indian legends

This article is about the Prime Minister of India. For the film director and cinematographer, see Manmohan Singh (director).
Manmohan Singh
ਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਸਿੰਘ

Prime Minister of India
Incumbent
Assumed office
22 May 2004
President Abdul Kalam
Pratibha Patil
Preceded by Atal Bihari Vajpayee
External Affairs Minister of India
In office
6 November 2005 – 24 October 2006
Preceded by Kunwar Natwar Singh
Succeeded by Pranab Mukherjee
Finance Minister of India
In office
21 June 1991 – 16 May 1996
Prime Minister Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao
Preceded by Madhu Dandavate
Succeeded by Jaswant Singh
Governor of Reserve Bank of India
In office
1982 – 1985
Preceded by I. G. Patel
Succeeded by Amitav Ghosh
Born 26 September 1932 (age 76)
Gah, Punjab, British India
Political party INC
Spouse Gursharan Kaur
Residence 7 Racecourse Road, New Delhi
Alma mater Panjab University, Chandigarh
St John's College, Cambridge University
Nuffield College, Oxford University
Profession Economist
Religion Sikhism
Manmohan Singh (Punjabi: ਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਸਿੰਘ) (born 26 September 1932) is the 17th and current Prime Minister of India. An economist by profession, Dr. Singh worked at organizations like the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations. From 1982 to 1985, he was the governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Singh is a member of the Indian National Congress party, and became the first Sikh Prime Minister of India on 22 May 2004. He is considered one of the most influential figures in India's recent history, mainly because of the Economic Reforms he had initiated in 1991 when he was Finance Minister under Prime Minister Narasimha Rao.[1]
Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Career as an economist and early political career
2.1 Finance Minister
2.2 Career in the Rajya Sabha
3 Tenure as Prime Minister
3.1 Foreign Policy
3.2 Economic Policy
3.3 Healthcare and Education
3.4 Security and Home Affairs
3.5 Legislation
3.6 Criticism
3.6.1 Trust-vote
4 Degrees and posts held
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
[edit]Early life

Singh was born on 26 September 1932, in Gah, Punjab (now in Chakwal District, Pakistan). He has an Undergraduate (1952) and a Master's degree (1954) from Panjab University, Chandigarh; an Undergraduate degree (1957) from Cambridge University (St. John's College) and a Ph.D (1962) from Oxford University (Nuffield College). In 1997, the University of Alberta presented him with an Honorary Doctor of Laws. The University of Oxford awarded him an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree in June 2005, and in October 2006, the University of Cambridge followed with the same honour. St John's College and the University of Cambridge further honoured him by naming a PhD Scholarship after him, the Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarship.
Singh married Gursharan Kaur in 1958, and they have three daughters. His eldest daughter, Upinder Singh, is a professor of history at St. Stephen's College.[2] His youngest daughter, Amrit Singh, is a staff attorney at American Civil Liberties Union[3] and is married to Barton Beebe, an Associate Professor of Law of Jewish faith.
[edit]Career as an economist and early political career

After completing his Ph.D, Dr. Singh, worked for institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations. During the 1970s, he worked for the Ministry of Foreign Trade, and the Finance Ministry of India. He also taught at the University of Delhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru University. He was Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1982 to 1985. He was deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of India from 1985 to 1987.
[edit]Finance Minister
In 1991, P.V. Narasimha Rao, chose Singh to be the Finance Minster of India. At the time, India was facing an economic crisis. Rao, and Singh, decided to open up the Indian Economy, and change the socialist economic system, to a capitalist economy. The economic reform package, included dismantling License Raj, that made it virtually impossible for private businesses to exist and prosper, removing many obstacles for Foreign Direct Investment, and beginning the process of the privatization of public sector companies. These economic reforms are credited with bringing high levels of economic growth in India, and changing the annual 3%, to an average of 8-9% economic growth in the following years. However inspite of these reforms, Rao's government was voted out in 1996. However, the economic reforms, were continued by ensuing administrations.
[edit]Career in the Rajya Sabha
Singh was first elected to the upper house of the Indian Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, in 1995, and was re-elected in 2001 and 2007. From 1998 to 2004, while the conservative Bharatiya Janata Party was in power, Singh was the Leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha. In 1999, he ran for the Lok Sabha from South Delhi, but was unable to win in that seat, thus making himself the only Indian Prime Minster never to have been elected from the Lok Sabha.
[edit]Tenure as Prime Minister



Manmohan Singh with US President George W. Bush at the Oval Office.
Singh's image is generally regarded as intellectual, honest but cautious, attentive to working class people (on whose votes he was elected), and technocratic. Although legislative achievements have been few and the Congress-led alliance is routinely hampered by conflicts, Singh's administration has focused on reducing the fiscal deficit, providing debt-relief to poor farmers, extending social programs and advancing the pro-industry economic and tax policies that have launched the country on a major economic expansion course since 2002. Singh has been the image of the Congress campaign to defuse religious tensions and conflicts and bolster political support from minorities like Muslims, Christians and Sikhs.
[edit]Foreign Policy
Prime Minister Singh, and the Foreign ministry, has continued the pragmatic foreign policy, that was started by P.V. Narasimha Rao, and was continued by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Prime Minister's foreign policy has been to continue the new peace process with Pakistan initiated by his predecessor, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Exchange visits by top leaders from both countries have highlighted his tenure, as has reduced terrorism and increased prosperity in the state of Kashmir. Border disputes, with the People's Republic of China, have been solved to some extent. In November 2006, Chinese President Hu Jintao, visited India, as did Dr. Singh, in January 2008. A big achievement, was the reopening of the Nathula Pass, in 2006, after being closed for more than 4 decades. In 2007, China became the biggest trade partner of India. Relations, with Afghanistan, have been very good. When Afghan President Hamid Karzai, visited India, in August 2008, Dr. Singh increased the aid package to Afghanistan for the development of more schools, health clinics, the economy, the infrastructure, the police, and the defence, of Afghanistan.
Dr. Singh's government, has worked towards stronger ties, with the United States. Dr. Singh visited the US in July 2005, when negotiations started over the Indo-US Civilian Nuclear Agreement, that Dr. Singh has said will give India energy security, and give India access to nuclear fuels for nuclear energy. This was followed by George W. Bush's successful visit in March 2006 to India. Dr. Singh, has enjoyed a good relationship with President Bush.


Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shakes hands with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney after delivering a speech to the Joint session of the United States Congress as Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert looks on.


BRIC leaders in 2008 - Manmohan Singh, Dmitry Medvedev, Hu Jintao and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Dr. Singh, visited Japan, in December 2006, and a new, strong relationship has grown with this Asian country. Relations have improved with European Union countries, like the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Relations, with Iran, have continued, and negotiations, over the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, have taken place. The construction of this pipeline, shall start in 2009. The Government suffered a setback when it lost the support of a key ally, several African Union members, for its bid for a permanent membership to the U.N. Security Council with veto privileges[citation needed]. However, relations have improved with Africa in general. A summit, with African leaders, took place, in New Delhi, in April 2008. Relations, have improved, with other developing countries, like Brazil, and South Africa. In 2006, a dialogue forum with these countries, the IBSA Dialogue Forum, was started. Relations, have continued to grow with strong allies like Israel, ASEAN, and Russia.
[edit]Economic Policy
Dr. Singh, along with Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, have presided over a period, where the Indian economy, has grown with an 8-9% economic growth rate. Dr. Singh, has focussed on reducing the budget deficit. In June 2007, India became a trillion dollar economy. As prime minister, Dr. Singh, has continued the economic reforms, that he, and P.V. Narasimha Rao, started in 1991, and were continued by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Dr. Singh's government, has continued the Golden Quadrilateral, and the highway modernization programme, that was initiated by Mr. Vajpayee's government. Dr. Singh, has also been working on reforming the banking and financial sectors, and has been working towards reforming public sector companies. The Finance ministry, and Dr. Singh, and his government, has been working towards relieving farmers of their debt, and has been working towards pro-industry policies, and reforming and cutting taxes.
[edit]Healthcare and Education
In 2005, Prime Minister Singh, and his government's health ministry, has started the National Rural Health Mission, which has mobilized half a million community health workers.
Dr. Singh, has announced, that eight more Indian Institutes of Technology, will be opened, in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Orissa, Punjab, Madhya Pradeshand Himachal Pradesh. The Singh government, has also continued the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan programme, begun by his predecessor, Mr. Vajpayee. The programme has included, the introduction and improvement of Mid-day meals, and the opening of schools, all over India especially in rural areas, to fight illiteracy. The ancient university, Nalanda University, shall be restarted, in Bihar.
[edit]Security and Home Affairs
Dr. Singh's government, has been criticised, by opposition parties for revoking POTA, and for the many bomb blasts in various cities, like in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Jaipur, etc. and for not being able to reduce the Naxal terrorism, that is menacing rural areas in Eastern and Central India. Dr. Singh's government, has however, extended the ban on the radical Islamic terror group, Student's Islamic Movement of India, (SIMI). Terrorism in Kashmir, has however, reduced significantly, during the Singh administration.
[edit]Legislation
The important NREGA act and the RTI act were passed by the Parliament in 2005 during his tenure. While the effectiveness of the NREGA has been successful at various degrees, in various regions, the RTI act has proved crucial in India's fight against corruption.
[edit]Criticism


