"Public figures hate apologising. Ministers tend to apologise for public scandals long after the event, safe in the knowledge that no blame could possibly attach to them," - this statement is taken from a December 2024 article in 'The Guardian'.
The article by Simon Jenkins is in global context especially on the backdrop of apology tendered by Korean chief executive of Jeju Air, Kim E-bae, after the recent air crash.
The apology could not have been more direct, says Simon.
“Regardless of the cause, as CEO, I feel profound responsibility for this incident.” He offered his “deepest condolences and apologies to the families of the passengers who lost their lives”, said Kim.
Now let us focus to Indian polity and a great deal of debate stirred that as a statesman Dr Manmohan Singh had tendered apology for the 1984 anti-Sikh carnage. While reflecting on this, let us also recall how Rajiv Gandhi had said when a big tree falls, the earth shakes !
Yes, it's true the apology came when Dr Singh was the Prime Minister. But prior to that the 1984 mayhem prevent Dr Singh from either being in Congress or being a 'safe bet' to the Sonia Gandhi-led first political family of the Congress party. As Finance Minister, he did kickstart the liberalisation process under the guidance and yet 'free hand' given by P V Narasimha Rao.
But he had also sanctioned Rs 100 crore from the central budget for the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.
In 1991, Manmohan Singh had tried to allocate the foundation a sum of Rs 100 crore. The Budget Speech of 1991-92 by Manmohan Singh presented on July 24, 1991, has the detail.
Jagdish Tytler was made the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Overseas Indian Affairs.
Was Dr Singh then mindful about 1984 ?
Tytler resigned only in 2005 after tremendous public outcry and BJP demand post the publication of a report by an official commission of inquiry, known as the Nanavati Commission.
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| Tytler: 1984 riot accused ! |
The commission had noted that he "very probably" had a hand in organising attacks on the Sikh community in Delhi after Sikh bodyguards assassinated the Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He has not been charged with any crimes related to those riots. Currently he is serving as permanent committee member of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee.
Due to the controversy concerning his involvement in the riots, the Congress party dropped his name as the candidate for the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
It may be noted that a section of BJD MLAs, mostly from Puri district, had said Tytler's visit to the 12th century shrine on March 16 (2011) had hurt the religious sentiments of the local people and the priests as he was a "non-Hindu".
It is thus not without good reasons that the so-called act of statesmanship (apology for 1984 carnage) by Dr Singh after the Nanavati Commission report stood in contrast to the silence of the Gandhi family.
It is also worth pointing out that the very next day(after the apology) Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in New Delhi, Robert O'Blake, noted that Manmohan Singh had done "what no Indian leader in 20 years has been willing to do".
"The PM's singular act of political courage stands in exquisite contrast to the opportunism and hatred directed by senior GOI officials against Sikhs in 1984. The PM's act of statesmanship will raise his already strong reputation as a representative of the nation's highest Gandhian ideals," Blake was quoted as noting in a now-unclassified document,
.. by 'The Hindu'.
But this was also the time the US was showing keen or even extra ordinary interest for the now much talked about Nuke deal.
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