Better late than never

In a country that's obsessed with hero worship, Sri Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao Ji sticks out like a sore thumb. In an era of ever receeding attention spans, the legacy of the ninth Prime minister of India generates very little excitement, prima facie. Yet, today's announcement that the diminutive Telugu gentleman is going to be awarded India's highest honor 'Bharat Ratna', bereft of all the alleged political machinations or calculations is a perfect example of the adage 'Better late than never.'

Shorn of the knee jerk reactions and deification of lesser mortals enriched by emotions, time and history often offer us a dispassionate view of places, things and personalities. The toughest of Pre Independent India's provinces, Nizam's Hyderabad forged the ambitions (or as he himself used to say, the lack of it) of a future politician. - a boy torn between the dream of a tyranny free province in a violent setting and the vision of an Independent country, moved by peaceful protests. A long and illustrious career in politics followed, starting with an uncharacteristic defeat in 1951-52. A polyglot, an erudite scholar and an eternal student, the pragmatic politician in him was never bogged down by the melancholy offered by intellect. At the heyday of the left leaning intellectuals, or at the dawn of the right wing pundits, he remained unaligned with neither, translating Kavi Samrat Viswanatha Satyanarayana's magnum opus 'Veyi Padagalu', in Hindi as 'Sahasra Phan' while at the same time championing India's non-alignment in global fora.

The scholar was about to turn a saint in 1991 when twin disasters struck. A lack of perspective on foreign affairs that threatened the very existence of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar's dream of India's indestructible Union played out while a decades long macro-economic misadventure reared its ugly forehead. Cometh the man, cometh the hour. Alas, finance was the only portfolio on which he had no prior proper expertise. Yet, he was forced to become one. From being forced to step down as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh at the behest of the so called 'high command' in 1973 to braving three no confidence motions and steering the giant Indian Economy from troubled waters, it was a full circle. 

In 1991, there were hesitations and hiccups. By the time he stepped down, Punjab was stable, the Elephant of the Indian economy started its ascent, India was no longer shunned by the US, archrival Pakistan was bested out of the blue at Geneva. Yes, there were other issues, and he was never a sorcerer. But the reformer who deserved respect like Deng Xiaoping was soon consigned to the foot notes of history, or at least it seemed for a while.....

Better late than never! 

"Better late than never" - Tribute to Shri P.V.Narasimha Rao Ji on 'Bharat Ratna'

Friday, 9th of February, 2024

Maheeth Veluvali (Sonu), 

16 Saladi Jamindar Street, 

Palakollu.