A Tale of Two Sons of India: Visionary Leadership vs. Political Theatrics

 

A Tale of Two Sons of India: Visionary Leadership vs. Political Theatrics

History will be kinder to me than the contemporary media and the opposition parties in Parliament

MANMOHAN SINGH

 

There’s an inconvenient truth many prefer to ignore. When Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam served as the President of India, certain Muslim groups dismissed him as a Hindu masquerading under the guise of the Quran because he had dared to read the Bhagavad Gita and other texts often associated with Hindutva. Similarly, some religious Sikh political factions felt that Dr. Manmohan Singh didn’t adequately represent them in his role as Prime Minister. Their reasoning? Perhaps he didn’t walk around wielding swords or thundering religious slogans, as if intellectual brilliance and economic genius were somehow insufficient credentials for leading a nation.

Dr. Manmohan Singh embodied the compassion of Guru Nanak Dev and the fierce resolve of Guru Gobind Singh, though with one notable enhancement: his intellect. His sharp mind was his true armor, far more formidable than any warrior’s steel. But alas, in the age of cheap suits and cheaper rhetoric, intellect is often misunderstood. Case in point: when a certain politician, known for his theatrical bravado, mocked Dr. Singh for wearing a raincoat in the shower, he inadvertently revealed not the essence of Dr. Singh but the limitations of his own intellect. It’s a tragicomic spectacle when someone whose grasp of governance begins and ends with bluster tries to ridicule a man who rewrote India’s economic destiny.

Ah, Punjabis—a tribe often typecast as hotheaded, be they turbaned or not. This stereotype, born from a legacy of harsh environments and warrior traditions, sometimes overshadows the region’s intellectual titans. Consider luminaries like Dr. Har Gobind Khorana, who earned a Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work in genetics. And then, of course, there’s Dr. Manmohan Singh—a man whose intellectual contributions outshine any battlefield glory. Yet in a world enamored with spectacle over substance, such brilliance often struggles for recognition.

Dr. Singh’s journey from Punjab, with roots in what is now Pakistan, to representing Assam in Parliament speaks volumes about his political adaptability and the Congress Party’s strategic foresight. They understood his immense value to the nation and ensured he had the platform to lead. When historians document the era during which India transitioned from a controlled economy to one that amassed over $600 billion in foreign reserves, Dr. Singh’s name will shine. And while much of that reserve has since been squandered by the current administration—alongside the accrual of $2 trillion in national debt—the contrast between builders and squanderers will become painfully clear.

It’s a tale of two sons of India: one educated, dignified, and committed to pulling the nation back from the brink of economic collapse; the other, a populist peddler of falsehoods who seems intent on auctioning off the nation to his cronies. Yet, in the revisionist history penned by Gujarat’s cheerleaders, it is Dr. Singh’s accomplishments that are erased, and instead, we are regaled with tales of Muhammad Ghazni looting the Somnath Temple. The irony? Historical evidence suggests that local collaborators helped Ghazni, and temple trustees likely pocketed much of the loot. A perfect metaphor for today’s politics, where selling out is camouflaged as patriotism, and religion is wielded as a weapon to distract the masses from inconvenient truths.

Religion, as history has consistently shown, is a double-edged sword a force capable of inspiring profound good, but far too often weaponized to manipulate and control. For centuries, it has served as a tool for power-hungry leaders to distract the masses, and in the past decade, its misuse as a political instrument has reached unprecedented heights. Just when we believed humanity had moved past such crude tactics, the last ten years of governance have dashed those hopes. Governance has devolved into a theater of hate-filled rallies, empty promises, and polarizing rhetoric. Gone are the days when leaders like Dr. Manmohan Singh could quietly and effectively transform a nation without pandering to the lowest common denominator of divisive politics.

Dr. Manmohan Singh belongs to a vanishingly rare breed of leaders those bestowed upon a nation seemingly by providence, a fleeting answer to the prayers of its most vulnerable citizens. He didn’t need grandstanding or venomous speeches to build his legacy. He didn’t rely on extravagant promises or sow hatred to unify his base. Instead, he led with humility, unmatched intellect, and an unwavering commitment to the progress of every Indian, regardless of caste, creed, or region.

It is deeply telling when some Hindutva followers proudly place photographs of Narendra Modi in their places of worship a man whose policies have placed the nation’s sovereignty and wealth on the auction block. This choice speaks volumes about their judgment and priorities, as they deify a leader who has bartered the nation’s future while ignoring another leader who, with wisdom and compassion, painstakingly built a foundation of growth and inclusivity. Dr. Singh, with qualities echoing the ideals of selfless duty and righteousness described in Hindu scriptures, is a figure far more worthy of reverence and respect.

As a North Indian, I take immense pride in having witnessed an era where Dr. Singh held the reins of power and used them to genuinely uplift the nation. His legacy will endure, even if temporarily drowned out by the noise of political theatrics and the adulation of false idols. History, with its unyielding clarity, will one day restore Dr. Singh’s rightful place in the annals of leadership, reminding the world that it was his quiet brilliance, not hollow bluster, that truly shaped the India of today.