Manmohan Singh on his visit to Arunachal Pradesh
Manmohan Singh is criticized by BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani by portraying him as the "weakest Prime Minister until now". [4] Dr. Manmohan Singh responded by saying that Advani's astrologers had misled him, when they said that he'd win the 22 July trust vote. He also accused Advani of being the inspiration behind the destruction of the Babri Masjid.[5]
Some Parties have been criticising him since he was elected as Rajya Sabha member in 1991 from Assam. Their main argument was that he is not eligible to become a Member of Parliament from a state where he does not reside.
His statement about losing sleep on Hanif's arrest in Australia was also criticised.[6]. Opposition asked whether he lost sleep when hundreds of people were killed in Hyderabad, Varanasi and Ajmer blasts.
[edit]Trust-vote
Further information: 2008 Lok Sabha vote of confidence and Notes-for-Vote scandal
On 22 July 2008 the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) faced its first confidence vote in the Lok Sabha after the Communist Party of India (Marxist) led Left Front withdraw support from the government over India approaching the IAEA for Indo-US nuclear deal. The President had asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to prove the majority. The UPA won the trust vote with 275-256. However, there were allegations from the opposition BJP, that certain coalition allies, of the government had bribed certain opposition parliamentarians to abstain from the confidence vote.
[edit]Degrees and posts held


Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Manmohan Singh
First Class Honours degree in Economics, University of Cambridge, St John's College, Cambridge (1957)
Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
Senior Lecturer, Economics (1957-1959)
Professor of International Trade (1969-1971)
Reader (1959-1963)
Professor (1963-1965)
D. Phil in Economics, Nuffield College at University of Oxford, (1962)
Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi
Honorary Professor (1996)
Chief, Financing for Trade Section, UNCTAD, United Nations Secretariat, New York
1966 : Economic Affairs Officer 1966
Economic Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Trade, India (1971-1972)
Chief Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance, India, (1972-1976)
Honorary Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (1976)
Director, Reserve Bank of India (1976-1980)
Director, Industrial Development Bank of India (1976-1980)
Secretary, Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs), Government of India, (1977-1980)
Governor, Reserve Bank of India (1982-1985)
Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of India, (1985-1987)
Advisor to Prime Minister of India on Economic Affairs (1990-1991)
Finance Minister of India, (21 June 1991 - 15 May 1996)
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha (1998-2004)
Prime Minister of India (22 May 2004 - Present)

Inder Kumar Gujral (Hindi: इन्द्र कुमार गुजराल) (born 4 December 1919) was the 13th Prime Minister of the Republic of India.
Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Minister in Indira Gandhi government
3 In Janata Dal
4 Prime Minister
5 Gujral Doctrine
6 Aftermath
7 Personal life
8 References
[edit]Early life

Born in the town of Jhelum in Western Punjab, now in Pakistan, he actively took part in India's freedom struggle, and was jailed in 1942 during the 'Quit India Movement'. He belongs to a famous Khatri (merchant) family.
[edit]Minister in Indira Gandhi government

In the tumultuous days of June 1975, he was minister of Information and Broadcasting. On 12 June 1975, the Allahabad high court gave a verdict that Prime Minister Indira Gandhi used unfair means in elections of 1971 and termed her election null and void. There were reports that her son, Sanjay Gandhi brought people from neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh in a number of trucks to Delhi and held massive demonstrations in support of the Prime Minister. It was also reported that Sanjay wanted Gujral to give coverage of the rallies on state run television and radio. However, Gujral refused to obey Sanjay Gandhi, who did not hold any constitutional post. Many people believe that it was the reason why Gujral was replaced by Vidya Charan Shukla as minister of Information and Broadcasting.[citation needed]
Later, Gujral was appointed India's ambassador to Russia. By the time of Indira Gandhi's return to power in 1980, as the Indian envoy to Moscow.
[edit]In Janata Dal

Gujral left the Congress Party in the mid-1980s and joined the Janata Dal. The Dal was a third-party with mainly socialist leanings and regional bases. In the 1989 elections, Gujral was elected from the Jallandhar parliamentary constituency in Punjab. He served as Minister of External Affairs in the V. P. Singh cabinet. In 1989 V. P. Singh sent him to Srinagar to seal the deal with the kidnappers in the case of the 1989 kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed. The largest issue he had to deal with in this cabinet role was Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent events that led to the first Gulf War of January 1991. As India's representative, he personally met with Iraq's Saddam Hussein. His hug with Hussein during the meeting remains a matter of controversy. In the 1991 mid-term parliamentary elections, Gujral contested from Patna constituency in Bihar against Janata Dal (S) candidate and then-Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha. However, the election was countermanded following complaints of large-scale irregularities.
In 1992, Gujral was elected to Rajya Sabha and remained a key Janata Dal leader.
After 1996 elections, when the United Front government was formed at the center under the leadership of H. D. Deve Gowda, he was again named Minister of External Affairs. During this second tenure, he propounded his 'Gujral Doctrine', which called for better relations with neighbors.
Before becoming the Prime Minister of India in April 1997, he served the country as Union Minister or Minister of State holding different portfolios in the Ministries of Communications and Parliamentary Affairs, Information & Broadcasting, Works & Housing, Planning and Ministry of External Affairs.
[edit]Prime Minister

The Congress party was supporting the United Front government from outside, but decided to withdraw support, which led to the collapse of the government in April 1997. In order to avoid elections, a compromise was reached. The Congress party agreed to support another United Front government under new leader, provided its concerns—such as not being consulted before taking important decisions and being marginalized—were addressed. The United Front elected Gujral as new leader and he was sworn in as Prime Minister on 21 April 1997.
Gujral inherited the bitterness between the Congress Party and the United Front from his predecessor, H.D. Deve Gowda. However he maintained good relations with the Congress Party, which supported his government from outside. Within a few weeks in office, Gujral faced trouble, not from the Congress party but within his own Janata Dal. The CBI asked for the permission from the governor of Bihar A. R. Kidwai to prosecute the state chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in a corruption case related to the purchase of fodder for the cattle (see Fodder Scam). The state governor granted the permission for the prosecution of the chief minister and demand for the resignation of Yadav was raised both from within and out of the United Front. However, Yadav sternly rejected the demand. Prime Minister Gujral just exhorted Yadav to step down without actually taking any action against his government. When Gujral transferred the CBI director Joginder Singh, who was investigating the case against Yadav, many people considered this as an attempt on the part of Prime Minister to protect Yadav. When Yadav felt that he no longer enjoyed a commanding position in Janata Dal, he left the party and formed his own 'Rashtriya Janata Dal' (RJD) on 3 July 1997. Out of 45 Janata Dal members of parliament, 17 left the party and supported Yadav. However, the new party continued in the United Front and Gujral's government was saved from immediate danger.
Prime Minister Gujral continued in the office for over 11 months, including 3 months as caretaker Prime Minister. During this time, he attempted to improve relations with Pakistan.
One of the most controversial decisions of his government was recommendation of President's rule in Uttar Pradesh, following unruly scenes in the state assembly on 21 October 1997. The BJP government headed by Kalyan Singh sought vote of confidence when the violence and unruly scenes took place in the assembly. However President K.R. Narayanan refused to sign the recommendation and sent it back to the government for reconsideration. The Allahabad high Court also gave a decision against President's rule in Uttar Pradesh.
In early November 1997, parts of interim report of Jain Commission inquiring into the conspiracy aspects of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case were leaked to the press. Reportedly, the Jain Commission had indicted the political party, DMK (Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam) for tacitly supporting the LTTE, which was responsible for Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. The DMK was part of the ruling coalition at the center and the Union Cabinet had ministers belonging to the DMK. The Congress Party first demanded the tabling of the report on the floor of the parliament. The report was tabled on 19 November 1997. When it was confirmed that the Jain Commission had in fact held the DMK responsible for supporting the LTTE, the Congress party demanded that the ministers belonging to the DMK be dropped. There was exchange of letters between Congress President Sitaram Kesri and Prime Minister Gujral. However, Gujral refused to budge. In a public function in Calcutta on 23 November 1997, he gave a hint of what was to follow saying 'mid-term elections are around the corner'. The Congress Party finally withdrew support from his government on 28 November 1997. Gujral resigned following this withdrawal. As no alternative government could be formed, the only alternative was mid-term elections, as Gujral had foreseen.
The Gujral Government was in the mire of a very fractious, chaotic stage in the evolution of democracy in India. It failed to achieve any particular goal towards national progress and public welfare.
The elections were held in February-March 1998. Gujral contested again from Jallandhar constituency in Punjab with the support of Akali Dal. The Akali Dal, though a part of BJP-led coalition, opted to support Gujral because during his Prime Ministerial tenure, Gujral declared that the central government will share the expenses on stamping out terrorism in Punjab during 1980s and early 1990s, along with the state government of Punjab. That eased the strain on economy of Punjab to a great extent and the Akali Dal decided to support Gujral. Gujral defeated Umrao Singh of the Congress Party by over 131,000 votes.
In the 12th Lok Sabha, Gujral actively opposed the BJP-led coalition government. In a debate in Lok Sabha on 29 May 1998, he pointed out some of the drawbacks of the government in handling of the nuclear tests conducted at Pokhran. He also opposed the government's decision to impose President's rule in Bihar. However Gujral actively supported Prime Minister Vajpayee's visit to Lahore in February 1999 and signing of Lahore Declaration with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. On 19 April 1999, when the BJP-led government sought vote of confidence on the floor of the Lok Sabha after the withdrawal of support by AIADMK, Gujral opposed the government.
[edit]Gujral Doctrine

