The Accidental Prime Minister (The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh) by Sanjaya Baru

                                              The Accidental Prime Minister is an industrious account by Sanjaya Baru of former Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh’s survival of two terms in office despite being a novice in politics. Sanjaya Baru, who was Singh’s media adviser during the reign tried vehemently to project his former boss in positive light and glorify achievements of UPA government under leadership of Man Mohan Singh. The book is an inside account of P.M's reluctance in handling vexed national issues where Congress leadership has contrarian view. It talks about the complex Man Mohan - Sonia Gandhi relationship, the coterie culture in the grand old party, the open contempt of P.M by his subordinates and colleagues and lastly numerous corruption scandals that led to its downfall.

                                       The book traverses the journey of a novice employed on top chair by aala-kamaan superseding veteran politicians thus inviting there ire to becoming a confidant leader acknowledged as "Singh is King" by media after much publicized nuclear deal. The irony is Sanjay Baru very conveniently ignores the epithet "Sin is King" leveled by the same media by the end of  UPA second term due to stubborn, insensitive, corrupt and arrogant government under P.M's leadership that lead to sullying country's image around the globe. While all praise and appreciation was bestowed on P.M for successfully confronting hardships in life in general and during UPA's tenure in particular but when it comes to nonperformance or governance debacles Sanjay Baru very skillfully employed old tactics of sympathy generation and deflecting attention on unforeseen hands.

                                                

                          "The outgoing PM, on his part, never shied away from political reality. When confronted with a difficult demand from a political leader, a coalition partner or just about anyone, he would confess to them that he did not have the last word. He was, after all, just an “accidental prime minister”. The actual power centre was Sonia Gandhi."

                                                            Extract from book

                                Sanjay Baru cleverly deflected the question arising in readers mind about corruption scams and paralyzed governance as the incompetency of P.M or his lust to continue in office. Also difficult to understand whether P.M willingly ceded his authority to Sonia Gandhi as a submissive sycophant or she brazenly encroached upon it? In the end, readers belief is cemented that there were two power centers during UPA rein with ministers having no or little accountability towards P.M. At the end of this dysfunctional government's tenure P.M Man Mohan Singh aptly stated "You see, you must understand one thing. I have come to terms with this. There cannot be two centers of power". 

                                  This book is a serious brave attempt by a renowned journalist to showcase achievements of P.M ManMohan Singh while playing victimhood card to garner sympathy for all the blunders. There can be no doubt in anyone's mind about the credentials of P.M Singh's personal honesty, sincerity and hardworking nature but as an able administrator who was supposed to take tough,bold decisions for country and hold his ground without wilting to adversaries or party leadership only history will judge.

                          

The Accidental Prime Minister (The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh) by Sanjaya Baru

                                              The Accidental Prime Minister is an industrious account by Sanjaya Baru of former Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh’s survival of two terms in office despite being a novice in politics. Sanjaya Baru, who was Singh’s media adviser during the reign tried vehemently to project his former boss in positive light and glorify achievements of UPA government under leadership of Man Mohan Singh. The book is an inside account of P.M's reluctance in handling vexed national issues where Congress leadership has contrarian view. It talks about the complex Man Mohan - Sonia Gandhi relationship, the coterie culture in the grand old party, the open contempt of P.M by his subordinates and colleagues and lastly numerous corruption scandals that led to its downfall.

                                       The book traverses the journey of a novice employed on top chair by aala-kamaan superseding veteran politicians thus inviting there ire to becoming a confidant leader acknowledged as "Singh is King" by media after much publicized nuclear deal. The irony is Sanjay Baru very conveniently ignores the epithet "Sin is King" leveled by the same media by the end of  UPA second term due to stubborn, insensitive, corrupt and arrogant government under P.M's leadership that lead to sullying country's image around the globe. While all praise and appreciation was bestowed on P.M for successfully confronting hardships in life in general and during UPA's tenure in particular but when it comes to nonperformance or governance debacles Sanjay Baru very skillfully employed old tactics of sympathy generation and deflecting attention on unforeseen hands.

                                                

                          "The outgoing PM, on his part, never shied away from political reality. When confronted with a difficult demand from a political leader, a coalition partner or just about anyone, he would confess to them that he did not have the last word. He was, after all, just an “accidental prime minister”. The actual power centre was Sonia Gandhi."

                                                            Extract from book

                                Sanjay Baru cleverly deflected the question arising in readers mind about corruption scams and paralyzed governance as the incompetency of P.M or his lust to continue in office. Also difficult to understand whether P.M willingly ceded his authority to Sonia Gandhi as a submissive sycophant or she brazenly encroached upon it? In the end, readers belief is cemented that there were two power centers during UPA rein with ministers having no or little accountability towards P.M. At the end of this dysfunctional government's tenure P.M Man Mohan Singh aptly stated "You see, you must understand one thing. I have come to terms with this. There cannot be two centers of power". 

                                  This book is a serious brave attempt by a renowned journalist to showcase achievements of P.M ManMohan Singh while playing victimhood card to garner sympathy for all the blunders. There can be no doubt in anyone's mind about the credentials of P.M Singh's personal honesty, sincerity and hardworking nature but as an able administrator who was supposed to take tough,bold decisions for country and hold his ground without wilting to adversaries or party leadership only history will judge.

