As he prepares to demit office, prime minister Manmohan Singh wrote farewell letters to leaders
of various countries including US president Barrack Obama, former Chinese premier
Wen Jiabao, and Russian Prime minister Vladimir Putin.
Here is a hilarious look at what he might have written to
them.
Dear fellow leaders,
It is with mixed feelings I am writing this letter to you as May 16th
2014 marks my last day in the prime minister’s office of the largest democracy
in the world, India.
I had never aspired
to be a prime minister. My strength always lies in economics. In 1991 Narasimha
Raoji inducted me in the cabinet as finance minister to rescue India from a
severe economic crisis. I was quite contented with my role then. In 2004
Soniaji unexpectedly relinquished the prime ministership, I became an accidental
prime minister. Sanjay Baru even wrote a book by this title. Then everything
went south. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Little did I realize
that I was a cover for the dramas about to unfold.
I have always been regarded as a man of clean background. Moreover
I have been lauded “as a man of few words” . I took these as compliments. Then
came the greatest shock in 2012, when Time magazine’s Asian edition cover
remarked me as an “underachiever”. I have been accused as a person “unwilling to stick his neck out”. Those
remarks hurt to me to the core. My public image has been tarnished with my
government having been accused of various corruption scandals for which I was a silent witness. I have been termed as a puppet of a powerful political family.
Friends, my silences
and unwillingness to project myself became more manifest in my second tenure
and I would like you to know that I kept a low profile only because I didn’t
want to rise above Soniaji.
Looking back, I regret that I didn’t stand firm enough to
fight corruption, didn’t stand opposed to micromanagement of Gandhi family for leadership was never my
forte. I am extremely worried about the future course of my party which
especially lacks leadership and a front runner for the prime ministership.
Finally, I can say this with confidence that there will
never be a prime minister in India with such an elaborate list of paper
qualifications that I possess.
I wish you all good luck.
Singh is King.