The Gujral Doctrine is a set of five principles to guide the conduct of foreign relations with India’s immediate neighbours as spelt out by Gujral, first as India’s foreign minister and later as the prime minister. Among other factors, these five principles arise from the belief that India’s stature and strength cannot be divorced from the quality of its relations with its neighbours. It, thus, recognises the supreme importance of friendly, cordial relations with neighbours. These principles are:
1. With neighbours like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, India does not ask for reciprocity, but gives and accommodates what it can in good faith and trust.
2. No South Asian country should allow its territory to be used against the interest of another country of the region.
3. No country should interfere in the internal affairs of another.
4. All South Asian countries must respect each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
5. They should settle all their disputes through peaceful bilateral negotiations.
According to Gujral, these five principles, scrupulously adhered to, would achieve a fundamental recasting of South Asia’s regional relationships, including the difficult relationship between India and Pakistan. Further, the implementation of these principles would generate a climate of close and mutually benign cooperation in the region, where the weight and size of India is regarded positively and as an asset by these countries.
[edit]Aftermath

Gujral did not contest the 1999 elections and retired from active politics. In 2004, his son Naresh Gujral unsuccessfully contested with an Shiromani Akali Dal seat from Jalandhar, Punjab constituency in the Indian General Elections.
[edit]Personal life

Gujral speaks fluent Urdu, and spends part of his leisure time writing Urdu couplets, a poetic form that traces back to India's Mogul emperors. His brother Satish Gujral is a prominent painter and architect. Gujral and his wife Sheila Gujral, a poet and the author of several books have two sons; Naresh and Vishal Gujral. He has two granddaughters; Deeksha and Diva Gujral and a grandson; Anichya Gujral.
He is a member of the Club of Madrid.[1]

Haradanahalli Doddegowda Deve Gowda (Kannada: ಹರದನಹಳ್ಳಿ ದೊಡ್ಡೇಗೌಡ ದೇವೇಗೌಡ) (born 18 May 1933)[1] was the twelfth Prime Minister of the Republic of India (1996–1997) and the 14th chief minister of the state of Karnataka (1994–1996).
Born into a farming family[2], he won his first seat in the Karnataka state assembly in 1962, rising to become Karnataka's chief minister. In the late 1970s Deve Gowda rose in the Janata party and was an important figure in reuniting its successor, the Janata Dal party, after the original group splintered in 1980. Deve Gowda was instrumental in attracting to the party divergent castes. When the Congress party was defeated in the 1996 general elections and Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao resigned, Deve Gowda became prime minister of the United Front coalition government after BJP failed to form a government.
Contents [hide]
1 Biography
2 Janata Dal
3 References
4 External links
Biography

Deve Gowda was born in 1933 in Haradanahalli village of Holenarasipura taluk, Hassan District in Karnataka. A Civil Engineering diploma holder, he plunged into politics at the early age when he joined the Congress Party in 1953 and remained a member till 1962. He was the President of Anjaneya Co-operative Society and later as a member of Taluk Development Board, Holenarasipura.
In 1962, Deve Gowda contested from Holenarasipur constituency as an independent candidate for Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections and became an MLA. Later he was elected from the same constituency for three more consecutive terms: the fourth (1967-71), the fifth (1972-77), and the sixth (1978-83) Assemblies.
Later he resigned his membership of the sixth Assembly on 22 November 1982. As a member of the seventh and the eighth Assembly, he served as the Minister of Public Works and Irrigation. He resigned from the Cabinet in 1987 in protest against insufficient allocation of funds for irrigation.
He became the President of Janata party twice at state level and president of the state Janata Dal in 1994. He was elected as the leader of the Janata Dal Legislative Party and on 11 December 1994 he assumed office as the 14th Chief Minister of Karnataka. He then contested as a candidate from Ramanagar constituency and won by a thumping majority.
His leadership of the Third Front (a group of regional parties and Non-Congress and Non-BJP combine) led to his Prime Minister's job. Deve Gowda resigned as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on 30 May 1996 to be sworn in as the 11th Prime Minister of India.
Janata Dal

He is the president of the Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S) political party in India and currently a member of Parliament (MP) representing his home town Hassan district in Karnataka. The JD-S had formed a coalition with the Congress party government led by Dharam Singh. There are allegations of nepotism owing to his two children H.D. Revanna and H.D. Kumaraswamy being powerful in this government. Revanna had served as a minister in that government.
In January 2006, H.D. Kumaraswamy, son of Deve Gowda took support of around 40 JD(S) MLAs and the BJP to bring down the Dharam Singh led coalition government. This prompted Devegowda to resign from his post as party president owing moral responsibilities for failing to save the Dharam Singh government.
However, in February 2006, he withdrew his resignation and suspended 40 JD(S) MLAs of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, including his son and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, from the primary membership of the party. It was speculated that the entire political fiasco was orchestrated by Deve Gowda to elevate his son to the political summit. Recently, Mr. Gowda has openly supported his son's move to align with the BJP, provided it stuck to a common development agenda. He has also suggested that he would be willing to coordinate the BJP-led alliance on a national level, going against his previous adamant stance against dealing with the BJP. The stance led a split in his party, the Janata Dal.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Hindi: अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी, IPA: [əʈəl bɪhaːɾiː ʋaːdʒpeiː]) (born December 25, 1924) The eleventh Prime Minister of India. After two brief stints as Prime Minister in 1996, and 1998-'99, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from October 13, 1999 until May 19, 2004. He has since retired from active politics, though as a Member of Parliament, he has at times commented on various issues.
Contents [hide]
1 Early political career
2 The Janata phase
3 The rise of the BJP
4 Prime Minister of India
4.1 First Term: 1996
4.2 Second Term: 1998-1999
4.2.1 Nuclear Bomb Testing
4.2.2 The Lahore summit
4.2.3 Kargil Invasion
4.3 Third Term: 1999-2004
4.3.1 National Highways Development Project, Foreign Policy and Economic Reform
4.3.2 Attack on Parliament
5 Post 2004 elections
6 Legacy and criticism
7 References
8 External links
[edit]Early political career

Vajpayee's involvement in politics began as a freedom-fighter. He participated in the Quit India Movement before joining the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
He soon became a close follower and aide to Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS). Vajpayee was at Mookerjee's side when he went on a fast-unto-death in Kashmir in 1953, to protest what the BJS claimed the inferior treatment of Indian citizens visiting Kashmir. Mookerjee's fast and protest ended the identity card requirement, and hastened the integration of Kashmir into the Indian Union. However, Mookherjee died soon after due to health problems caused by his confinement in jail.
As the leader of BJS, he expanded its political appeal, organization and agenda. Vajpayee was elected to the parliament in 1957 from the Balrampur. In spite of his youth, he soon became a respected voice in the opposition. His broad appeal brought respect, recognition and acceptance to a rising nationalist cultural movement.
See also: Indian Nationalism, Hindutva, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
[edit]The Janata phase

While the Bharatiya Jana Sangh had strong constituencies of support, it failed to dislodge the [[Indian National Congress]] from governance. The newly formed Congress(I) under Indira Gandhi came to power in 1967 and 1971. When Indira Gandhi declared state of emergency in 1975, the RSS and BJS joined a wide-array of parties in opposing the suspension of elections and civil liberties. Vajpayee, along with many of his colleagues, was briefly jailed during that period.
However, when the general election was held in 1977 following the resignation of Indira Gandhi, the BJS joined hands with a vast collage of regional groups, socialist parties and similar groups to form the Janata Party. The party swept the polls and formed a new government with Morarji Desai as Prime Minister. Vajpayee won the election from New Delhi parliamentary constituency and was sworn in as the Minister for External Affairs.
In a tenure lasting two years, Vajpayee achieved several milestones. He went on a historic visit to China in 1979, normalizing relations with China for the first time since the 1962 Sino-Indian War. He also visited Pakistan and initiated normal dialogue and trade relations that were frozen since the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War and subsequent political instability in both countries. Vajpayee represented the nation at the Conference on Disarmament, where he defended the national nuclear program, the centerpiece of national security in the Cold War world, especially with neighboring China being a nuclear power. (In 1974, India had become the sixth nuclear power of the world when she conducted an underground nuclear test at Pokhran) Although he resigned in 1979 when the government politically attacked the RSS, he had established his credentials as an experienced statesman and a respected political leader. During this tenure, he also became the first person to deliver a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in Hindi (in 1977), the "most unforgettable" moment in his life by his own admission.
[edit]The rise of the BJP

Part of a series on
Hindu politics
Major parties
Bharatiya Janata Party
Shiv Sena
Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha
Defunct parties
Bharatiya Jana Sangh
Ram Rajya Parishad
Ideas
Integral humanism
Hindu nationalism
Hindutva
Major figures
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar
Keshava Baliram Hedgewar
Syama Prasad Mookerjee
Deendayal Upadhyaya
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Lal Krishna Advani
Bal Thackeray
Narendra Modi
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Koenraad Elst · Francois Gautier
Sita Ram Goel · K. S. Lal
Harsh Narain · Yvette Rosser
Arun Shourie · Ram Swarup
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The Janata government did not last long.Morarji Desai resigned as prime minister, and the Janata party was dissolved soon after. The BJS had devoted political organization to sustain the coalition and was left exhausted by the internecine wars within Janata.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, along with many BJS and RSS colleagues, particularly his long-time and close friends Lal Krishna Advani and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, founded the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980. Vajpayee became its first President. The BJP was a strong critic of the Congress(I) government that followed the Janata rule, and while it opposed the Sikh militancy that was rising in the state of Punjab, it also blamed Indira Gandhi for divisive and corrupt politics that fostered the militancy at national expense. Leader Darasingh opines that Vajpayee thus "brought in Hindu-Sikh harmony." [1]
Although it supported Operation Bluestar, the BJP strongly protested violence against Sikhs in Delhi that broke out in 1984 following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by one of her Sikh bodyguards. Vajpayee was known and commended for protecting Sikhs against Congress-followers seeking to avenge the death of their leader. The BJP was left with only two parliamentary seats in the 1984 elections; the party, however, had established itself in the mainstream of Indian politics, and soon began expanding its organization to attract young Indians throughout the country. During this period Vajpayee remained center-stage as party President and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, but increasingly hard-line Hindu nationalists began to rise within the party and define its politics.
The BJP became the political voice of the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Movement, which was led by activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the RSS, and was seeking to build a temple dedicated to Lord Rama at the site of the Babri mosque in Ayodhya. Hindu activists believed the site was the birthplace of the Lord, and thus qualified as one of the most sacred sites of Hinduism.
On December 6, 1992, hundreds of VHP and BJP activists broke down an organized protest into a frenzied attack, and brought down the mosque. Over the following weeks, waves of violence between Hindus and Muslims erupted in various parts of the country, killing over 1000 people. The VHP was banned by the government, and many BJP leaders including Lal Krishna Advani were arrested briefly for provoking the destruction. Although widely condemned by many across the country for playing politics with sensitive issues, the BJP won the loyalty and support of millions of conservative Hindus, as well as national prominence.
With victory in assembly elections of Gujarat and Maharashtra in March 1995, and a good performance in the elections to the Karnataka assembly in December 1994 propelled the BJP to the centerstage. During the BJP session at Mumbai in November 1995, BJP President L.K.Advani declared that Vajpayee would be the Prime Minister of India if the BJP won next parliamentary elections held in May 1996.
[edit]Prime Minister of India

