IS SINGH REALLY KING

NEWSWEEK has selected Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as one of the top ten world leader’s. In INDIA according to a poll shows that only 1% of the people polled thought that he was best suited to be a P.M. His rating’s are below even that of controversial politician’s like Narendra Modi & Mayawati. His popularity abroad is completely opposite here in our country.

We as an Indian’s , should feel proud that P.M Manmohan Singh has been included with a despot like King Abdullah of Saudi, scandal prone Nicholas Sarkozy, or a new P.M of Britain David Cameron. The only leader which is a popular is President Lula da Silva of Brazil. We should not forget how former U.S president Jorge W Bush , was told by Manmohan Singh that Indian’s loved him at a time when his rating at home were touching bottom line. So now I can undoubtedly say that there is no direct relation between a leader’s popularity abroad and at home. Such list should be taken seriously.

The reason’s why NEWSWEEK choose to put the Indian P.M on it’s list of top leader’s is obvious enough. The Economic growth story of India as NEWSWEEK puts it “from stagnant socialism to capitalism”. In the recent published book of Raghav Bhel-“SUPER POWER” it has been showed that India and China are the two competitors for the throne of Super Power. In abroad Manmohan Singh is also looked upon because of perception that he is pro west and pro American. P.M also knows that the door’s of the throne of Super Power passes through Washington D.C.

One of the plus in the list of P.M Manmohan Singh is his technocratic qualification’s which are not there in most of the World leaders. As we all know that he has been an Economist, so a time when world is barely recovering from a recession, he can suggest right way to back on the path of growth. There is not at all a doubt that in his tenure till date India has done what was expected of it by America. He has ensured that our polices does not reflect America in spite of terrorist attack’s from our neighbors. He is therefore an ideal candidate to be in NEWSWEEK list.

I am unable to access why P.M Manmohan Singh is not popular at home. The only thing I can state that people have become indifferent to him and his P.M tenure. There is no emotional connection between him and people of India. Political leadership in India has traditionally a strong emotional connection that is the main reason why certain Nehru, Gandhi’s are so emotionally connect with every people of our country. In India, when people generally go for voting they vote on criteria can be defined as ‘emotional connection theory’.

Manmohan singh’s Independence Day speech from the red fort conformed the suspicion that he has developed non of the electrifying qualification of leadership. He showed no emotion’s, displayed no convictions and offered no solutions.

He seems not to think like an ordinary citizen and appears indifferent and aloof from the Indian reality. He was not bothered about price rise and food inflation. He tolerated corruption charges including some within his own government. His Kashmir policy is a compel disappointment. He seems confused about how to tackle the Maoist insurgency. His economic agenda caters to a urban minority who live in islands of plenty surrounded by the sea of poverty.

Excluding Kashmir issue and relation with Pakistan, he has initiated nothing that has gone terribly wrong. Daily in Parliament question’s has been raised about the performance of United Progressive Alliance Government, but none about Manmohan Singh. No major national crisis has erupted in the last half decade when we need a popular leader. But as of now, Kashmir seems to be going on slippery slope and moist terror is increasing day by day. Manmohan singh after half decade we can say that was the right choice to Sonia Gandhi.

The international countries only sees his progress not his popularity at his place. So in last I can undoubtedly say that Singh is definitely a King.

PRATEEK PATHAK

Ist year

B.A In Media Studies

University of Allahabad