Dr. Manmohan Singh, the current Prime Minister of India, is credited with the economic reforms initiated by him in 1991 as Finance Minister under former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao. If he was the primary reformer then, what happened to him and his reforms once he himself became the Prime Minister on May 22, 2004? Manmohan Singh, and his United Progressive Alliance (UPA), is at a standstill since he took over as the Prime Minister of India. We must address this dilemma.
The fact of the matter is that it was Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao who facilitated the ‘Economic Reforms’ of 1991 by appointing a non-political economist, Dr Manmohan Singh, as the Finance Minister of India. Not only did Narasimha Rao appoint Dr Singh as the finance minister, but he also provided Manmohan Singh the political cover necessary to carry forward the reforms and actually got them through the Indian Parliament. Dr Singh must share the applause with Narasimha Rao.
Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao was the tenth Prime Minister of the Republic of India. He was born on June 28, 1921 in Karimnagar District of Andhra Pradesh. Rao joined the ‘Indian Freedom Movement’ as a member of the erstwhile Indian National Congress. He was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh between 1971 and 1973. Narasimha Rao sided with Indira Gandhi when Congress split in 1969. He served Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as her Home Minister, Defence Minister and the Foreign Minister during 1980-1984. He also served her son, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in similar positions. He was contemptuously referred to as a political ‘Dandy’ during those days, because of his polite demeanor.
Fate intervened in 1991when Congress President Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated and Narasimha Rao was catapulted to the Prime Minister’s position. He led a minority government from June 21, 1991 till May 16, 1996. He led one of the most important administrations in India’s modern history, overseeing a major economic transformation and a political consensus. Besides being called the “Father of the Economic Reforms” he was also referred to as the “Chanakya” of modern India.
Filed under: Indian Politics | Tagged: Andhra Pradesh, Assassinated, Chanakya, Chief Minister, Congress, Congress President, Congress President Rajiv Gandhi, Defence Minister, Dr Singh, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Economic Reforms, Father of the Economic Reforms, Finance Minister, Foreign Minister, Freedom Movement, Home Minister, Indian National Congress, Indian Parliament, Indira Gandhi, June 21st 1991, June 28th 1921, Karimnagar District, Manmohan Singh, May 16th 1996, May 22nd 2004, Minority Government, Narasimha Rao, Non-political Economist, P V Narasimha Rao, Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao, Political Cover, Political Dandy, Prime Minister, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Rao, Republic of India, Tenth Prime Minister, United Progressive Alliance, UPA | Leave a comment »
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