"History Will Be Kinder to Me": Manmohan Singh's Final Media Remarks

In one of his final media interactions before demitting office in 2014, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh delivered a robust defense of his leadership, which had often been criticized as weak and indecisive.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi in January 2014, Singh made it clear that he believed history would judge him more favourably than the media or political opposition had done during his tenure.

"I do not believe that I have been a weak Prime Minister," Singh stated with conviction. "I honestly believe that history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media or, for that matter, the opposition in Parliament... Given the political compulsions, I have done the best I could do."

Singh, who served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, further asserted that it was for history to judge his actions, adding, "I have done as well as I could do according to the circumstances."

Singh’s remarks were a direct response to the barrage of criticisms, particularly from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its then Prime Ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, who had frequently attacked his leadership as weak. The Congress leader was specifically asked about his supposed indecisiveness on critical issues during his second term.

Turning the tables on his critics, Singh countered the portrayal of him as a weak leader, emphasizing that strength should not be equated with violence or political repression.

Singh, clearly referring to the 2002 Gujarat riots, remarked, "If you measure the strength of a Prime Minister by presiding over mass massacres of innocent citizens on the streets of Ahmedabad, then I do not believe in it. I do not think that this kind of strength is what this country needs, least of all from its Prime Minister."

Singh also took the opportunity to launch a scathing attack on Modi’s leadership, expressing his concerns about the future direction of the country should the BJP leader rise to power.

"I have full confidence that the next Prime Minister will be from the UPA... It will be disastrous for the country to have Narendra Modi as Prime Minister," Singh said, standing firm in his belief that Modi’s promises would never materialize.

Reflecting on his own tenure, Singh defended the UPA's ability to govern effectively despite being in a coalition. "My two terms as Prime Minister in UPA I and UPA II displayed the Congress’s ability to run a coalition government and dispelled the perception that this party cannot run coalitions," Singh said. While acknowledging that some compromises were made, he emphasized that these were on peripheral issues, not on matters of national importance.

When questioned about the negative perceptions within his own party regarding his leadership, Singh was firm in his response: "Nobody has asked me to step down because of any inadequacy that characterized my tenure as Prime Minister."

As Singh concluded his tenure, his reflections not only shed light on the challenges of leading a coalition government but also offered a stark contrast to the image of strength that the BJP was trying to project through Modi.

 The press conference underscored the tension between Singh’s measured, conciliatory leadership and the brash, populist rhetoric that would come to define Modi’s political persona.

In the final analysis, Singh’s legacy is likely to be shaped by these two contrasting visions of leadership: one marked by stability, inclusivity, and pragmatism, the other by a combative, decisive rhetoric that continues to resonate with voters.

Whether history will be kinder to Singh than his contemporaries remains to be seen, but his defense of his record provides a compelling counter-narrative to the criticisms of his leadership.