[edit]First Term: 1996
Political energy and expansion made BJP the single-largest political party in the Lok Sabha elected in 1996. Mired down by corruption scandals, the Congress was at a historic low, and a vast medley of regional parties and break-off factions dominated the hung Parliament. Asked to form the government, A.B. Vajpayee was sworn in as prime minister, but the BJP failed to gather enough support from other parties to form a majority. Vajpayee resigned after just 13 days, when it became clear that he could not garner a majority.
[edit]Second Term: 1998-1999
After the fall of two governments by the third-front between 1996 and 1998, the parliament was dissolved and fresh elections were held. These elections again put the BJP at the head. This time, a cohesive bloc of political parties lined up with it to form the National Democratic Alliance, and A.B. Vajpayee was sworn in as the prime minister. The NDA proved its majority in parliament. Towards the end of 1998 however, the AIADMK under J.Jayalalitha withdrew its support from the 13-month old government. The government lost the ensuing vote of confidence motion by a single vote. The Chief Minister of Orissa state voted in the parliament as sitting congress member. As the opposition was unable to come up with the numbers to form the new government, the country returned to elections with Vajpayee remaining the "care-taker prime minister".
His premiership began at a decisive phase of national life and history: the Congress Party, dominant for over 40 years, appeared irreparably damaged, and fractious regional parties seemed to threaten the very stability of the nation by continually fracturing government work.
[edit]Nuclear Bomb Testing
In May 1998, India conducted five underground nuclear tests in Pokhran, Rajasthan. The five tests shocked and surprised the world, especially considering that the government had been in power for only a month. Two weeks later, Pakistan responded with its own nuclear weapon tests, making it the newest nation with nuclear weapons.
While some nations, such as Russia and France, endorsed India's right to defensive nuclear power, others including the US, Canada, Japan, the UK and the European Union imposed sanctions on the sale of military equipment and high-tech scientific information, resources and technology to India or Pakistan. In spite of the intense international criticism and the steady decline in foreign investment and trade, the nuclear tests were popular domestically and the Vajpayee's popularity and the BJP's prestige rose in response.
During his reign, Vajpayee introduced many important economic and infrastructural reforms domestically including, encouraging the private sector and foreign investements; reducing governmental waste; encouraging research and development and privatizing of government owned corporations.
[edit]The Lahore summit
In late 1998 and early 1999, Vajpayee began a push for a full-scale diplomatic peace process with Pakistan. With the historic inauguration of the Delhi-Lahore bus service in February 1999, Vajpayee initiated a new peace process aimed towards permanently resolving the Kashmir dispute and other territorial/nuclear/strategic conflicts with Pakistan. The resultant Lahore Declaration espoused a commitment to dialogue, expanded trade relations and the goal of denuclearized South Asia, and mutual friendship. This eased the tension created by the 1998 nuclear tests, not only within the two nations, but also in South Asia and the rest of the world.
The Vajpayee led government was faced with two crises in mid-1999. The AIADMK party had continually threatened to withdraw support from the coalition and national leaders repeatedly flew down from Delhi to Chennai to pacify the AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha. Finally, in May 1999, the AIADMK did pull the plug on the NDA, and the Vajpayee administration was reduced to a caretaker status pending fresh elections scheduled for October.
[edit]Kargil Invasion
(see main article Kargil War) More importantly and soon after, it was revealed that thousands of terrorists and non-uniformed Pakistani soldiers (many with official identifications and Pakistan Army's custom weaponry) had infiltrated into the Kashmir Valley and captured control of border hilltops, unmanned border posts and were spreading out fast. The incursion was centered around the town of Kargil, but also included the Batalik and Akhnoor sectors and include artillery exchanges at the Siachen Glacier.
Indian army units were rushed into Kashmir in response. Operation Vijay (1999), launched in June 1999, saw the Indian military fighting thousands of terrorists and soldiers amidst heavy artillery shelling and while facing extremely cold weather, snow and treacherous terrain at the high altitude. Over 500 Indian soldiers died in the three-month long Kargil War, and it is estimated around 600 Pakistani militants and soldiers died as well. Pakistan's army shot down two air force jets. The mutilation of the body of pilot Ajay Ahuja inflamed public opinion in India. After both the United States and China refused to condone the incursion or threaten India to stop its military operations, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif asked the militants to stop and withdraw to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
[edit]Third Term: 1999-2004
On October 13, 1999, Atal Bihari Vajpayee took oath as Prime Minister of India for the third time. The BJP-led NDA had won 303 seats in the 543 seat Lok Sabha, thereby securing a comfortable, stable majority. The coalition government that was formed lasted its full term of 5 years – the only non-Congress government to do so.
In October 1999, General Pervez Musharraf, chief of Pakistan's army and the chief architect of the Kargil plotting, seized power from the civilian, democratic government of Pakistan, and established his own dictatorship.
A national crisis popped up in December 1999, when an Indian Airlines flight (IC 814 from Nepal) was hijacked by Pakistani terrorists and flown via Pakistan to Taliban ruled Afghanistan. The media and the relatives of the hijacked passengers built up tremendous pressure on the government to give in to the hijackers' demand to release certain Kashmiri terrorists, including high-ranking Maulana Masood Azhar, from prison. The government ultimately caved in and Jaswant Singh, the Indian External Affairs minister, flew with the terrorists to Afghanistan and exchanged them for the passengers. No explanation was given by the Indian government for the External Affairs minister personally escorting the terrorists. The crisis also worsened the relationship between India and Pakistan, as the hijacked plane was allowed to re-fuel in Lahore, and all the hijackers, except one, were Pakistanis.


