Obama and Manmohan Singh: A study in contrast

New Delhi, Nov 14: Barack Obama has won second term as US president and Manmohan Singh is about to complete his second term as Prime Minister of India. Both Obama and Manmohan are leading two of the world's largest democracies. One is a reigning superpower while the other is an aspiring superpower. But what about the leadership qualities of the two heads of the government? Are there any similarities? Have they done justice to the mandate they received from their electorates?When Barack Obama was delivering his victory speech after Romney conceded defeat, one question that crossed the minds of every Indian was - when will we get a leader who has similar courage to stand up and lead from the front? In that glorious moment of spectacular victory, Obama, on one hand, looked energetic and firm but at the same time, he was humble, magnanimous, gracious and polite as well. He profusely acknowledged the contribution of his Opponent Mitt Romney to the cause of American democracy. Barack Obama came across as a leader who was confident about the future of America. The entire world knows he is an excellent orator but that day he was at his best and perhaps made his best speech in recent times.The confidence oozed because he got the direct mandate from his compatriots. Obama had succeeded in convincing the Americans that he is the best bet for them even under these testing times. Barack Obama became only the second president after Franklin D Roosevelt who had been re-elected despite national unemployment rate being so high. This is no mean achievement especially in a country like America where unemployment rates make or break the image and future prospects of an incumbent first-term president. Effective handling of rescue operations and administrative promptness in rehabilitation post hurricane Sandy undoubtedly played a crucial role in equipping Obama with that decisive edge which proved to be the nemesis of Mitt Romney who was looked at as stealing the campaign by that time. But it was the inspiring leadership traits of Barack Obama that finally made the difference, won him second term in white House and more than anything else made America and Americans proud. Today Americans are proud of Obama's leadership qualities as the entire world looks at Obama as an icon so far as leadership is concerned.Now contrast this with our own leadership. Our Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru who returned to power after completing a full-five year term. He will be completing 10 consecutive years in 7, Racecourse Road in 2014 but is it not a pity that he never got a direct mandate from the Indian electorate? Dr. Manmohan Singh is a renowned economist and he has all the academic qualifications of chairing the meeting of the union council of ministers but until and unless he enters electoral politics personally and gets a direct mandate from the electorate, he will lack the conviction to rule India and it gets reflected so often in the decisions he takes in course of discharging his responsibilities.Let's try to understand the disconnect that exists today between constitutional provisions and what is being practiced in this country in recent times. In a democracy, it is expected that the person heading the government will be directly elected by the people of that country. Just look at any other democratic country in the world, no other government head is ruling through the backdoor. It might sound a little harsh but it's high time we did some introspection.Does it not go against the spirit of the constitution of India that a person is ruling the country for last 8 years without getting directly elected by the people of this country? Mamohan Singh is heading the government but he is not the leader of the lower house in the parliament. Is it not a matter of huge embarrassment that the PM of world's largest democracy has never been a member of Lok Sabha and still he is taking all crucial decisions? It's not that there are no safe seats for Congress and Dr Manmohan Singh. The problem is that after losing the parliamentary election from South Delhi constituency in 1999, Manmohan Singh has lost the courage to even try his luck again in electoral politics. What is more worrisome is that Manmohan's inability and lack of courage has made him an asset for the family that controls the party he belongs to. The founding fathers of our country had not even dreamt of such a scenario where a Prime Minister will be appointed through the backdoor in order to serve the political purpose of a family or a party. How can a person, who lacks the guts to face the electorate, take crucial decisions that can make or break the future of the country's living standard, economy and defence? The lack of direct electoral backing has severely reduced the stature of Indian Prime Minister. It has given his detractors an opportunity to brand him as a mere ‘puppet' that obviously does no justice to his academic and bureaucratic background. But the bitter truth is that the post of Prime Minister demands mandate of the people and if the person who is occupying this hot seat lacks the mandate then he is clearly violating the spirit of the constitution.Coming to the contrast between Indian and American leaderships, what is most noticeable is the fact that unlike present Indian Prime Minister, all American presidents displayed top class oratorical skills. They were all articulate and persuasive. Why is it that India has seen some of the most inarticulate Prime Ministers, including the present PM, in last two decades?A closer look at the profiles of these Prime Ministers will make things crystal clear. All those Prime Ministers, who owed their posts to political compulsions and who did not get a direct mandate for the coveted post, were not good orators. The list starts with H D Devegowda, I K Gujral and extends to the present incumbent Dr. Manmohan Singh. Past leaders who got people's mandate were top class orators and the list includes Jawaharlal Nehru, Morarji Desai, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Atal Behari Vajpayee.The other conspicuous difference is the age factor. When will India see a young and dynamic person taking over as the Prime minister of the country? India is now a country of young people then why is it that we are being led by a person who is 80 years old? Experience is an important factor but efficiency should not be sacrificed at any cost. In a country where a government servant retires at 60, why on earth an 80 years old person be handed over the reins of power?These are the crucial questions that we need to ponder over. India too deserves a young, charismatic and dynamic leader like Barack Obama but our political leadership is not willing to offer that opportunity to this country. There are reasons galore behind their reluctance but the one thing which they should realize without any further delay is the fact that India deserves a Prime Minister who is directly elected. Let the nation along with all the political parties take a pledge that Dr. Manmohan Singh will be the last Prime Minister who is not a member of the lower house of the parliament. This one step will solve the problem to a greater extent. Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament, was constituted for an entirely different reson – to accommodate the views of those who have achieved success in different spheres of life and profession. It was never supposed to be misused by the ruling parties for their narrow political gains.For a person to be elected directly, he has to be dynamic and articulate. These two qualities are lacking in our present day leadership. Once we get a leadership that is dynamic and articulate, half the problem is solved. Rest can follow in due course of time as a new journey will begin and the dynamic and articulate leadership with the backing of popular mandate will shape the future of the country in accordance with the wishes of the common man.