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Can the good doctor wield the scalpel?

THE STATESMAN/ ANN, New Delhi
Even the most ardent follower of the Nehru-Gandhi brigade would, through moistened eyes perhaps, concede that after Sonia declined Prime Ministerial office there could have been no better choice than 71-year old Dr Manmohan Singh.
Indeed there would be an even greater number of Congress devotees who would, privately, regret that he had not been the first pick for the job. And that both he and the party had been spared the unseemly events that preceded his being inducted into the highest executive position in the land.
From acclaimed-academic, then accomplished-bureaucrat to the top political slot is indeed a long way, but from the day that he entered Parliament in 1991 Dr Manmohan Singh created the impression that the mantle of leadership draped itself comfortably around his shoulders. Inheriting an economic situation in which India's gold reserves had to be deposited in the Bank of England, he pulled the country back from the brink of financial disaster. Six years later the economy was almost on a one-way street 'Reform Road'.
That was not easy. During the election campaign the Congress had promised to roll back prices within 100 days, at his first press conference as Finance Minister the good doctor made it clear that such a transformation was wishful thinking. Instead he declared that "too much politics has been played with the economy." That was the move, which opened the door to economic reform. His task was not easy. Assistance from the Bretton Woods institutions was critical, yet meeting their "conditionalities" was seen as betraying the "garibi hatao" mantra that Indira Gandhi had bequeathed the party.
Pitfalls awaited him aplenty. The "big bull" played havoc with stock market, a joint parliamentary committee probed what would have been described as a politically-induced swindle had somebody else been calling the shots in North Block. For right through those troubled times no attempt was made to be smear him personally that was the kind of reputation that he created for himself. One which has endured, despite some obviously jealous detractors within and beyond the party ranks.
The economist did struggle to come to terms with political demands, he attained a certain balance when implementing reforms "with a human face." He
also realised that as the term of the Lok Sabha drew to a close and elections approached, his economic recipe had to given a populist political flavour.
As Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha he distinguished himself in fields beyond the economic.
He was calm, yet forthright and effective when taking on the government of the day on a host of issues.
Constructive criticism rather then rhetoric was his stock-intrade. That experience should help him strike a balance as he leads the government in its myriad activities.
By accident or design, his elevation will help the Congress to regain some support from the Sikhs, support which had been threatened by the party fielding Tytler and Sajjan Kumar in Delhi. Manmohan Singh, of course, would never make pretence to being a Sikh leader, his is a larger constituency.