Diminishing Utility

THE good economist, it seems, is yet to graduate to politics, notwithstanding his six-year-long association with the Congress. Former finance minister Manmohan Singh embarrassed the Congress as his "critical approach" to the United Front Government’s economic policy turned out to be more sympathetic than his party president would have liked. In fact, it gave almost an A certificate to his successor P. Chidambaram. Singh is believed to have wondered why the Government was not announcing a hike in petroleum prices— a necessary evil— as the delay would lead to an adverse economic situation.

Aware that this would divert onto the Congress the blame for this unpopular, but inevitable, step which the UF has to take sooner than later, the CWC promptly deleted the suggestion before the synopsis was circulated among CPP executive members. The paper was, however, withdrawn after they had glanced through it.

Singh’s clout within the Congress suddenly increased when he made his now famous statement that "Caesar’s wife should be above suspicion", suggesting that P.V. Narasimha Rao step down as party leader. Once Sitaram Kesri succeeded Rao as party president, one of his first steps was nominating Singh as a CWC member. This was followed by a promise on Kesri’s side that Singh would continue to play a crucial role in the party. He was asked to formulate the Congress ’ response to the economic and developmental policies and programmes of the United Front Government.

But after his recent comment on the Front, Singh seems to have come full circle. He seems to be ignorant about the changing role of the Congress vis-a-vis the Deve Gowda Government: that it should at least oppose and expose the Government, if not depose it immediately. And also that the "Gandhian approach" has not ceased to be the part y ’s platform as the Kesri dispensation keeps talking of anto -daya (rise of the last person in society) and other poverty alleviation programmes. Interestingly, the C P P executive also saw some members led by Bhupinder Singh Huda stress that a la China "T N C and N R I involvement should be on our terms, and preferably in the infrastructural sector than in the consumer sector". It was obviously an underhand criticism of Singh.

Therefore, it seems that Singh’s functional value for the Congress is likely to be limited to campaigning for the Punjab elections and making an appearance whenever a leader of "integrity" is called for. Guiding the party seems to be out.