Dr Manmohan Singh was the quintessential prime minister. An unassuming, affable, collaborative, thoughtful personality who was a great listener. He had a fragile frame but nerves of steel. When it came to the crunch, he was unwilling to compromise with principles that he held close to his heart.
We must not forget that India in 1991 faced a fierce economic crisis, and as finance minister in Narasimha Rao’s government, he was the one who unshackled the Indian economy. He eliminated the industrial licence requirement for most sectors, removed limits on capital accumulation, allowed imports of a majority of goods without a licence, reduced tariffs and, in a large number of sectors, eliminated restrictions on foreign investments. In fact, he opened up the private sector to many of the activities that were reserved for the public sector. To give a boost to liquidity, he deregulated interest rates. The results were for all to see. The economy, which was growing at 3 per cent, grew at 6 per cent during the nineties, and exports grew at an annual rate of 17.3 per cent.
Having studied both at Oxford and Cambridge, he firmly believed that equitable economic growth in a country like ours, with millions of people living on the margins of poverty, was the only policy option.
The revolution in the communication sector made India a software hub, the benefits of which we are experiencing today. His policies ensured that mobile connectivity was available to ordinary people at low prices. At one point, the cost of a mobile call in India was the lowest anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, some vested interests opposed the allocation of spectrum at administered prices. The very people who opposed such allocations are the ones who are now embracing the same policy.
It was only when the UPA-I government came to power in 2004 that the growth trajectory of India reached a level that was never seen before in this country, and certainly not since 2014. This allowed millions who were living below the poverty line to benefit from India’s growth story.
On the rights front, the Right to Information Act (2005) and the Right to Education Act (2009) were landmark pieces of legislation. The former brought about transparency in government functioning by making it mandatory for the government to provide information to citizens, subject to certain exceptions, thereby making the executive accountable for its actions. By amending the Constitution, Article 21A was added, making education a fundamental right. The Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act (2009) mandated private schools to admit students belonging to the poor and the marginalised, free of charge from class I and incrementally to class VIII — a revolutionary step that gave access to those who could not have dreamed of private schooling.
One of his greatest achievements was the India-US Nuclear Deal. He was deeply committed to it. It opened the nuclear technology sector, allowing for collaborations in nuclear energy and earned us a seat at the global high table. This was a major step in accessing alternative sources of energy, given global warming is a global challenge.
Manmohan Singh was a true democrat. He displayed unwavering respect and belief in parliamentary institutions and the institutional structures, which are central to democratic processes. He allowed for a free press. He never shied away from answering questions and held frequent press conferences and interactions with the media. He never interfered with institutions such as the Election Commission of India and never foisted names when it came to appointments to the judiciary.
There never has been and is unlikely to be a prime minister as multi-faceted as Singh. Before reaching the pinnacle of his political career, he held several important positions, including that of the Chairman of the University Grants Commission, Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister, and Finance Secretary. He was also the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, which allowed the RBI to independently decide on how our monetary policy should respond to inflationary pressures. Such diverse experiences gave him the advantage of being fully conversant with every aspect of the economy as well as political structures in the country.
I personally had the benefit of his advice and guidance on issues that were matters of concern. I can say that in the 10 years that I held the portfolios of Science & Technology, Human Resource Development, IT and Telecom and Law & Justice, Manmohan Singh, or for that matter, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, never called me asking to do things in a certain manner. This indicates the freedom with which our government functioned, contrary to the floating misinformation at that point in time.
I remember when I was initiating a process of reforms in the education sector, I had a conversation with him when he told me, “Kapil, be careful. I don’t think it will be easy to get the reform process through.” I later realised that what he said was absolutely right because as I moved a Bill for collaboration with foreign universities, it was opposed vehemently by the BJP, who never allowed it to go through. My efforts to manufacture the ‘Akash Tablet’ came to nought given the opposition, both within and without. Had this endeavour been successful, it would have helped students all over the country.
To run a coalition government successfully for 10 years was no easy task. Manmohan Singh successfully navigated through the pulls and pressures of different ideological strands, a signal achievement in itself.
When the history of this period is written, the period during which he navigated through the pulls and pressures of different ideological strands and managed a coalition government successfully will forever be remembered. Despite the turbulence of these years, India grew at an average of over 7.7 per cent, riding on the strength of economic reforms, the architect of which was Singh himself. He single-handedly managed to steer the ship to safety, even though, in the process, he was unfairly targeted.
Such statesmen are seldom born. Such statesmen will always be remembered. History will judge Dr Manmohan Singh as a path-breaking, self-effacing prime minister for whom India always came first. One who laid the foundations of a modern, resurgent India.
The writer is a Rajya Sabha member and a former member of Manmohan Singh cabinet
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on December 5, 2008. Reuters file 
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