Making of a New BJP Icon: Sardar (Dr) Manmohan Singh

The BJP’s handling of Dr Manmohan Singh’s legacy is a case study in the art and science of deft political messaging.

Making of a New BJP Icon

The BJP’s recent coherent and coordinated handling of Dr Manmohan Singh’s legacy represents a strategic masterstroke in political messaging. In a remarkable turnaround, immediately after his death, the party shifted from sharp criticism of the former prime minister to effusive praise, presenting him as a statesman of international stature and moral integrity. This move is emblematic of the BJP’s larger strategy of appropriating national icons and reframing political narratives.

For the Congress, which has long relied on its association with figures like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi, this shift poses a significant challenge, though it is highly unlikely that its leaders will recognise it. The BJP’s actions underscore the Congress’s failure, as a dynastic outfit, to protect and celebrate its own leaders, further alienating the party from the broader legacy of India’s rich history.

Legacy Appropriation: From Patel to Manmohan Singh

The BJP has shown a remarkable ability to claim the legacies of iconic leaders who resonate beyond party lines. From Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to Lal Bahadur Shastri and Dr B.R. Ambedkar, the party has positioned itself as the custodian of these towering figures, many of whom were either Congress leaders or closely associated with the party. Now, it appears to be extending this strategy to Dr Manmohan Singh.

Very few in the Congress, including the Gandhi family, seem to grasp the significance of this move. By celebrating Dr Singh as an economist, statesman, and gentleman-politician, the BJP has not only acknowledged his contributions but also distanced him from the Congress, reframing him as a national, rather than a partisan, figure.

Congress’s Hypocrisy in Criticising Dr Manmohan Singh’s State Funeral

According to BJP's top media voices, the Congress’s complaints about the sidelining of Dr Manmohan Singh’s family during his state funeral and the absence of an earmarked site for his memorial are not only unwarranted but blatantly hypocritical. They argue that the party seems to have conveniently forgotten the disgraceful treatment it meted out to former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, under whose leadership Dr Singh rose to prominence as India’s celebrated finance minister. In a shocking episode, Rao’s body was barred from entering the Congress Party headquarters on Akbar Road, New Delhi, revealing the party’s long-standing inability—or unwillingness—to honour its own stalwarts.

In contrast, they point out, the BJP-led government respected established Sikh traditions in handling Dr Singh’s final rites. His mortal remains were immersed in the Yamuna at Gurdwara Bala Sahib, as per Sikh customs. Alternatively, the family could have chosen immersion at Kiratpur Sahib in the Sutlej or Goindwal Sahib in the Beas, reflecting a sensitive approach to allowing family choice. Sikhism fundamentally opposes the construction of permanent memorials like samadhis or tombs, as these risk becoming objects of idol worship, a practice contrary to the core principles of the faith.

Despite this, the central government has officially assured that a suitable site within or adjacent to the Rajghat complex will be designated to honour Dr Singh’s towering legacy. This ensures a balance between respecting Sikh traditions and providing a dignified space to commemorate his contributions to the nation.

Congress’s Faltering Response

While the BJP has been busy eulogising Dr Singh since the news of his passing, the Congress has struggled to focus on relevant issues. The absence of any senior Congress leader at the immersion of Dr Singh’s ashes (astiyan) in the Yamuna near Gurdwara Bala Sahib underscores this disconnect (video). This glaring omission reflects poorly on a party that claims to champion his legacy but often failed to support him during his lifetime.

Adding to the BJP’s advantage, there has been renewed focus on instances where Dr Singh was humiliated by Sonia Gandhi and her coterie, including the abrasive Shehzada (Rahul Gandhi), during his tenure as prime minister. Such revelations only reinforce the perception that the Congress exploited Dr Singh’s intellect while shielding its dynastic leadership from accountability.

A Par Excellence Tribute

Speculation is rife that Dr Singh’s family may publicly praise the Modi government for the arrangements made in his honour, including the seven-day national mourning period and the Tricolour flying at half-mast. From the meticulous care provided during his lifetime to the dignified logistics of his funeral, the BJP’s efforts are likely to be acknowledged as par excellence.

This potential endorsement, expected shortly after the Bhog ceremony on 3rd January, could further reinforce the BJP’s narrative. It would highlight that, despite Dr Singh’s policy differences with the Modi government, the BJP’s respect for him as a national figure remains steadfast and unwavering.

