Dear Sir,
I was still in my school when you
had sworn in as the Prime Minister of India.
Since those days it was a matter of great pride for me to have someone
of your stature as the Indian Premier. Even today as you move out of the 7 Race
Course Road, I have only the utmost respect and gratitude for the service you
have done to the nation. Being just 3 years old when you had first weaved your
magic and saved the Indian economy in 1991, I learnt about it a little more
than a decade later. It was even later in my life I had begun to realize the
full impact of the decision and how it had transformed the life of large
section of Indians.
For someone educated from one of
the finest universities in the world you were incredibly humble. For a scholar
in his own right you were so open to the views of others. You never indulged in
derogatory personal politics, which is a rare thing for a politician in our
country. You shouldered the
responsibility of leading the nation when called upon. You took the blame for
when things went wrong and were in the background when things went right. You
knew your weaknesses but faced the fears.
You stood your ground when you knew it was for the greater good of the
nation, you bit the bullet when it was for the greater good of your party. To
do all these one had to be courageous, selfless and with impeccable integrity –
you were the embodiment of every one of these qualities.
I have learnt as much from what
did not do as I have from what you did. Communication had always been you
Achilles heel and in today’s media frenzy society, it’s probably the worst
weakness to have. For a good part of last
10 years India progressed in almost all the fields conceivable – be it the consistent
8.5% GDP growth, end of nuclear apartheid, reduction of poverty, growth in the
stock markets or development of infrastructure. But the people never realized the progress
they had made. Coalition was another one of those pains that you had endured,
with each member playing for their personal agendas. Then the scams hit, if
integrity was your strongest asset, lack of it was the greatest strength for
many of your colleagues. Political priorities and party compulsions probably
kept you from doing what you might have wanted to do. The taint of corruption
is hard to wash off and the battle of perception was lost long before the
elections. In the downward spiral, you were often blamed by the opposition for
being weak and made a political scapegoat by some of your own party members. Your
beaureacrats published books with their version of your mistake and released it
in the election times for cutting their corners in the fall. In all the while
you persisted.
Today as you finally step down
from the post, I know for a fact that it will be a long time before someone of
your mould would become the prime minister. I am also certain that that history
will judge you fairly and will hold you in high esteem. You were a gentleman
among hooligans and an intellectual par excellence - no wonder Cambridge was
always so proud of you. I only hope that your life post retirement would be
filled with contentment and peace – you have deserved it.
Yours truly,
Robin Abraham Mammen.
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