A.B.Vajpayee meeting President Bush in the White House in 2003
[edit]National Highways Development Project, Foreign Policy and Economic Reform
Vajpayee oversaw his National Highway Development Project begin construction, in which he took a personal interest.
In March 2000 Bill Clinton, the President of the United States paid a state visit to India. His was the first state visit to India by US President in 22 years. President Clinton's visit to India was hailed as a significant milestone in the relations between the two countries. Since the visit followed barely two years after the Pokhran tests, and one year after the Kargil invasion and the subsequent coup in Pakistan, it was read to reflect a major shift in the post-Cold War U.S. foreign policy. The Indian Prime Minister and the U.S. President discussed strategic issues, but the chief achievement was a significant expansion in trade and economic ties.Historic Vision Document on the future course of relations between the two countries was signed by Prime Minister Vajpayee and President Clinton during the visit.
Domestically, the BJP led government was under constant pressure from its ideological mentor, the RSS, and the hard-line VHP to enact the Hindutva agenda. But owing to its dependence on coalition support, it was impossible for the BJP to push items like building the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya, repealing Article 370 which gave a special status to the state of Kashmir, or enacting a uniform civil code applicable to adherents of all religions. The BJP was however accused of saffron-ising (saffron is the color of the flag of the RSS, symbol of the Hindu nationalism movement) the official state education curriculum and apparatus. Home Minister L.K. Advani and Education Minister Murli Manohar Joshi were indicted in the 1992 Babri Mosque demolition case for inciting the mob of activists. The RSS also routinely criticized the government for free-market policies which introduced foreign goods and competition at the expense of home industries and products.
Vajpayee's administration earned the ire of many unionized workers groups and government workers for their aggressive campaign to privatize government owned corporations. Vajpayee promoted pro-business, free market reforms to reinvigorate India's economic transformation and expansion that were started by former PM Narasimha Rao but stalled after 1996 due to unstable governments and the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Increased competitiveness, extra funding and support for the information technology and high-tech industries, improvements in infrastructure, deregulation of trade, investments and corporate laws - all increased foreign capital investment and set in motion an economic expansion.
These couple of years of reform however were accompanied by infighting in the administration and confusion regarding the direction of government. Cabinet portfolios were created and shuffled every six months apparently to pacify restless coalition partners. Vajpayee's weakening health was also a subject of public interest, and he underwent a major knee-replacement surgery at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai to relieve great pressure on his legs.
In March 2001, the Tehelka group released incriminating videos of the BJP President Bangaru Laxman, senior army officers and NDA members accepting bribes from journalists posing as agents and businessmen. While the scandals were not linked to Vajpayee's personally, the Defence Minister George Fernandes was forced to resign following this Barak Missile Deal Scandal, another scandal involving the botched supplies of coffins for the soldiers killed in Kargil, and the finding of an inquiry commission that the Government could have prevented the Kargil invasion. These developments as well as an ambiguous response of the economy to the reforms, reduced the Vajpayee administration's popularity and undermined its future.
Vajpayee again broke the ice in the Indo-Pak relations by inviting Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to Delhi and Agra for a joint summit and peace talks. His second-major attempt to move beyond the stalemate tensions involved inviting the man who had planned the Kargil invasions, but accepting him as the President of Pakistan, Vajpayee chose to move forward. But after three days of much fanfare, which included Musharraf visiting his birthplace in Delhi, the summit failed to achieve a breakthrough as President Musharraf declined to leave aside the issue of Kashmir.
In 2001, the Vajpayee government launched the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, which aimed at improving the quality of education in primary and secondary schools, eradicating illiteracy, and providing schoolchildren with midday meals. It has been reasonably successful.
[edit]Attack on Parliament
On December 13, 2001, a group of masked, armed men with fake IDs stormed the Parliament building in Delhi. The terrorists managed to kill several security guards, but the building was sealed off swiftly and security forces cornered and killed the men, who were later proven to be Pakistan nationals. Coming just three months after the September 11 terrorist attacks upon the United States, this fresh escalation instantly enraged the nation. Although the Government of Pakistan officially condemned the attack, Indian intelligence reports pointed the finger at a conspiracy rooted in Pakistan. Prime Minister Vajpayee ordered a mobilization of India's military forces, and as many as 500,000 servicemen amassed along the international boundary bordering Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Kashmir. Pakistan responded with the same. Vicious terrorist attacks and an aggressive anti-terrorist campaign froze day-to-day life in Kashmir, and foreigners flocked out of both India and Pakistan, fearing a possible war and nuclear exchange. For as long as two years, both nations remained perilously close to a terrible war.
The Vajpayee administrations passed the Prevention of Terrorist Act against vigorous opposition of non-NDA parties. Human rights groups have condemned the act which gives wide authority to the government to crack down and hold anybody. Its repeal was advocated by human rights organisations. [2]
But the biggest political disaster hit between December 2001 and March 2002: the VHP held the Government hostage in a major standoff in Ayodhya over the Ram temple. At the 10th anniversary of the destruction of the Babri mosque, the VHP wanted to perform a sheela daan, or a ceremony laying the foundation stone of the cherished temple at the disputed site. Tens of thousands of VHP activists amassed and threatened to overrun the site and forcibly build the temple. A grave threat of not only communal violence, but an outright breakdown of law and order owing to the defiance of the government by a religious organization hung over the nation.[citation needed]
Just a week following the standoff, a train carriage carrying hundreds of VHP activists returning from Ayodhya was attacked by a Muslim mob( not yet confirmed) in Godhra, Gujarat and the bogey was set afire, killing 59 activists. The result was an episode of communal violence in which over 1,000 people were killed and displaced. Three fourths of the killed were Muslims while the rest were Hindus. Organizations such as VHP affiliated with the ruling BJP, as well as the State government led by BJP leader and Chief Minister Narendra Modi, were accused of fomenting the violence, though this only remained to be an allegation. Vajpayee visited the state and publicly criticized the Chief Minister for not doing his moral duty to protect the people; he also spoke at a national party convention in Goa in June, 2002 allegedly attacking Muslims for having tolerated the Godhra attackers, and not doing enough to counter Islamic terrorism entering the country. In a Cabinet reshuffle, his long-time and close associate Lal Krishna Advani was designated Deputy Prime Minister of India, and increased power in the party and the Cabinet, and more credibility with the RSS and the conservative Hindu base. In September 2002, Narendra Modi led the BJP to a major victory, and thus vindication through the state assembly elections. His defiant victory was seen standing right against the moral criticism handed down by the Prime Minister. (See also:2002 Gujarat violence)
In late 2002 and 2003 the government pushed economic reforms, and the country's GDP growth accelerated at record levels, exceeding 6-7%. Increasing foreign investment, modernization of public and industrial infrastructure, the creation of jobs, a rising high-tech and IT industry and urban modernization and expansion improved the nation's national image. Good crop harvests and strong industrial expansion also helped the economy. The Government reformed the tax system, increased the pace of reforms and pro-business initiatives, major irrigation and housing schemes and so on. The political energies of the BJP shifted to the rising urban middle-class and young people, who were positive and enthusiastic about the major economic expansion and future of the country.
In August 2003, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced before Parliament his "absolute last" effort to achieve peace with Pakistan. Although the diplomatic process never truly set-off immediately, visits were exchanged by high-level officials and the military stand-off ended. The Pakistani President and Pakistani politicians, civil and religious leaders hailed this initiative as did the leaders of America, Europe and much of the world. In July 2003, Prime Minister Vajpayee, visited China, and met with various Chinese leaders. He recognised Tibet, as a part of China, which was reacted to positively, by the Chinese leadership, who the following year, recognised Sikkim, as a part of India. Sino-Indian Relations, improved greatly, in the following years.
In November-December 2003, the BJP won three major state elections, fought mainly on development issues, without ideological campaigns. A major public relations campaign was launched to reach out to Muslims and stop the 2002 controversies from haunting the party's future. But the attention of the media and of millions now moved from Vajpayee to his more possible successor, L.K. Advani, although the question was never directly raised or contested in any way. Vajpayee's age, failing health and diminished physical and mental vigor were obvious factors in such speculations. Advani assumed greater responsibilities in the party, and although no perceivable conflict has been known to arise between the longtime friends and political colleagues, several embarrassing statements were made. Once Vajpayee said "Advani would lead the BJP in the elections," prompting Advani to clarify that he would merely lead the election campaign, not the party. And then the BJP President Venkiah Naidu used mythological references to depict Vajpayee as a Vikas Purush, (Man of Progress), comparing him toBhishma Pitamah of the Mahabharata epic, a man respected by all political outfits and hundreds of millions of people. Advani was called the "Loh Purush" (Iron Man), a more potent reference suggestive of future developments.
As the BJP prepared for general elections in 2004, either early or late, Vajpayee was still the choice of the BJP, and crucially of the wider NDA for the prime minister's job.
[edit]Post 2004 elections

The National Democratic Alliance was widely expected to retain power after the 2004 genaral election. The parliament had been dissolved before the completion of term in order to capitalize on the economic boom and improved security and cultural atmosphere.
However, despite it's best efforts, the coalition - during camapign, controversial and ideological issues had been side-stepped in favor of bread-butter economic issues - lost almost half the seats it had, with several prominent cabinet ministers getting defeated. The congress(I), led by Sonia Gandhi became the single largest party and along with many minor parties formed the United Progressive Alliance. With the conditional support of the leftist parties from the outside, the UPA formed government under Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Vajpayee attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new government despite his party's decision to boycott it. Vajpayee was criticized for sacrificing core issues like Hindutva and the Ram Temple inorder to please Muslim voters (the BJP lost the Muslim vote by a heavy margin). Vajpayee expressed his anger and frustration at being blamed and at a high-level party meeting, he decided to give up the position of the Leader of the Opposition to Lal Krishna Advani. However, he retained his post as Chairman of the National Democratic Alliance.
In December of 2005, Vajpayee announced his retirement from active politics, declaring that he would not participate in the next general election. At a rally in the western city of Mumbai, Vajpayee said "I will not participate in any electoral politics. There are many other leaders to take forward the work which I and other senior leaders have been doing. In a now famous statement at the BJP's silver Jubilee rally at Mumbai's historic Shivaji Park, Vajpayee announced that "from now onwards, Lal Krishna Advani and Pramod Mahajan will be the Ram-Laxman (the two godly brothers much revered and worshipped by Hindus) of the BJP."[3]
[edit]Legacy and criticism


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Atal Bihari Vajpayee's six years at the Prime Minister's Office led to a major transformation and expansion of the country's economy. In the 1999 Kargil War, his leadership defended the country's integrity and security, while his broad-minded statesmanship in 1999, 2001 and 2004 kept the country's safety, peace and future on the high-course despite many discouraging events, failures and threats. During his 50 years as Member of Parliament, Vajpayee has established impeccable and virtually infallible credentials as a man of principle, integrity and commitment in the world of Indian politics, and as a leading visionary and statesman of the world.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee sowed the seeds and rose with the growing nationalist movement in Indian politics. For four decades he was the flag-bearer, icon and undisputed leader of the Hindu nationalist political movement, working steadily through years of defeat and desolation to foster a major national movement, broad support amongst hundreds of millions and the leadership of the world's largest democracy and most diverse nation.
However, the Vajpayee government was criticized over its ignorance of the issues and concerns of India's poor millions, over corruption scandals, and the episodes of communal violence and rise of both Hindu and Muslim radicalism in politics. While praised for his leadership during the Kargil War and for his peace efforts with Pakistan, the Vajpayee administration was blamed for not being able to detect and prevent two serious terrorist attacks on the country, and an incursion into Indian sovereign territory.
In addition, his opponents in the Congress accused Vajpayee of having turned an approver against freedom fighters during the British regime in 1942. Vajpayee, however, denied these accusations [4][5][6].
Vajpayee led a diverse, fractious coalition to complete a full five-year term in office, be the guiding light over a collage of political chaos. He gave stability and unity when the country was the least united, and security when the country was most susceptible. This included not only the security of the borders from invasion, but of the security of 100 million families with the provision of jobs and education in a solid, hopeful economic future, and the strategic national future security.
Despite the rejection of his party in 2004, Vajpayee has retained a position of esteem and respect amongst common people seldom offered to politicians in India. He was conferred Padma Vibhushan in 1992, Lokmanya Tilak Puruskar and the Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant Award for the Best Parliamentarian, both in 1994.

Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (Telugu: పాములపర్తి వెంకట నరసింహారావు) (28 June 1921 – 23 December 2004) was the 12th Prime Minister of the Republic of India.[1] He led one of the most important administrations in India's modern history, overseeing a major economic transformation and several incidents affecting national security.[2] Rao accelerated the dismantling of the license raj, work that originally initiated under the government of Rajiv Gandhi. Rao, also called the "Father of Indian Economic Reforms,"[3] is best remembered for launching India's free market reforms that rescued the almost bankrupt nation from economic collapse.[4] He was also commonly referred to as the Chanakya of modern India for his ability to steer tough economic and political legislation through the parliament at a time when he headed a minority government.[5][6]
Rao's term as Prime Minister was an eventful one in India's history. Besides marking a paradigm shift from the socialist-based style of economy propagated by Nehru to a market driven one, his years as Prime Minister also saw the emergence of the Bharatiya Janata Party, a major right-wing party, as an alternative to the Indian National Congress which had been governing India for most of its post-independence history. Rao's term also saw the destruction of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya which triggered one of the worst Hindu-Muslim riots in the country since its independence.[7]
Rao's later life was marked by political isolation due to his association with corruption charges. It was an apathy and indifference that Indian National Congress didn't stand by their long term associate who had been a Prime Minister of India. Rao was acquitted on all charges prior to his death in 2004 of a heart attack in New Delhi. He was cremated in Hyderabad.[8]
Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Political career
2.1 Early career
2.2 Path to Prime Ministership
3 Achievements
3.1 Economic reforms
3.2 National security, foreign policy and crisis management
4 Challenges faced in office
4.1 Economic crisis and initiation of liberalization
4.2 Currency crisis
4.3 Kashmiri militancy
4.4 Religious strife and the Latur earthquake
5 Corruption
5.1 JMM bribery scandal
5.2 St. Kitts forgery scandal
5.3 Lakhubhai Pathak cheating scandal
5.4 Stock Market Scandal
6 Later life
7 Legacy
8 Narasimha Rao quotes
9 References
10 External links
[edit]Early life

PV's father was P. V. Ranga Rao. He belonged to a wealthy Telugu Niyogi Brahmin family from a village called Vangara (pedda),Bheema Devara pally mandal in the Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh, India.[9]
Narasimha Rao was popularly known as PV. PV studied at Fergusson College and at the Universities of Mumbai and Nagpur where he obtained Bachelor's and Master's degrees in law.[9][10] He was a polyglot and could speak 13 languages including Urdu, Marathi, Kannada, Hindi, Telugu and English with a fluency akin to a native speaker.[11] His mother tongue was Telugu. In addition to seven Indian languages, he spoke English, French, Arabic, Spanish and Persian.[12] Along with his cousin Pamulaparthi Sadasiva Rao, PV edited a Telugu weekly magazine called Kakatiya Patrika from 1948 to 1955.
Narasimha Rao has three sons and five daughters.His eldest son P.V Rangarao was as an education minister in Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy cabinet and M.L.A from HanmaKonda Assembly Constituency for two terms.His second son P.V.Rajeshwar Rao was a Member of Parliament from Secunderabad Lok Sabha Constituency.
[edit]Political career

[edit]Early career
Narasimha Rao was an active freedom fighter during the Indian Independence movement[9] and joined full time politics after independence as a member of the Indian National Congress. Narasimha Rao served brief stints in the Andhra Pradesh cabinet (1962–1971) and as Chief minister of the state of Andhra Pradesh (1971–1973).[10]
[edit]Path to Prime Ministership
When the Indian National Congress split in 1969 Rao stayed on the side of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and remained loyal to her during the Emergency period (1975 - 77).[12] He rose to national prominence in 1972 for handling several diverse portfolios, most significantly Home, Defence and Foreign Affairs (1980-1984), in the cabinets of both Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.[10] In fact it is speculated that he was in the running for the post of India's President along with Zail Singh in 1982.[13]
Rao very nearly retired from politics in 1991. It was the assassination of the Congress President Rajiv Gandhi that made him make a comeback.[14] As the Congress had won the largest number of seats in the 1991 elections, he got the opportunity to head the minority government as Prime Minister. He was the first person outside the Nehru-Gandhi family to serve as Prime Minister for five continuous years, the first to hail from South India and also the first from the state of Andhra Pradesh.[15][2] Since Rao had not contested the general elections, he then participated in a by-election in Nandyal to join the parliament. N.T.Rama Rao (then leader of the Chief Opposition party of Telugu Desam) did not want to put a contestant against Rao, because he was the First Prime Minister of India from Andhra Pradesh, and NTR did not want to create an obstacle on his path. By that, Rao won from Nandyal with a victory margin of a record 5 lakh (500,000) votes and his win was recorded in the Guinness Book Of World Records.[16][17] His cabinet included Sharad Pawar, himself a strong contender for the Prime Minister's post, as defence minister. He also broke convention by appointing a non-political economist, Manmohan Singh as his finance minister.
[edit]Achievements

[edit]Economic reforms
See also: Licence Raj


Manmohan Singh who chiefly spearheaded Rao's economic reforms.
Rao's major achievement generally considered to be the liberalization of the Indian economy. The reforms were adopted to avert impending international default in 1991.[18] The reforms progressed furthest in the areas of opening up to foreign investment, reforming capital markets, deregulating domestic business, and reforming the trade regime. Rao's government's goals were reducing the fiscal deficit, Privatization of the public sector, and increasing investment in infrastructure. Trade reforms and changes in the regulation of foreign direct investment were introduced to open India to foreign trade while stabilizing external loans. Rao's finance minister, Manmohan Singh, an acclaimed economist, played a central role in implementing these reforms.
Major reforms in India's capital markets led to an influx of foreign portfolio investment. The major economic policies adopted by Rao include:
Abolishing in 1992 the Controller of Capital Issues which decided the prices and number of shares that firms could issue.[19][18]
Introducing the SEBI Act of 1992 and the Security Laws (Amendment) which gave SEBI the legal authority to register and regulate all security market intermediaries.[20][18]
Opening up in 1992 of India's equity markets to investment by foreign institutional investors and permitting Indian firms to raise capital on international markets by issuing Global Depository Receipts (GDRs).[21]
Starting in 1994 of the National Stock Exchange as a computer-based trading system which served as an instrument to leverage reforms of India's other stock exchanges. The NSE emerged as India's largest exchange by 1996.[22]
Reducing tariffs from an average of 85 percent to 25 percent, and rolling back quantitative controls. (The rupee was made convertible on trade account.)[23]
Encouraging foreign direct investment by increasing the maximum limit on share of foreign capital in joint ventures from 40 to 51 percent with 100 percent foreign equity permitted in priority sectors.[24]
Streamlining procedures for FDI approvals, and in at least 35 industries, automatically approving projects within the limits for foreign participation.[25][18]
The impact of these reforms may be gauged from the fact that total foreign investment (including foreign direct investment, portfolio investment, and investment raised on international capital markets) in India grew from a minuscule US $132 million in 1991-92 to $5.3 billion in 1995-96.[24]
Rao began industrial policy reforms with the manufacturing sector. He slashed industrial licensing, leaving only 18 industries subject to licensing. Industrial regulation was rationalized.[18]
[edit]National security, foreign policy and crisis management
Rao energized the national nuclear security and ballistic missiles program, which ultimately resulted in the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests. It is speculated that the tests were actually planned in 1995, during Rao's term in office,[26] and that they were dropped under American pressure when the US intelligence got the whiff of it.[citation needed] He increased military spending, and set the Indian Army on course to fight the emerging threat of terrorism and insurgencies, as well as Pakistan and China's nuclear potentials. It was during his term that terrorism in the Indian state of Punjab was finally defeated.[27] Also scenarios of plane hijackings, which occurred during Rao's time ended without the government conceding the terrorists' demands.[28] He also directed negotiations to secure the release of Doraiswamy, an Indian Oil executive, from Kashmiri terrorists who kidnapped him,[29] and Liviu Radu, a Romanian diplomat posted in New Delhi in October 1991, who was kidnapped by Sikh terrorists.[30] Rao also handled the Indian response to the occupation of the Hazratbal holy shrine in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan-sponsored[citation needed] terrorists in October 1993.[31] He brought the occupation to an end without damage to the shrine. Similarly, he dealt with the kidnapping of some foreign tourists by a terrorist group called Al Faran in Kashmir in 1995 effectively. Although he could not secure the release of the hostages, his policies ensured that the terrorists demands were not conceded to, and that the action of the terrorists was condemned internationally, including by Pakistan.[32]
Rao also made diplomatic overtures to Western Europe, the United States, and China.[33] He decided in 1992 to bring into the open India's relations with Israel, which had been kept covertly active since they were first established by Indira Gandhi in 1969[citation needed], and permitted Israel to open an embassy in New Delhi.[34] He ordered the intelligence community in 1992 to start a systematic drive to draw the international community's attention to alleged Pakistan's sponsorship of terrorism against India and not to be discouraged by US efforts to undermine the exercise.[35][36] Rao launched the Look East foreign policy, which brought India closer to ASEAN.[37] He decided to maintain a distance from the Dalai Lama in order to avoid aggravating Beijing's suspicions and concerns, and made successful overtures to Teheran. The 'cultivate Iran' policy was pushed through vigorously by him.[38] These policies paid rich dividends for India in March 1994, when Benazir Bhutto's efforts to have a resolution passed by the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva on the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir failed, with opposition by China and Iran.[39]
Rao's crisis management after the Mumbai blasts of March 12, 1993 was highly praised. He personally visited Mumbai after the blasts and after seeing evidence of Pakistani involvement in the blasts, ordered the intelligence community to invite the intelligence agencies of the US, UK and other West European countries to send their counter-terrorism experts to Mumbai to examine the facts for themselves.[40]
[edit]Challenges faced in office

