs are backing BJP and this support has been consolidated after Akali Dal’s tie-up with that party. But a Sikh prime ministerial candidate could compel them to rethink.