R. Jagannathan in the DNA:

Both the party [Congress] and Manmohan discovered their spunk only towards the end of their first term, when both knew that the only thing they had to lose was their timidity...

The soft-spoken prime minister unleashed a quiet viciousness that destroyed Advani. To Advani's repeated taunts, Manmohan replied with quiet anger and a sharp twist of the verbal knife. It ended Advani's pretence of being the hard man of Indian politics...

It works with middle class India and women; it may also work abroad. In the emerging global power scenario, China represents the much-feared macho power; India, as represented by Manmohan and Sonia, represents soft power. It looks sane in a world marred by extremist violence. This image of outward softness helps us since it can enable us to take hard decisions based on realpolitik and still appear reasonable on the world stage.

Read more at DNA

 
POSTED BY Sundeep ON Oct 29, 2009 AT 16:12 IST
Comments :
Nov 03, 2009 11:03 PM
1
SHYAMAL BARUA>>>>traditional Hindus(i.e. Brahmins in real sense)

Brahmins also can be unorthodox and open-minded.Your mind has just become shriveled losing the life-fight with Brahmins, I think. Put off the smoldering fire of your heart as quick as possible or it will become worthless ashes very soon. Do not generalize.
prometheus
kolkata, India
Nov 03, 2009 12:36 AM
2
Really lies after lies..

Let us look at hard decisions
(1) Reform out on hold permanentley really hard decison that was
(2) POTA removed and when India got royrally screwed after four years they woke up to the need fo pota like law.. another hard decision
(3) Bureacratic reform is on hold and system once again a crook freindly like it used to be iN indira days.. so

which hard decisison are people referrring too.
Anil Kumar
Toronto, Canada
Nov 03, 2009 12:34 AM
3
ManMohan Singh is the least corrupt of all Indian PMs.


Joke fo the century he has helped crooks of every hue to rake money
qwuttorchi now recent is Raja the telecom minister.. he vouched for all these crooks honesty so Manmohans is a crook by association ..
Anil Kumar
Toronto, Canada
Nov 02, 2009 03:36 PM
4
Good article. There is a lot to be said about using an unassuming style to get your way. People respond to language and emotion far more than actual policies. Consider the unfortunate case of George Bush - it was his cowboy mannerisms that got people's backs up more than anything else. Style does matter.

And in a large federal country like India, the Prime Minister is not necessarily the CEO. He can't be, and it would be disastrous if all decisions had to have his nod. His role is to preside, set economic policy, foreign policy and so on. This ain't a banana republic. Or do people prefer a generalissimo to be in charge??
MK Saini
Delhi, India
Nov 02, 2009 01:06 PM
5
Brand Manmohan is a fiction . For the last more than five years media has been trying to create this brand unsuccessfully.

For brand to be a brand worth it's equity is that it must be instantly recognizable, acceptable across the board & finally sell itself/himself. Brand Manmohan passes neither of these tests.

Go to a somewhat interior Indian village & ask the first person you come across the name of the Indian prime Minister, more likely you will get the wrong answer. Greater part of India cannot recognise Dr. Manmohan Singh. Only urban middle class & upmarket soceity having stake up there recognises him. That's a miniscule part of India.

Since Brand Manmohan is not recognizable question of acceptance does not arise. He is just there by convergence of unusual cicumstances. Such a lot of brands just ther not recognised, despite huge marketing.

Dr.Manmohan Singh never sold himself. He never could sell himself to Indian milieu as evidenced by his failure to be elected people's representative.

Dr. Singh looks uneasy with himself in the Indian political firmament, a unassertive, self-effacing figure who do not look to be in control of affairs of state under his care. He is just there.

Since he is hugely accessible to corporates & business bigwigs & always ready to take up their concerns, beieiver of the now discredited economic view that GDP growth ipso facto means development, an unprecedented investment has been made to build 'brand Manmohan'for the last more than five years. The results are there to see. He could not gather courage with both hands & fight a direct election.