[edit]Economic crisis and initiation of liberalization
Rao decided that India, which in 1991 was on the brink of bankruptcy,[41] would benefit from liberalizing its economy. He appointed an economist, Dr. Manmohan Singh, a former governor of the Reserve Bank of India, as Finance Minister to accomplish his goals.[2] This liberalization was criticized by many socialist nationalists at that time.[42]
[edit]Currency crisis
During the early 1990s, Rao's administration failed to arrest the 50 per cent fall in the value of the Indian Rupee from 17 to 32 to the US Dollar due to haphazard credit policies.
[edit]Kashmiri militancy
The Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a separatist insurgency during Rao's tenure. His government claimed that training camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir for militant groups, previously directed at evicting the Soviet army from Afghanistan, were now producing the same fighters who were infiltrating Kashmir.[43] He directly charged Pakistan with sheltering, arming and supplying infiltrators. During this time Hindu pilgrims and Sikh settlers were attacked, and hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave their homes in the Kashmir valley.[44] Violence rocked and shut down parts of Kashmir, which was heavily dependent on tourism, and also struck major cities like Delhi and Mumbai.[45][46] Similar terrorism spread into the northeastern states of Assam,[47] Tripura[48] and Nagaland.[49]
Rao's government introduced the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA),[50] India's first anti-terrorism legislation, and directed the Indian Army to eliminate the infiltrators.[51] Despite a heavy and largely successful Army campaign, the state descended into a security nightmare. Tourism and commerce were largely disrupted. Special police units were often accused of committing atrocities against prisoners, including torture and excessive detention.[52]
[edit]Religious strife and the Latur earthquake
See also: Ayodhya debate


Babri Masjid, a pre-1992 view.
Members of the VHP demolished the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya on 6 December 1992.[53] The site is believed by many to be the birthplace of Sri Rama, on which India's first Mughal emperor, Babar destroyed an existing Hindu temple in the early 16th century. The destruction of the disputed structure, which was widely reported in the international media, unleashed large scale communal violence, the most extensive since the Partition of India. Muslim and Hindu fundamentalists indulged in massive rioting across the country, and almost every major city including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bhopal, and Chennai struggled to control rampaging mobs. It is widely believed that the 1993 Mumbai Bombings, which claimed hundreds of innocent lives and left thousands injured, was the Muslim underworld's retaliation for the demolition of the Babri Mosque.
A strong earthquake in Latur, Maharashtra, also killed 10,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands in 1993.[54] Rao was applauded by many for using modern technology and resources to organize major relief operations to assuage the stricken people, and for schemes of economic reconstruction.
[edit]Corruption

The most negative aspects, though none of them turned out to be true, of Rao's legacy were his direct and indirect associations with various corruption charges. These charges were majorly viewed as fueled by those in his party who were opposed to his return as a major player again. Some of the more prominent examples were:
[edit]JMM bribery scandal
In July 1993, Rao's government was facing a no-confidence motion, because the opposition felt that it did not have sufficient numbers to prove a majority. It was alleged that Rao, through a representative, offered millions of rupees to members of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and possibly a breakaway faction of the Janata Dal, to vote for him during the confidence motion. Shailendra Mahato, one of those members who had accepted the bribe, turned approver. In 1996, after Rao's term in office had expired, investigations began in earnest in the case.
In 2000, after years of legal proceedings, a special court convicted Rao and his colleague, Buta Singh (who is alleged to have escorted the MPs to the Prime Minister).[55] Rao appealed to a higher court and remained free on bail. The decision was overturned mainly due to the doubt in credibility of Mahato's statements (which were extremely inconsistent) and both Rao and Buta Singh were cleared of the charges in 2002.[56]
[edit]St. Kitts forgery scandal
Rao, along with fellow minister K.K. Tewary, Chandraswami and K.N. Aggarwal were accused of forging documents showing that Ajeya Singh had opened a bank account in the First Trust Corporation Bank in St. Kitts and deposited $21 million in it, making his father V.P. Singh its beneficiary. The alleged intent was to tarnish V.P. Singh's image. This supposedly happened in 1989. However only after Rao's term as PM had expired in 1996, was he formally charged by the CBI for the crime. Less than a year later the court acquitted him due to lack of evidence linking him with the case.[57] All other accused, Chandraswami being the last, were also eventually acquitted.
[edit]Lakhubhai Pathak cheating scandal
Lakhubhai Pathak, an Indian businessman living in England alleged that Chandraswami and K.N. Aggarwal alias Mamaji, along with Mr. Rao, cheated him out of $100,000.00. The amount was given for an express promise for allowing supplies of paper pulp in India, and Pathak alleged that he spent an additional $30,000.00 entertaining Chandraswami and his secretary. Rao and Chandraswami were acquitted of the charges in 2003,[58] due to lack of evidence. Despite this, it remained a large black mark on Rao's administration.
[edit]Stock Market Scandal
Also involved scandal where in Indian Stock Market plunged and droped thousands of point in matter of days. Big Bull (Harshad Mehta) Scandal for bribery of RS 1.00 Crore in Cash and other in from of stock prices.
[edit]Later life

In the 1996 general elections Rao's Congress Party was badly defeated and he had to step down as Prime Minister. He retained the leadership of the Congress party until late 1996 after which he was replaced by Sitaram Kesri. According to Congress insiders who spoke with the media, Rao had kept an authoritarian stance on both the party and his government, which led to the departure of numerous prominent and ambitious Congress leaders during his reign. Some of them were: Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Arjun Singh, Madhavrao Scindia, Mamata Banerjee, G.K. Moopanar and P.Chidambaram.
Rao rarely spoke of his personal views and opinions during his 5-year tenure. After his retirement from national politics Rao published a novel called The Insider (ISBN 0-670-87850-2). The controversial book, which follows a man’s rise through the ranks of Indian politics, resembled events from Rao’s own life. (See Gonzo journalism.) Rao, however denied any connection.
Rao suffered a heart attack on 9 December 2004, and was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences where he died 14 days later at the age of 83.
He was cremated with full state honors. His body was kept in state at the Jubilee Hall in Hyderabad. His funeral was attended by the incumbent Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda, the incumbent BJP president L.K. Advani, the Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and many other dignitaries.[59]
[edit]Legacy

Rao picked conservative BJP leader Atal Behari Vajpayee to represent India in a debate on disarmament at the United Nations.[60] Although they were political opponents, Vajpayee's pro-nuclear stance was in accordance with Rao's own views. Vajpayee later became the Prime Minister.[1]
He was a cartoonists delight with his trademark pout being one of the focussed points.
According to Vajpayee, when he became the PM in 1996 Rao handed him a piece of paper which simply stated 'Bomb is ready. You can go ahead.' (referring to a nuclear device) and asked that it should not be made public. Vajpayee revealed this only after Rao's death.[26]
The Express Highway between Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital and Aramgarh on NH 7 to the International Airport in Hyderabad is named after Rao.
[edit]Narasimha Rao quotes

"When I don't make a decision, it's not that I don't think about it. I think about it and make a decision not to make a decision."
"If we remove last two pages of NTR life, He is Lord sri Rama of Kaliyuga, Rao told to a National news Media ones when He is Prime Minister."
"Inaction is also an action."
"Law will take its own course of action."
"Time itself is the solution to all problems."

Chandra Shekhar Singh (Hindi: चन्द्रशेखर सिंह) (July 1, 1927 - July 8, 2007) was the 11th Prime Minister of the Republic of India.
Contents [hide]
1 Biography
1.1 Early years
1.2 Political life
2 References
3 External links
4 See also
[edit]Biography

[edit]Early years
He was born on April 17, 1927 to a farming family in Ibrahimpatti - Ballia in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Chandra Shekar did his Master of Arts (MA) at Allahabad University. He was known as a firebrand in student politics. After graduation, he became active in socialist politics.[1]
[edit]Political life
He came under the spell of Acharya Narendra Dev, a fiery Socialist leader in the beginning of his political career. From 1962 to 1967, Shekhar belonged to the Rajya Sabha, the Upper house of the Parliament of India. He had a nationwide padayatra in 1984 to know the country better, which he claimed gave the jitters to Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister. He was called a "Young Turk".
After his predecessor, V.P. Singh, resigned, he led a breakaway faction of the Janata Dal, known as the Samajwadi Janata Party. The Indian National Congress decided to extend outside support to his government to avoid snap elections, and Shekhar held a bare majority in a coalition with both the Communist parties and the BJP. The relationship crumbled quickly, as the Congress party accused him of spying on Rajiv Gandhi, their leader at that time. The Congress Party then boycotted Parliament and as Shekhar's faction only had about 60 MPs, he resigned in a nationally televised address on March 6, 1991. He remained in office until national elections could be held later that year.
Shekhar was known for abiding by the parliamentary conventions and was honoured with the inaugural Outstanding Parliamentarian Award in 1995.
Chandra Shekhar was a member of the Lok Sabha, India's lower house of Parliament. He led Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya), (Socialist People's Party (National)). Starting in 1977, he won election to the Lok Sabha 8 times from Ballia in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The only election that he lost was in 1984 against Mr. Jagganath Chaudhary of Congress(I).
Shekhar suffered from multiple myeloma, a form of cancer of the plasma cell. On May 3, 2007, he was hospitalised in critical condition after his condition had deteriorated.[2] Shekhar died at the age of 80 in New Delhi on July 8, 2007. He was survived by two sons. One of them, Neeraj Shekhar contested and won the Ballia Lok Sabha which was vacated through his father's death.[3]

