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The Rediff Interview/Inder Kumar Gujral

'The Congress spoke so much about defending secularism but, in the end, they handed over the government to the BJP'

This week, Inder Kumar Gujral steps down as prime minister of India. After a short, memorable tenure. Unspoilt by any unseemly controversy or scandal. Unlike his predecessors in recent years.

While the BJP readies to fill the gap with a new incumbent for Race Course Road, there is a general sense of sorrow to see a good man go. In this, his last interview before relinquishing office, Gujral tells Pritish Nandy what he set out to do. Where he succeeded; where he failed.

What do you see as the main successes of the government during the short period of your prime ministership?

Most important of all, in bringing dignity back to the office of the prime minister. We ran a government without scandal or controversy, without a single finger being pointed towards me or any of my ministers. That was, in my view, the singular achievement of my government and the fact that we were able to set the scene for co-operative federalism.

As the nation moves from one-party governance to multi-party governance, we need to develop and hone the culture of coalitions. This I was able to do and during my entire period, despite there being so many parties in government, every Cabinet decision was always unanimous. This is a remarkable achievement by any standards. It is also a tribute to the way the United Front and my colleagues worked. In perfect harmony. Without a single note of dissent.

What about specifics?

Well, we left behind a kitty of 31 billion dollars. Or may be a little less because we spent some $ 3 billion in stabilising the rupee. But it is a substantial foreign exchange reserve and the highest left behind by any government in power. It also shows how strong the Indian economy is, in inherent terms. We have remained unaffected by the South East Asian fever and, if we are able to build on our strengths, I am confident that the Indian economy will continue to do very well.

We focussed on infrastructural growth, particularly highways and power. We achieved a fine rate of industrial growth, 7 per cent. We were able to keep inflation low and even though we failed to see our entire agenda through -- like, for instance, the empowerment of women -- we were able to achieve a general consensus on most issues.

In fact, consensus was the hallmark of our government. Consensus in politics. Consensus in economic policy. Consensus regarding the electronic media, which we were successful in setting completely free. Everybody spoke of Prasar Bharati for years. But we were the ones who actually put it in place. This is an achievement we can be truly proud of.

Where did you fail?

Well, I would have been happier if we could have seen the Women's Bill through. If we could have further progressed down the road of South Asian co-operation and succeeded in strengthening our bridges with our neighbours like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal. Indo-Pak relations were improving. We could have progressed more on that front.

Our initiatives regarding the girl child could have been further strengthened. Our fight against corruption could have gained more ground if we were in power for a longer while. But, frankly, Pritish, I have no regrets. I did what was possible during the short time available to me and my government.

In retrospect, why do you think the Congress pulled the plug on you?

They thought they could improve their position in a fresh poll. That proved to be an illusion. If you study the results, you will find that they have done poorly everywhere. They have not increased their numbers. What is worse, they have lost control even over those states where they were strong before. Like Orissa, for instance.

At the same time, they have improved in Maharashtra.

True. But if you did a checklist of gains and losses, you will find that their performance has weakened their political presence nationwide. In UP, they are nothing. In Gujarat, they are worse off. In Bihar, they have done poorly. In Tamil Nadu, they lost an opportunity. In Bengal, they are all but over. Where did they gain except Maharashtra? They spoke so much about defending secularism but, in the end, they dropped us and handed over the government to the BJP.

But do you think the BJP can actually offer stability to India, given the numbers it has won in Parliament?

Frankly, no. The new Parliament is so evenly split that it will be impossible for either side to have its way. I do not see how it can function. Any side can stall or checkmate the other, make it impossible to function.

So what do you see happening in the near future?

Well, if it is not possible to work out a consensus on issues, we may see yet another election very soon. Apart from the enormous cost to the nation, it will weaken the economy. As it is, because of unseasonal rains, we may face a problem with agricultural output. It is likely to drop substantially this year.

Political uncertainty will make things worse. Unless, of course, Atal can build consensus.

Do you think he can?

Why not? He is good at consensual politics. However, it does not depend entirely on him. He has to carry his party, his allies with him. He has to come to some kind of understanding with everyone if this Parliament is to work.

He has to do what we did. Work along with everyone in the true spirit of co-operative federalism. You ask any of the state governments. They will tell you that they never faced any problems with us except during the brief Bhandari episode. We all respected each other and worked in a way such that India became stronger. There was no conflict of interest. No one tried to upstage the other. We showed the world how a coalition government can work, should work.

Well, that was the general complaint against you. That you were too keen to show the world how India works. That you saw yourself, first and foremost, as the foreign minister of India and, only thereafter, as the prime minister. That you travelled far too often and focussed far too much on matters of foreign policy. That you had not enough time for India. For the problems of India.

That is an unfair charge. The world has changed. Global politics influences national economic issues. It influences our national security concerns. It influences our growth and wellbeing. No nation can afford to ignore the world and look at local issues in isolation any more. We are part of the international community today.

The media could have explained this. It was, in a sense, their responsibility. But they chose to ignore it instead.

What is your greatest disappointment?

The spirit of cynicism that seems to pervade Indian politics today.

If you see the people who have been voted back to power this time, you will realise that corruption and crime do not seem to bother the electorate any more. This is sad. It shows how cynical we have become, as a nation. How we are ready to accept anything from anybody. It saddens me.

You are referring to the return of people like Jayalalitha and Sukh Ram and Laloo Prasad Yadav, I guess?

I am referring to the spirit of cynicism that pervades our politics. People are coming to expect less and less from our political leaders. That saddens me.

As much as it saddens you to demit office?

Everyone has to exit this job one day. I am happy I could do it with my dignity intact.

The Rediff Interviews