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COVER
STORY: A.B. VAJPAYEE
A
Demanding Overlordship
Last
week, he presided over a three-hour meeting of the Cabinet, attended two
meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Disinvestment and Economic Affairs,
was present at a two-hour function organised by the Ministry of Small
Scale Industries, as well as three meetings with his officials to plan
the US visit. Vajpayee's doctors believe that he can continue with his
deep involvement as long as his schedule is well spaced out. But this
is easier said than done. The prime minister has today become the pivot
on which the Government rests.
 |
| Unfazed
by age |
The health
of a prime minister is a legitimate concern for any nation. With Vajpayee
it reached a dimension last witnessed during Jawaharlal Nehru's time.
Vajpayee isn't merely a prime minister, he is the glue that holds the
diverse ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) together. His ailment
has not deterred him from consolidating his control over both the BJP
and the Government. During his previous term as prime minister, he was
faced with a massive challenge from allies like AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha
and a combined Opposition. But in his second avatar, not only has he neutralised
the entire Opposition, but he has also lined a large section of the Sangh
Parivar behind him. None of his allies, including the aggressive duo of
N. Chandrababu Naidu and Mamata Banerjee, has been able to extract any
unreasonable concessions from him. And no prime minister has had as smooth
a sailing as Vajpayee in Parliament-in the past two sessions, the Opposition
failed to embarrass the Government on any tricky issue.
From October
1999, Vajpayee has displayed enormous autonomy and resisted all attempts
to reverse many of his administrative and economic decisions. He refused
to buckle under pressure from his allies for rolling back the subsidy
cuts on fertilisers and hiking the issue prices of foodgrains through
the PDS system. Notwithstanding the Swadeshi Jagran Manch's vociferous
attack on economic reforms, he went ahead with privatisation of more PSUs.
On the diplomatic front, he has improved relations with the US, ignoring
protests from a section of the party and Opposition.
Apart from
sorting out the usual administrative and coalition hiccups-at one stroke
he resolved a two- decade-old problem of jurisdiction between the Fertiliser
Ministry and Agriculture Ministry over the distribution of fertilisers-he
has also been burdened by responsibility over the party. At Nagpur, Vajpayee's
moderate line prevailed over the dogmatism of hardliners and the BJP accepted
his call for a Laxman rekha. But this has also meant that more and more
party matters are being referred to him, like his final approval of the
new office-bearers. Plus, with the new link man Madan Das Devi, he is
interacting more with the RSS on routine matters. Vajpayee has emerged
the unquestioned leader. This overlordship, however, is very demanding.
Admits a
Samajwadi Party MP: "It is a pity that we find ourselves totally
disarmed in front of a prime minister who refuses to be provoked."
None of the 18 Opposition chief ministers has any misgivings about his
policies. Most of them admit in private he is the only incumbent who doesn't
invoke prime ministerial authority. Even senior diplomats based in Delhi
have sent back reports stating that Vajpayee has restored sufficient political
stability to India's governance. To India, rocked by a long spell of social
tension and instability, that is important. Which is why the suggestion
of Vajpayee's ill health is dreadful news.
For a man
who is temperamentally easy going, Vajpayee has entailed a fundamental
change of lifestyle. Always reserved, except in the company of close friends,
he has become even more taciturn. He craves privacy. But the job description
demands something else. And it is this conflict which has contributed
to his mental unease, his exhaustion. The pain in the knee is just a physical
symptom. Vajpayee's real problem is in his own mind, not in his handling
of the Government. After 50 years in public life, that's probably more
serious than arthritis at 76. Younger men would have done worse.
-with Farzand Ahmed
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