Manmohan Singh, Architect Of Indian Economic Reforms, Retires From Rajya Sabha: A Look At His 33-Year Tenure

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and 53 other members, including nine Union ministers, are set to retire from the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday and Wednesday, marking the end of an era in Indian parliamentary politics. Singh, renowned for his contributions to economic reforms, will conclude his 33-year-long tenure in the Upper House on Wednesday, April 3. Meanwhile, former Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi is poised to debut in the Rajya Sabha.

Having entered the Rajya Sabha in October 1991, Singh’s legacy spans significant roles in Indian governance. He served as the Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996 under Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and held the Prime Ministerial office from 2004 to 2014.

The Architect Of Indian Economic Reforms

Manmohan Singh, the architect of India’s economic liberalisation and the driving force behind the 2008 Indo-US nuclear agreement, led a government that transformed the social welfare framework with a slew of rights-based legislation, implemented Direct Benefit Transfer, and launched Aadhaar.

When he was appointed finance minister in 1991, the country was on the verge of economic collapse. Singh devalued the rupee, reduced taxes, privatised state-run industries, and encouraged foreign investment, all of which contributed to the country’s economic transformation and a subsequent economic boom.

Singh, who is fluent in Urdu and English, has consistently been one of the best parliamentary speakers in recent years. “No power on earth can stop an idea that has reached its maturity. I suggest to this august House that India’s emergence as a major economic power in the world is one such idea,” Singh said in 1991, when he presented his first budget.

Singh Concludes 33-Year Tenure In Rajya Sabha

Singh, 91, became the Rajya Sabha’s third Prime Minister, succeeding Indira Gandhi (in her first term) and Inder Kumar Gujral.

In 1991, he joined the Rajya Sabha (upper chamber of Parliament) as a member of the Indian National Congress. Singh, who was finance minister until 1996, ran for Lok Sabha (the lower house) in 1999 but lost. He represented Assam in the Upper House for five terms before relocating to Rajasthan in 2019.

In the May 2004 parliamentary elections, Congress defeated the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sonia Gandhi had declined the prime ministership and instead recommended Singh.

Singh later formed a government and assumed office. His stated objectives included improving conditions for India’s poor (who had not benefited from the country’s economic growth), establishing peace with neighbouring Pakistan, and improving relations among India’s various religious groups.

On a personal level, India’s only Sikh Prime Minister was regarded as the epitome of grace and courtesy. When the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was formed, defence minister Pranab Mukherjee had to force Singh to stop addressing him as “sir” — a habit he had developed while Singh was the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor and Mukherjee was the Union finance minister.

He did not hesitate to say “I bow my head in shame” in the Upper House about the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre.

When the late Sushma Swaraj used an Urdu shayari to question the PM, Singh, an ardent fan of poet Iqbal, stunned everyone by saying: “Maana ki teri deed ke kabil nahi hoon main, tu mera shauq dekh mera intizaar dekh (Agreed I am not worthy of your sight, behold my zeal and see how I wait)”. 

“We live in times that are heavily influenced by you. The economic prosperity and stability we enjoy today are the result of the foundations laid by you and our former Prime Minister, Bharat Ratna Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao. The current set of leaders who have reaped the benefits of your work are unwilling to credit you due to political biases,” said Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.

The Congress chief argued that Singh’s government’s work to ensure direct transfer of benefits to individual beneficiaries by creating zero balance accounts and unique beneficiary identification through Aadhaar was “hijacked by the succeeding government without giving” Singh any credit.

Kharge praised Singh as “a hero of the middle class,” saying, “The nation misses the quiet yet strong dignity that you brought to the office of Prime Minister.” Parliament will miss your wisdom and experience. Your dignified, measured, soft-spoken, yet statesmanlike words stand in stark contrast to the loud voices filled with lies that represent today’s politics.”

Sonia Makes Rajya Sabha Debut As Manmohan Bids Farewell

Sonia Gandhi’s entry into the Upper House, representing Rajasthan, will fill the vacancy left by Singh’s departure.

Additionally, seven Union ministers, including Dharmendra Pradhan and Mansukh Mandaviya, will conclude their terms on Tuesday, while Bhupendra Yadav and Ashwini Vaishnaw will end theirs on Wednesday.

Most retiring ministers, except Vaishnaw, are transitioning to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, indicating a significant shift in political dynamics.

The retirement list also includes prominent figures like Jaya Bachchan from the Samajwadi Party and Naseer Hussain from the Congress, both of whom are nominated for another term.

However, some notable faces like Abhishek Singhvi and Prakash Javadekar will bid adieu to the Rajya Sabha without seeking re-nomination, marking the end of their legislative journey in the Upper House.