Vishwanath Pratap Singh (Hindi: विश्वनाथ प्रताप सिंह, born 25 June 1931) was the 10th Prime Minister of the Republic of India.
Contents [hide]
1 Early career
1.1 Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
2 Cabinet Minister for Finance and Defence
3 In Opposition
3.1 Janata Dal
3.2 General Elections of 1989
3.3 Election as Prime Minister
4 Prime Minister
4.1 Punjab and Kashmir
4.2 Reservation for Backward Classes
4.3 Tussle with Dhirubhai Ambani
4.4 Babri Masjid
4.5 Chandra Shekhar
5 Aftermath
6 Jan Morcha relaunch
7 Agitation at Dadri
[edit]Early career

V. P. Singh entered local politics in Allahabad during the Nehru era. He soon made a name for himself in the state Congress Party for his unfailing rectitude, a reputation that he would carry with him throughout his career.
[edit]Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
He was appointed by Indira Gandhi as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1980, when the Congress came back to power after the Janata Party interregnum. As CM, he cracked down hard on the dacoity, or banditry, problem, that was particularly severe in the rural districts of the south-west. He received much favourable national publicity when he offered to resign following a self-professed failure to stamp out the problem, and again when he personally oversaw the surrender of some of the most feared dacoits of the area in 1983.
[edit]Cabinet Minister for Finance and Defence

Called to the Centre following Rajiv Gandhi's massive mandate in the 1984 General elections, he was appointed to the pivotal post of Finance Minister, where he oversaw the gradual relaxation of the license Raj as Rajiv had in mind. During his term as Finance Minister, he oversaw the reduction of gold smuggling by reducing gold taxes and the excellent tactic of giving the police a portion of the smuggled gold that they found. He also gave extraordinary powers to the Enforcement Directorate of the Finance Ministry, the wing of the ministry charged with tracking down tax evaders, then headed by Bhure Lal. Following a number of high-profile raids on suspected evaders - including Dhirubhai Ambani [1] and Amitabh Bachchan - Rajiv was forced to sack him as Finance Minister, possibly because many of the raids were conducted on industrialists who had supported the Congress financially in the past. However, Singh's popularity was at such a pitch that only a sideways move seemed to have been possible, to the Defence Ministry.
Once ensconced in North Block, Singh began to investigate the notoriously murky world of defence procurement. After a while, word began to spread that Singh possessed information about the Bofors defence deal that could damage the Prime Minister's reputation. Before he could act on it, he was dismissed from the Cabinet and, in response, resigned his memberships in the Congress Party and the Lok Sabha.
[edit]In Opposition

[edit]Janata Dal
Together with associates Arun Nehru and Arif Mohammad Khan, Singh floated an opposition party named the Jan Morcha. He was re-elected to Lok Sabha in a tightly contested by-election from Allahabad, defeating Anil Shastri. On 11 October 1988, the birthday of the original Janata coalition's spiritual leader Jayaprakash Narayan, the Janata Dal was formed by merger of Jan Morcha, Janata Party, Lok Dal and Congress (S), in order to bring together all the centrist parties opposed to the Rajiv Gandhi government, and V. P. Singh was elected the President of the Janata Dal. A federation of the Janata Dal with various regional parties including the DMK, TDP, and AGP, came into being, called the National Front (India), with V. P. Singh as convener and N. T. Rama Rao as President.
[edit]General Elections of 1989
The National Front fought the elections in 1989 after coming to an electoral understanding with the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Left Front that served to unify the anti-Congress vote. The National Front, with its allies, earned a simple majority in the Lok Sabha and decided to form a government. The Communists and the BJP declined to serve in the government, preferring to support it from outside.
[edit]Election as Prime Minister
In a dramatic meeting in the Central Hall of Parliament on the 1st of December, V. P. Singh proposed the name of Devi Lal as Prime Minister, in spite of the fact that he himself had been clearly projected by the anti-Congress forces as the 'clean' alternative to Rajiv and their Prime Ministerial candidate. Devi Lal, a Jat leader from Haryana stood up and refused the nomination, and said that he would prefer to be an 'elder uncle' to the Government, and that Singh should be PM [2]. This last part came as a clear surprise to Chandra Shekhar, the former head of the erstwhile Janata Party, and Singh's greatest rival within the Janata Dal. Shekhar, who had clearly expected that an agreement had been forged with Lal as the consensus candidate, stormed out of the meeting and refused to serve in the Cabinet.
[edit]Prime Minister

Singh held office for slightly less than a year, from December 2, 1989 - November 10, 1990.
[edit]Punjab and Kashmir
He faced his first crisis within few days of taking office: terrorists kidnapped the daughter of his Home Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed (Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir). His government agreed to the demand for releasing militants in exchange; partly to end the storm of criticism that followed, he shortly thereafter appointed Jagmohan, a controversial former bureaucrat, as Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, on the insistence of the BJP who were concerned that an insufficiently hard line was being taken with the separatist elements in the state. Jagmohan subsequently inflamed opinion in the Valley when he ordered troops to fire on the funeral procession of the unofficial head of Kashmiri Islam, the Mirwaiz, and shortly thereafter the Kashmir insurgency began in earnest. In contrast, in Punjab, Singh replaced the hardline Siddhartha Shankar Ray as Governor with another former bureaucrat, Nirmal Kumar Mukarji, who moved forward on a timetable for fresh elections. Singh himself made a much-publicised visit to the Golden Temple to ask forgiveness for Operation Bluestar and the combination of events caused the long rebellion in Punjab to die down markedly in a few months. V. P. Singh also withdrew the IPKF from Sri Lanka.
[edit]Reservation for Backward Classes
Singh himself wished to move forward nationally on social justice-related issues, which would in addition consolidate the caste coalition that supported the Janata Dal in North India, and accordingly decided to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission which suggested that a fixed quota of all jobs in the public sector be reserved for members of the historically disadvantaged so-called Other Backward Classes. (Generally abbreviated OBCs, these were Hindu castes, and certain non-Hindu caste-like communities, which, though not untouchable, had been socially and educationally backward). This decision led to widespread protests among the youth in urban areas in North India.
[edit]Tussle with Dhirubhai Ambani
In 1990, the government-owned financial institutions like the Life Insurance Corporation of India and the General Insurance Corporation stonewalled attempts by the Reliance group to acquire managerial control over Larsen & Toubro. Sensing defeat, the Ambanis resigned from the board of the company. Dhirubhai, who had become L&T's chairman in April 1989, had to quit his post to make way for D. N. Ghosh, former chairman of the State Bank of India.
[edit]Babri Masjid
Meanwhile the BJP was moving its own agenda forward: in particular, the Ram Janmabhoomi agitation, which served as a rallying cry for several radical Hindu organisations, took on new life. The party president, Lal Krishna Advani, toured the northern states on a rath - a bus converted to look like a mythical chariot - with the intention of drumming up support. Before he could complete the tour by reaching the disputed site in Ayodhya, he was arrested on Singh's orders on the charges of disturbing the peace and fomenting communal tension. This led to the BJP's suspension of support to the National Front government. V. P. Singh faced the vote of confidence saying that he occupied the high moral ground, as he stood for secularism, had saved the Babri Masjid at the cost of power and had upheld the fundamental principles which were challenged during the crises; `What kind of India do you want?', he asked of his opponents of various shades in Parliament before losing the vote 142-346[3]; only the portion of the National Front remaining loyal to him (see below) and the Left front supported him in the vote.
[edit]Chandra Shekhar
Chandra Shekhar immediately seized the moment and left the Janata Dal with several of his own supporters to form the Samajwadi Janata Party or the Socialist People's Party. Although he had a mere 64 MPs, Rajiv Gandhi, the leader of the Opposition, agreed to support him on the floor of the House; so he won a confidence motion and was sworn in as Prime Minister. He lasted only a few months before Gandhi withdrew support and fresh elections were called. He tried his level best to get support till last minute but failed.
[edit]Aftermath

Singh decided against contesting the new elections and retired from active politics. He spent the next few years touring the country speaking about matters related to issues of social justice and his artistic pursuits, chiefly painting. In the H. D. Deve Gowda and I. K. Gujral governments of the late 1990s, Singh acted as a sort of elder statesman and adviser for the successors to the National Front coalition. In 1992, Singh was the first to propose the name of the future President K. R. Narayanan as a (eventually successful) candidate for Vice President. Later the same year in December, he led his followers to Ayodhya to oppose the Kar seva proposed by L. K. Advani, and was arrested before he could reach the site; the Masjid was demolished by the kar sevaks a few days later. He was diagnosed with cancer in 1998 and ceased his public appearances.
[edit]Jan Morcha relaunch

When his cancer went into remission in 2003, he once again became a visible figure, especially in the many groupings that had inherited the space once occupied by his Janata Dal. Ironically, his caste-based social justice policies had caused the rise of parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party that were formed around caste identities; his own notion of populist socialism was thus squeezed out of the electoral marketplace. To remedy this, he relaunched the Jan Morcha in 2005 with Raj Babbar as President, and began the slow process of aggregation of smaller parties in the North with a view to contesting the Uttar Pradesh elections.
[edit]Agitation at Dadri

Singh was placed under arrest in Ghaziabad as he and his supporters were proceeding towards a hauling where prohibitory orders under Section 144 had been imposed to join the farmers agitating against the acquisition of land at Dadri by the Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Industries and demanding adequate compensation.[4]. Later, Singh and CPI General Secretary A. B. Bardhan [5] were again arrested on the U. P. border when they were proceeding to Dadri. However, Singh and Babbar were later able to evade the police, reaching Dadri on 18 August 2006, and ploughing the land in solidarity with the farmers [6]