A Vanishing Species In Indian Politics: Remembering The Ultimate Gentleman

The footprint of noble human qualities courtesy, kindness, warmth and civility receded more in the public life in 2024. Interestingly, these were more visible in their absence than when they were present. We took them for granted, as something so organic to civilised humans that it required no attention. The death of one man in the closing week of the year awoke us again to the idea of the gentlemen.

The final tribute to a gentleman is the respect he receives from those who have to gain nothing from him. The passing of Dr Manmohan Singh, the former prime minister, witnessed an outpouring of respect from even his worst critics. He was among the rare breed of gentleman-politicians which is on the verge of extinction in the country. Hyphenation is necessary because gentlemen don’t become politicians these days and politicians are not expected to be gentlemen.

This piece is not an obituary on the globally revered former prime minister, economic reformer and statesman, but an epitaph on gentlemanship, the noble human quality which died a violent death in the rugged war zone called politics not long ago. But he will remain a constant reference point. For he encapsulated in his persona all definitions of a gentleman. His achievements as a leader were massive and life-changing for a nation but remained so understated that they could be easily demolished by a nasty political campaign.

Tender human qualities don’t make a gentleman any less courageous. Manmohan Singh, as finance minister, had the courage to do an entire course correction in the Indian economy against heavy political odds and entrenched Leftism. As prime minister, he reset the foreign policy for a pragmatic alignment with the US. The Indo-US nuclear deal ended India’s nuclear isolation. The Right to Information Act, empowering citizens to seek information from public authorities, was a milestone in the ideas of accountability and transparency in a democracy. The Right to Education Act ensured free and compulsory education for children in the 6 to14 age group. Unfortunately, neither of the acts ever received the appreciation they deserved.

RTI made his own government open to public scrutiny and, in a way, scripted its fall. As a political entity and intellectual he wouldn’t have not foreseen the repercussion of the act. It was a visionary initiative. Democracy, if it meant redistribution of power making the ordinary man more equal with the decision-makers, needed to provide the former an instrument through which they could hold the latter accountable. RTI was exactly that. The vision behind the Right to Education Act as a future-building initiative hardly needs expounding.

All big reforms were carried out with quiet dignity and grace. Friction with different forces within the party and without were normal and fierce at times. There were big controversies involving his government. But it never hurt his personal image, he shone bright by being a gentleman at the core. He commanded and found respect despite being called a weakling in several quarters. Compare that to the chest-thumping, hate-spewing and jingoistic leaders of today. They would find success but never respect.

The interesting thing about being a gentleman is it’s the outside world which offers him the tag. A gentleman never refers to himself as one. For others Manmohan Singh was a natural claimant of that honorific. Would politics ever be about gentlemen again? There is so much violence and malevolence in words and deeds these days. There’s little hope.

(By arrangements with Perspective Bytes)