                          

An Unfair Agreement

                                   Policymakers in Delhi seems to have finally bitten the bullet by comprehensively gravitating towards USA by approving LEMA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum Agreement) . It's the biggest policy shift of independent India completely debunking Nehruvian Non Alignment foreign policy, since the treaty isn't signed yet only hope is some sanity might prevail in Modi government and India-US LEMA will be shelved or at least put in cold storage for good. The agreement sought by USA since 2004 is a definitive trap of US to suck in a democratic and independent foreign policy of India to gyrate towards Imperialist designs of US and allies in its misadventure of containing and perhaps confronting China.

                                        In its bid to dominate Asia, a formidable alliance was necessary for US and given the scale of Indian economy,demography and geography its indispensability in US eyes is understandable . The Asian group involving potent players with formidable power projection was necessary to comprehensively counterweight Chinese hegemony in Asia. The four country alliance between Japan,Australia with India in middle while US acting as catalyst is for long envisaged by US policymakers. US already has alliance with Philippines  Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (http://www.gov.ph/2014/04/29/document-enhanced-defense-cooperation-agreement/ ) to safeguard territorial integrity of Philippines (in response to Chinese - Philippines South China Sea dispute). The only objective of US to seek such alliances with disgruntled nations is to reassure its allies(Japan,Australia) about safety and thwart Chinese aggressive designs in Asia while maintaining its leadership position in the uni-polar world after the collapse of USSR .

 

                                  The previous regimes in India have withstood the temptation to participate in such an alliance but present dispensation seems to have wilted under pressure. The LEMA gives clear advantage to US with logistics support provided at Indian bases, clearly this agreement has no meaning for India as we doesn't have any interventionist agenda abroad and thus access to US military bases for logistics is a far fetched and futile idea. The recent attempts by US to normalize relationship with Myanmar, engaging Vietnam, reestablishing American base at Subic Bay in Philippines, pledging support for Taiwan territorial integrity are few steps indicating US renewed attempts to marginalize China .

                                        There are many reasons for abandoning overambitious treaty midway. This Indo-US LEMA agreement will sow the seeds of distrust between India and  Russia, directly affecting bilateral relations. Russia had been a reliable partner and an all weather friend for India in international arena since beginning .Such adverse perception about India will create apprehensions among Russians endangering defense,nuclear and trade cooperation between two and eroding trust. The US allurement of providing cutting edge military technology to India is a trap of America to increase its foothold in South Asia and isolating Russia . 

                                         US is notoriously supporting Pakistan both financially and supplying lethal weapons on one pretext or other against farcical threat of terrorism to Pakistan. While "encouraging" India to continue dialogue process with Pakistan after every terrorist attack on Indian soil US lip service ritual of condemning terror is a crude joke and points towards dubious American policy of only furthering its interests.Thus trusting US friendship is a sin India can afford to ignore.

                                   India has always maintained an independent foreign policy and becoming part of any aggressive group to poke China isn't in its best interests. Firstly,China is a vital economic partner of India with shared vision of multipolar world. Our emphasis should be on resolving border dispute with China amicably and weeding out distrust between two giant neighbors.Secondly China is cooperating extensively with India as visible in BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO). Thirdly, China isn't a weak country both militarily and economically so for India seeking confrontation is devoid of any merit. India has some unresolved border disputes with China but joining an alliance with US to unnecessarily confront will only jeopardize our national interests. Our national priorities should be economic prosperity and lifting downtrodden from clutches of poverty while war undermine these efforts.

                                        Democrats(Obama,Clinton) and their party is anti-Indian and Pro-Pakis to the core. Republicans except Richard Nixon who was wrongly directed by Henry Kissinger were a bit better and the Bush Junior was definitely pro India but these arguments doesn't justify major policy shift and devoid of reasons to join American bandwagon . Modi government should explain to nation the justification in the paradigm shift in India's foreign policy. The threat perception to country or the pressure mounted on Modi government for foreign policy change should be debated in parliament and government should refrain from continuing the treaty unless consensus emerges.

A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif

                                      One of the finest novel(fiction) i have come across. It is an intriguing, comical novel by the Pakistani writer Mohammed Hanif based on the mysterious plane crash that killed General Muhammad Zia ul-Haq, former president of Pakistan near Bahawalpur on 17 August 1988 . There are plenty of circumstances nicely elaborated, laced with humour and perfectly blended with satire and hardships faced by commoners for readers to enjoy and find the book worth reading.

                                    The story revolves around a young military officer named Ali Shigri who accuse Dictator and President General Zia ul-Haq to be the conspirator of his father Colonel Shirgi's suspicious suicide. Hanif playfully gets into the heads and lives of multiple characters, including that of anxious General Zia who's obsessed about his security, his over ambitious ISI chief General Akhtar, torturer named Major Kiyani,an interesting room partner Obaid at PAF Academy, a communist street sweeper,a blind rape victim accused of fornication; and a wayward and sugar-drunk crow.

                                    Its a funny yet cleverly attempted story by Hanif that added new dimension to the conspiracies and coincidences leading to the mysterious 1988 plane crash that killed Pakistan’s dictator General Zia ul-Haq.