All gentlemen are not gentle men. Manmohan Singh is that rare species who is unfailingly courteous and civil, and never harsh and abrasive. Thus, it is characteristic of him to tell The Telegraph in an exclusive interview that he was “not angry but anguished’’ at the Left’s shrill criticism of the Indo-US nuclear deal. Those who know Mr Singh will realize what it has cost him emotionally to come out in public with such a statement. But this was not all, Mr Singh nearly crossed the thin line separating anguish from anger when he revealed that he had told Prakash Karat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and A.B. Bardhan of the Communist Party of India that they were free, if they so wanted, to do whatever they wished including withdrawing support from the government. Not to put too fine a point on it, Mr Singh has told the Left exactly where to get off. Many, including The Telegraph, believe that he should have said this to the Left many moons ago, and that the comrades had it coming to them for some time.
Mr Singh has done two things by speaking out openly against the Left’s disgraceful behaviour. One, he has refused to succumb to the politics of blackmail; and two, he has called the Left’s bluff. Ever since the United Progressive Alliance came into existence, the Left has enjoyed that position of having power without responsibility. It had power because the survival of the government was dependent on its support. And it had no responsibility because it was not a part of the government. Thus, it has continuously sniped at Mr Singh and his government: criticizing him, threatening to withdraw but never quite doing it. For Mr Singh, the Left was nothing more than a tantalizing threat. He has now realized that the support he receives from the Left is not worth the price he pays in terms of stress and political instability. The Left, if it reflects on its own position and on the overall political situation, will be forced to accept that it is in no position to destabilize the government.
Having put the Left in the corner, Mr Singh would do well to reflect on his own role. Very few prime ministers since Jawaharlal Nehru have come to office with the kind of expectations that were aroused when Mr Singh came to hold the top job. These expectations grew out of his personal integrity and his past performance as finance minister. Mr Singh has not met all these expectations. One area where his image has taken a beating is in his inability to articulate unpopular and tough decisions. He has always been too nice a man. His strength as an individual has appeared as a weakness in his role as prime minister. Mr Singh has broken this mould. This can only add to his stature as prime minister. His ultimatum to the Left might well mark the summer solstice of Mr Singh’s prime ministership.