Multiple Objectives of a Singular Strategy

The BJP’s calculated strategy in appropriating Dr Singh’s legacy achieves several objectives, each reinforcing its political position:

1. Claiming Dr Singh’s Legacy
   By celebrating Dr Singh’s contributions as an economist and statesman, the BJP positions itself as the inheritor of his legacy. This move not only prevents the Congress from benefiting politically from his achievements but also highlights the Congress’s failure to adequately honour him during and after his tenure.

2. Reaching Out to the Sikh Community
   The BJP’s focus on Dr Singh helps it connect with the Sikh community, particularly the non-Jat Sikhs, who often feel sidelined in Punjab politics and gurdwara management by the dominant Jat Sikh community. By elevating Dr Singh, the BJP appeals to a broader Sikh audience in Punjab, across India, and globally.

3. Exposing Congress’s Duplicity
   The BJP is using this opportunity to highlight how Dr Singh was treated within the Congress. Instances of humiliation, sidelining, and disrespect are being brought to light to portray the Congress as a party that used Dr Singh’s intellect while exposing him to risks, particularly during the scam-laden years of his second term.

4. Projecting Modi as a Statesman
   The BJP is leveraging this moment to enhance Narendra Modi’s image as a leader who transcends partisanship. Modi’s government is being portrayed as one that respects and honours national leaders, regardless of their political affiliations, consolidating his image as a statesman.

5. Marginalising the Gandhi Family
   By focusing on Dr Singh, the BJP isolates the Gandhi family, portraying them as a dynastic entity clinging to the legacies of Nehru, Indira, and Rajiv Gandhi. The narrative of the Congress exploiting Dr Singh while insulating Sonia Gandhi from accountability for contentious decisions during his tenure only accentuates this criticism.

Shiromani Akali Dal: A Hesitant Tribute

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which had often castigated Dr Manmohan Singh during his lifetime for aligning with the Congress Party—the very organisation responsible for the infamous Operation Blue Star in 1984 and the orchestrated anti-Sikh pogroms later in November that year—found it difficult to stay away from the chorus of praise (video) and universal admiration after his demise. While the top leadership of the SAD remained conspicuously absent, a delegation of second-rung party leaders paid floral tributes to the former prime minister at Congress Bhawan, New Delhi, on 28 December. The delegation included SAD Working President S. Balwinder Singh Bhundar, former Education Minister Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, former Cabinet Minister S. Hira Singh Gabria, former DSGMC President S. Manjit Singh GK and other local leaders.

However, the SAD leadership also joined the Congress’s cacophony of criticism against the central government for not providing a suitable memorial site for Dr Singh. Yet, a more fitting tribute to a gem of Sikhism would be for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) or even Sri Akal Takht to confer on him an honorary title such as Fakhr-e-Quam or Panth Ratan, whichever holds greater prestige. More significantly, the SGPC could take the lead in establishing an autonomous, world-class Institute of Economics named after Dr Manmohan Singh—perhaps within the Guru Granth Sahib World Sikh University at Fatehgarh Sahib.

One might also wish that Sukhbir Badal and his family, given their considerable wealth, would create a charitable trust to honour Dr Singh’s legacy and contributions. Yet, such a gesture might be expecting too much from the current SAD leadership, whose actions often stop short of substantive commitments to the larger Sikh cause, even these they remained embroiled in widespread perception of trying to circumvent the 2nd December Hukamnama of Sri Akal Takht.

A Masterclass in Political Messaging

The BJP’s handling of Dr Manmohan Singh’s legacy is a case study in the art and science of political messaging. While the party is often bold and brash in its criticism, it has shown remarkable subtlety and finesse in this instance. The sudden pivot from sharp criticism to unrestrained praise marks an inflexion point, halting any discourse on the controversies of Dr Singh’s tenure and instead orchestrating a symphony of admiration.

For the Congress, this is a moment of reckoning. Its inability to honour its own leaders, coupled with its failure to counter the BJP’s deft narrative-building, exposes a critical weakness. Other opposition parties would do well to learn from the BJP’s sophisticated approach to legacy appropriation and narrative control.

Ultimately, the BJP’s strategy not only disarms its critics but also reaffirms its ability to adapt and innovate in the political arena. It is a testament to the party’s understanding of the art and science of politics, turning even the most unexpected moments into opportunities for strategic advantage.