One of my life’s most cherished letters was from Dr Manmohan Singh in 2019 when he replied, “I am very grateful to you for writing a strong rebuttal to the controversy around the Accidental Prime Minister”. He had just been “done in” by one of his own, but for once it wasn’t an unhinged politician (who were in any case jumping ships like proverbial rats) but one presumably selected by the man-of-letters himself.

A supposed tell-tale had just come out, Accidental Prime Minister, and it showed the gentle intellectual and leader in extremely poor light. Many moons after having hung up my own “uniform”, the soldier in me still wanted to stand in defense of my former boss, not because I thought he was infallible, or did everything right, but despite all, he was still an extremely honourable, above-board, and decent man who deserved better. He was indeed made the Prime Minister accidentally, and that perhaps ensured that he was more of a statesman-Prime Minister, and certainly less political or partisan.

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Was he the most thundering or even the most assertive of those who occupied the seat? Certainly not, but in the mould of Vajpayee or Nehru, he was perhaps the most self-effacing, large-hearted, and truly accomplished person that ever rose to Prime Ministership. I was to personally witness that famous brevity, clarity, but deep concern beyond electoral considerations when I was literally given a cryptic three-point brief by him before I took over the responsibility of Administrator and Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as it was reeling from the after-effects of the terrible tsunami. His pan-faced and concise three-point advise (and task) was, “Look after the people emphatically, expedite the relief and rehabilitation efforts, and let me know what we can do for the socio-economic welfare of the Islanders”.

I often sent him progress reports a la a militaristic “sitrep” (as is the wont in the Armed Forces) and found him attentive and concerned whenever I got an opportunity to brief him. Each time he would somehow reiterate the same three points, and I would often wonder how he remembered the specificity of tasks when it came to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Clearly, his pressing agendas not with standing, he never made me feel that what I had to raise or request was ever unimportant. Like him, I too had accidentally stumbled upon the civilian administrator’s responsibility, and in my own limited way often found the political requests, expectations and language disconcerting.

By training and instinct, political intrigues and blind partisanship were an anathema, especially as I had never held membership of any political party or subscribed to any blindly. Perhaps he found my concerns about certain politicians and policies pertaining to his own partisan persuasion (and from his coalition partners) refreshingly honest. The incident that stuck in my mind and says so much about his own maturity, integrity, and even vulnerabilities, was when once I explicitly shared my discomfort about a reasonably senior politician who was inelegantly “name dropping”, as is their wont, to pressurize me to do his bidding, when I had declined.

The wise man heard my concern expressionlessly and took some time to arrange his words and then said sagely, “Just focus on relief and rehabilitation and don’t worry about what they say or imply” and then perhaps with a rare little smile he punned on words, “General Saheb, hold your guns and never surrender”. Suffice it to say, such threats from career politicians continued unabated, but I held on to my guns as it were. I was to overstay for over six years and was entrusted with the additional responsibility for Puducherry. There was never any braggadocio, bluster, or any cheap partisan rhetoric or demand in all those years, an unthinkable prospect today.

The timing of the release of the book (just before the 2014 General Elections) and of a movie based on the same (just before the subsequent 2019 General Elections) is perhaps reflective of the intent, as was perhaps the release of the trailer of the said movie on the official handle of a partisan party. When “cancel culture” was at its peak, this was an attempt to caricaturize an individual who had in good faith reposed trust onto his selected few and was badly let down. But true to his inimitable style, he never commented then or later. He remained humility personified and added self-deprecatingly that he wasn’t just an Accidental Prime Minister but also an Accidental Finance Minister! And as some would say today, thank God for both.

He perhaps knew of his own constraints, compulsions, and limitations, and never resorted to what is normal now ~ aggressive what aboutery, hate mongering or even incendiary sarcasm. He remained measured, professional and honest till his last breath. Importantly, it wasn’t just his partisan rivals or individuals from his selected staff who pushed him under the proverbial bus, but also folks from his own party or leadership who dimmed his authority whilst he was in office. But as only an honest man can say profoundly in what was to be the last Prime Ministerial press conference, he said, “history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media, or for that matter, the Opposition parties in Parliament”, even as his loyalists were blowing away like straws in the wind.

Yet another book, by a truly independent person, i.e., former US President Barack Obama, recalls the simple genius as a “man with uncommon wisdom” and that “when Manmohan Singh speaks, people listen”. Hard data suggests that he achieved a lot, but didn’t need words to justify his patriotism, himself, or aggrandize his legacy. He was not defined by his success, his rhetoric, his party, or even politics ~ but by his silence, even when he could have said so much more. He was perhaps the finest and last living example of the “Idea of India”, something riddled with contradictions and failures, but an idea still worth striving for, resolutely constitutional, and forever inclusive. Thank you for your services Sir, India is infinitely poorer for your loss.

(The writer is Lt Gen PVSM, AVSM (Retd), and former Lt Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry)