It is amazing that a country having more than 1 billion populations with unbelievable natural, linguistic, ethnic , religious diversity is unified by the political democracy. It is a herculean task to lead this largest democracy. India, after her independence, successfully demonstrated the will and wish of her people in the form of periodic election. Though President is the executive head in India but his office is largely ceremonial and it is the Prime minister who is the real authoritative figure in India. There had been 14 PM since our independence. However it is very difficult to describe who the best one is. Here I will try to explore this on the basis of their positive and negative contribution to India.
J.L. Nehru
He was the first PM of India. His contribution to India is immense which includes the establishment of Planning Commission, AIIMS, IITs, IIMs, RECs (Now NITs) and numerous other institutions. He was also instrumental in bringing the rapid industrial growth. He was the pioneer of non-alignment policy and co-founded the Non-Aligned Movement. However he made some historic blunders while attempting to solve the Kashmir problem. Further, his hunger of earning the stature of a global leader was robbed by the might of shrewd China in war of 1962 in which India suffered a historic shameful defeat by the later. Becoming of Indira Gandhi a Congress president even during the period of Nehru had given the glimpse of future of dynastic politics in Congress.
L.B. Shastri
Being the successor of Nehru, there was huge expectation from this man. He was the man of distinguished honesty, integrity. He became the PM at a time when India had been facing the problems of drought, food shortage and threat from Pakistan. However he successfully tackled all the problems. The main features of his tenure were victory of Indo-Pakistani War (1965), Initiation for Green Revolution in India and Operation Flood. He gave the slogan of jai jawan, jai Kisan. Though his ability, undoubtedly, makes him one of the best politician of independent India, but his tenure as PM was too short to be termed him the best PM.
After the sad and sudden demise of Shastri, the daughter of Nehru became the First and last woman PM of India. With her began the era of political dictatorship, dynastic politics not only in Congress but in India also. She fought war of 1971 which helped in bifurcating the Pakistan (for which she awarded herself with Bharat Ratna) and thus a rivalry with Pakistan became much stronger. Though she did some remarkable things like nationalization of banks, grant success of green revolution etc but she also holds the distinction for imposing the emergency, placing puppets as CMs, imposing president rule for more than 50 times(unimaginable!!!) etc. Nobody had harmed Indian political and democratic system more than what she had done. To sum up, she worked more like an autocratic queen than a democratically elected PM.
Assassination of Indira has given the way for Rajiv to become her successor in the same way the Mughals, Guptas, Mauryas and likes used to find their successors. Though Rajiv was soft spoken and was instrumental in encouraging computer and telecom in India but the reason, for which he was awarded the much deserved Bharat Ratna by the brigade of political sycophants created by his mother, was his alleged role in Bofors , anti Sikhs riots (1984) and his involvement in nullifying the Supreme Court's judgment on Shah Bano case and decision of opening the doors of ram temple at Aydhoya .People like VP and Chandra Shekhar does not deserve space in this text as their contribution as Prime minister is not worth mentioning if not nil. Though the recommendations were made to uplift the backward section but the poorly executed, ill intended implementation of the recommendations of Manadal Commission brought the era of caste politics in Indian democracy at forefront and has led to the creation of another class among class. And as for as Chandra Shekhar is concern, when a person cannot do anything to his own constituency, how can we expect from this poor chap to do anything as a PM (I belong to his constituency).
PV Narsimha Rao
The assassination of Rajiv and absence of other eligible alternatives from the owner of congress i.e. nehru-gandhi family, made it possible for PVNR to become the PM of India who has the distinction of only PM from congress who has completed his 5 year term in PM office that too without the mercy of any gandhis (MMS is the mask of Rahul and Sonia). He inherited an economy riding on huge current account deficit, however his economic reforms has changed the very face of country. The disintegration of USSR in early 90s has created the vacuum for India’s foreign policy, but the successful formulation Look East Policy and a beginning of formal diplomatic ties with Israel has once again justified that PVNR deserve more appreciation than his party has given him. However the demoilition of Babri Masjid and subsequent bomb blast in Mumbai gave the much needed reason to humiliate him for the loss of congress in 1996 general election by the political sycophants of Gandhi family. Even he was denied funeral in Delhi and was forgotten.(This justifies the fact that for becoming great you have to leave legacy behind you who would appreciate your greatness even after your death).
H. D. Deve Gowda and Gujral
Like earlier, these twins, too, do not deserve space here like the twins VP and Chandra Shekhar. However the famous Gujral doctrine desrve some illustration in which he propagated that India should behave in non reciprocal way with her neighbors (with the exception of Pakistan).
The divide et impera policy of Congress has given ample of space to Hindu right wingers to rise to the horizon of Indian politics. ABV was the product of this Movement. However the miraculous persona of ABV made it possible for BJP to come in to power. His oratory skill and his quality of statesmanship has already earned a lots of accolades for him. His leadership during kargil victory and Pokharan test makes him a deserved candidate for Bharat Ratna. If PVNR has initiated the economic reforms, it is ABV who beside with integrating India with world, ushered in an era of real globalization in India. He is the only PM after Nehru and Shastri who was appreciated even by other political parties. He was called as BHISM PITAMAH of Indian Politics. He is the only PM after Nehru who won 3 successive terms as PM and only non Congress PM who completed his 5year term in his office. Vajpayee met Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad and agreed on talks to try to end a half-century of war and hostility. Anwar Sadat's 1977 mission to Jerusalem is the only other journey in modern history that bears comparison. However, his passivity over Masjid demolition and Godhra massacre is the biggest blot in his career and which, sometimes, undermines his secular credentials.
Man Mohan Singh (Sonia Gandhi)
The over confidence of NDA has ended their reign for decades. And this has given way to Man Mohan Singh (Sonia Gandhi) to become PM of India. He degraded the office of a PM in the same way as Indira has tried to damage the democratic political system. He is not more than the chief of the brigade of political sycophants of Nehru-gandhi family. In no case honesty and educational qualification can be the only qualities to hold the highest post. It needs more than what MMS can dream of. Nuclear deal signed during his reign was more because USA’s interest to tap Indian Market and to suppress the iran as supplier of energy to India. He has made India a virtual slave of western world. He is more interested in becoming the darling of west and gandhis than that of Indians. His plans like NREGA, Loan waiver etc has done much harm to nation than doing any good. At best he can be seen as a puppet of Sonia and is working as a transition from Sonia to Rahul and like PVNR he will also be pushed to oblivion as he has no political legacy to follow.Above discussion left us with 3 candidates for final round of conclusion who the best PM is. These 3 names Include Nehru, ABV, PVNR. The statesmanship of Nehru was, beyond doubt, more than anyone else. His role for building modern India is substantial. Nehru is followed by ABV. ABV is the only non- Congress PM who deserve some space here. His political leadership was instrumental in forming NDA at the centre.
Like Nehru, Vajpayee understands that India is a pluralistic society. He is a humanist and his commitment to democratic values is as deep as Nehru's". But Vajpayee's job is much tougher. Though Nehru also had to battle conservatives within the Congress, his stature was so much higher that they were no match for him. "But Vajpayee's stature is nowhere like Nehru's though a great deal higher than that of the next man." India has become more difficult to govern since the days of Nehru. "Vajpayee has to contend with an India where diversities are more assertive, largely on account of democracy."
Once, after Nehru had heard the young Vajpayee make an impressive speech in Parliament, he had remarked: "Here is a man of prime ministerial timbre." Years later when Vajpayee would actually become PM, his popularity would touch dizzying heights, partly because he had the instinct to build an image moulded on his idol.
The trouble with Vajpayee is that though he holds out the promise, he has never really lived up to it. Nehru was very clear in his ideological vision. Vajpayee is a flip-flop man. "Instincts alone do not take you far. They have to be backed up by hard work, something beyond the ability of Vajpayee. For instance, he is a good orator, but there is not one speech of his since becoming PM that is worth mentioning. But there are so many brilliant speeches Nehru wrote himself".
It may be a shade unfair to Vajpayee to compare him with Nehru. But it does serve one purpose: to remind him of the sort of legacy he could leave behind were he to have the courage to follow his instincts to the very end. As Nehru always did.
PVNR, the unsung hero, was also in the league of these two. His role for liberalization, privatization and globalization (of India) was immense. However Nehru being the first PM, he had done more than anyone else. Moreover Vajpayee’s statesmanship puts him at second place and PVNR at third. LB Shastri could be the candidate for best PM but because of the short tenure he could not do what he, otherwise, could do..
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