Brand Manmohan is simply not there.
MANISH BANERJEE
KOLKATA, India
Nov 02, 2009 09:17 AM
6
Combination is the key to impact; Sonia and Manmohan Singh are a good combination and working harmoniously for India’s progress. Manmohan Singh has shown his mettle-he won the confidence motion in the last Lok Sabha skilfully sidelining the left parties. His steely resolve resulted in getting the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal came to fruition. He is a self-deprecating, genteel and silent achiever who is the architect of India striding on the world scene. All Indians must be proud of him as the Prime Minister. This may be his last stint as Prime Minister of India and let us hope that he will take India to even better heights.
Scaria Varghese
Melbourne, Australia
Oct 31, 2009 09:13 PM
7
Manmohan Singh honest person but he never be big than Sonia. He know on SONIA`s backing he is prime minister, and Sonia know without Manmohan she could not carry on India.She very eagerly awaiting when Ruhul be mature and take in hand the power up till Manmohon is most obedient servant of Sonia.Both want each other
Ramesh Raghuvanshi
pune, India
Oct 31, 2009 06:51 AM
8
Brand Manmohan what so ever be its state,is just a stop gap,Sonia,her slaves & chamchas do not need a Tashkent for installing rahul ,MMS too is a slave and shall give poor health as a reason
aditya chopra
chandigarh, India
Oct 31, 2009 12:08 AM
9
Can you name one hard decision based on realpolitik taken by Manmohan and Sonia?
Shashwat Gupta
West Lafayette, United States
Oct 30, 2009 03:36 PM
10
faruki

how about asking leaders of hamas, hizbollah, taliban,
iran ,pakistan to follow the example of mms.

you support armed attacks by your islam friends,
never suggesting a peaceful alternative.

india has suffered by haveing peaceful leaders like
mms, vajpayee, gujral, v.p.singh.

what has india achieved- just a nice pat on the head for mms.

in comparison i would refer readers to read the angry
comments by secretary of state hillary clinton in
her meetings with pakistani journalists. she accused
the pakistan govt of deciet, and suggested that they
put their house in order-

one telling remark-

pakistani,s now number 180 million, and are expected
to be 300 million in the future.

india should also be worried, since the muslims now number 160 millions and are growing at the same rate
as pakistani,s.

without doubt this is a potential bomb, which will
cause enormous damage. however all comments about this
are forbotten-

let us sing ba ba black sheep instead.
gayatri devi
delhi, India
Oct 30, 2009 11:52 AM
11
Manmohan Singh is a digraceful liar.In the only election he has stood,against V.K.Malhotra of BJP,he shamelessly proclaimed that RSS was behind the killings of Sikhs in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi's assasination.Even Kushwant Singh,no admirer of RSS was all praise for it's role in protecting many Sikhs.And who can forget,his avoiding PVN Rao,once Sonia's stars were on the raise?Narasinha Rao's first choce was Dr K.N.Raj of LSE,for finance minister's post and only when he declined Manmohan Singh was selected.
S.S.Nagaraj
Bangalore, India
Oct 30, 2009 11:03 AM
12
In the contest between MMS Vs Advani, only EVM has won!!!! MMS is the dumbest PM of all time where he is able to sell Poison (Congress & Moino) to public with a sugar coat on it. Since Indian public love suicidal tendancies, we are seeing continued success of Congress and MMS.
Ram
Kerela, India
Oct 30, 2009 03:38 AM
13
Least corrupt? Less than Nehru? Ok. Was Lal Bahadur Shastri more corrupt? Manmohan is vicious. Look at what a liar he is: 1984, Bofors, Nuke, Sharm-el-Sheikh, A. Raja... I agree with Gayatri Devi/Lalit Bagai. He is a useless fellow
Ajit Tendulkar
Seattle, United States
Oct 30, 2009 03:28 AM
14
ManMohan Singh is the least corrupt of all Indian PMs.
JayKay Chraborty
Kolkatta, India
Oct 30, 2009 03:07 AM
15
anyone who praises mms reveals something of himself,
and i dont think the moderater would like the language
which would describe him adequatetly.

however useing polite language i would say that mms is a sheep in sheeps clothing. something like mary,s little lamb. and he follows sonia wherever she goes.
gayatri devi
delhi, India
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