Much has been spoken about how former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh overlooked some of the digressions of the Gandhi family, and continued to maintain close relations with all three as long as he lived. The truth of the matter is that Singh and the former UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi had an extremely close bond, emanating from immense respect for each other, and this shared chemistry took them through turbulent times while ensuring that their association did not suffer.
When Rahul Gandhi tore the ordinance promulgated by the then government, it was Sonia Gandhi who pulled him up for showing disrespect to the Prime Minister while he was abroad on an important visit. It was not surprising that the current Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha apologised to Singh admitting his mistake.
There have been many questions that have been asked as to why Sonia Gandhi chose Manmohan Singh to be the Prime Minister even though there was no dearth of stalwarts in her own party. It should be understood that Sonia Gandhi knew the pulse of the party and was also aware of the ambitions of some of her colleagues, who were capable of stabbing her in the back, if the opportunity arose.
While many political observers believe that she lacks political acumen, it is a mistake they commit, since Sonia Gandhi is not only astute but also can anticipate all kinds of conspiracies that can erupt from within her own party. She has the natural instinct of sensing trouble, and therefore has always treaded her path cautiously.
Singh was picked up due to multiple reasons, the foremost being his impressive academic background other than his capacity to understand the working of the government. Politically he posed no threat but in fact, brought about some comfort for the party leadership because of his accommodative nature.
The soft-spoken Singh was a perfect foil to the high profile Gandhis, and by ensuring that everyone was consulted and made to feel important, he pursed inclusive politics at every level. Even his senior colleagues who resorted to bullying tactics initially understood that it would be of no avail since he was not going to be intimidated. Moreover, he was absolutely protected by Sonia Gandhi, who would never allow any of her colleagues to cross the red lines so far as he was concerned.
Another reason which probably influenced the then Congress president to opt for him was something which is difficult to establish, though it was discussed at the time of his appointment. After the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, there was a sudden loss of faith the community had in the country’s leadership, particularly after the anti-Sikh riots which featured the names of several prominent Congress leaders, even if nothing has been finally established against them.
Sonia Gandhi had witnessed her mother-in-law collapse in her arms while being taken to hospital and later suffered a major trauma when her husband and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was killed by a human bomb in Tamil Nadu. She was very worried about the safety of her own family and in a deleted chapter of Makhan Lal Fotedar’s book, “Chinar Leaves”, he had mentioned how certain security personnel hired privately by her, guarded the family at 10, Janpath.
Sonia Gandhi was keen that somehow this threat perception from a section of the Sikhs, who had at one time vowed to finish of the Nehru-Gandhi family, should be greatly reduced. She wanted to ensure that both Rahul and Priyanka, who had an upbringing constrained by excessive security, should be able to live normal lives. Therefore, when she zeroed in on Singh for his capabilities which were unchallenged, in some crevice of her mind she also perhaps examined the possibility of getting a Sikh to occupy the coveted office with the support of her party. This observation is extremely hard to establish but all the same for students of current affairs and practical politics, cannot be completely ruled out either.
Thus, when Manmohan Singh, a very capable Indian took over as the Prime Minister from Atal Behari Vajpayee, he also symbolized how in the Indian democratic system, someone from a minority community could also rise to the highest position. It may sound an extremely narrow view but in the realm of politics, anything can happen and small issues can also help in making the final choices.
In hindsight, Manmohan Singh never allowed the faith Sonia Gandhi had in him to be betrayed. He was not only loyal to his mentor but simultaneously carried his task as the head of the government with great efficiency. It shall not be inaccurate to state, that no other Indian, from any community, could have done more for the country during his years as both the Finance Minister and the Prime Minister. Thus, it may appear to be unfair to judge the late Prime Minister only for his connection with a particular faith. The Sikhs have always been saviours and if the ten Gurus strived for justice and opposed coercion of any nature, the same spirit is evident in every member of the community.
Manmohan Singh would always be remembered for his immense contributions towards our economic and foreign policies, but equally for his resolve to carry all his colleagues and those who were in disagreement with him. He was truly a noble soul with extraordinary abilities. History shall remember him kindly as someone who through his excellence took the nation forward. Between us.