In the year 1991, I had interviewed veteran Naga leader Hokishe Sema on two occasions – May and later in the month of July.
I would like to refer to Hokishe’s grasp on national politics especially in the context of emergence of P V Narasimha Rao-Manmohan Singh duo in India’s politics.
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991 and country’s economy was in ruins.
As a Congress veteran Hokishe had good understanding of the functioning style of Rao. Thus, he obviously hailed the return of the so called ‘old guard’ to the helm at the centre. Hokishe was delighted that Rao as Congress president had announced organisational elections. This was path breaking. Hokishe knew last time, the Congress had intra-party polls was in 1972.
In 1991, Sema was 70.
He knew pretty well how Congress functioned between 1972 and 1991. Despite all these, he remained a Congress follower and as expected also a great admirer of Indira Gandhi.
But Rajiv’s death and Sonia Gandhi not quite eager or ready for a political role had forced Congressmen and women to think about life ‘beyond Nehru-Gandhi family’.
I had probed him on Dr Manmohan Singh as well.
Dr Singh was certainly a newsmaker of post-Rajiv era Congress politics. Sema had said it would be premature to comment on an ‘official-turned-politician’. But he seems to be a talented economist. Singh’s expertise and experience would help the Rao government, he had said.
But Hokishe also knew that Rao had actually taken Manmohan Singh in the cabinet only after I G Patel had declined Rao’s invitation to join the government as the Finance Minister.
Of course, the description about Manmohan Singh – an overestimated economist and underestimated politician had not come into public debate yet.
I had quizzed Hokishe saying, “Would you agree that sycophancy has (had) become part of the Congress culture under Rajiv Gandhi?”
His response was emphatic and candid. “It is true, sycophancy has become synonymous with Congress culture. But don’t blame it on Indira or Rajiv Gandhi only. It is not true that they demanded or preferred sycophancy. It was a handful of people, your so called coterie who formed such circle....In fact, Rajiv Gandhi was brought down because of this inner circle politics”.
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Hokishe, a leader from old school, was also critical of the manner the Congress party had brought down Chandrashekhar government. Post-Rajiv assassination, his observation was: “This was another act that showed our immaturity. Our leadership started suspecting everybody including two constables who were reportedly seen near Rajiv’s house. Politics is much beyond all these. A political party should be an instrumental force in serving the public interest”.
On the hind side, Hokishe had said, “It was more unbecoming because Congress had brought down the V P Singh government and pledged support to Chandrashekhar. We were single largest party in the ninth Lok Sabha. We could have staked claim. We said we trust Chandrashekhar and then we said - we don’t”.
Hokishe claimed after V P Singh government was voted out, even the then President R Venkataraman had weighed in his mind the option to invite Rajiv Gandhi to form government.
Due to Ayodhya-related violence and Advani’s arrest, there was unrest in north India in particular and amid all these country’s economy was in bad shape. Hokishe had claimed that during a meeting, he told Pranab Mukherjee to be ‘more pro-active’.
I had asked whether, Pranab would have been a better Prime Minister (in 1991).
Hokishe's responded - “But Pranab had his problems. After 1984 he had quit Congress for sometime and had returned just around the time of 1989 elections. Pranab was doubly cautious now”.
Another striking feature of India of 1990-91 was on the economy front. Hokishe appreciated the manner Narasimha Rao-Manmohan Singh took the plunge and wanted to revive the economy.
Ending of license raj was historic, he said. “Of course, I don’t understand economy much. I cannot tell you what is balance of payment, and so on. But political economy as I understand told me Rao was on right track. Foreign investment was must and we needed to create rooms for Indian industrialists to play”.
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