The Poster Boy

As a young student and also the President of the student body, I had a desire to organise the annual fest of my MBA College to a perfection that is reveled in and recalled with a feeling of fondness as well as nostalgia.

Well the economy was being doctored a new prescription. The prescription was revolutionary and supposed to bring immediate symptomatic relief to a tired and aching economy that seemed to be suffering with the so called Hindu growth rate. The man in command was Manmohan Singh, an illustrious academician, acclaimed economist and politician who defied the stereotype, and brought in a version of Keynesian Macro economics which even the communist bowed to.

Of course, he was the one who I wanted to invite for my annual fest. Of course, I knew for a student, approaching him, cutting through the layers of bureaucracy was well nigh impossible, of course I knew, a man who was still writhing from the pain of pawning the countries gold to keep the governments head above water, would be much too busy to make an inaugural address at a students function. But clearly something within me drove me into stalking him at a function which he was presiding on, with an enthusiasm that refused to subside.

Well, the FM agreed to Preside on my function and I went to pick him up from his the official residence of the FM, he was already waiting outside for me, to be picked up.

That was the day when the humility of a man so illustrious set me thinking. It did have an impact on me, as I to this day can recall the event so vividly, as though it was yesterday.

In the car, I asked the FM what inspired him to open up the economy. "Well", he said, "for you MBAs, TINA ( there is no alternative )". I could also sense his deep sense of humiliation of pawning the countries gold - 47 tons was shipped to the Bank of England for a mere USD 5oo mn to prevent India for a loan default.

He spoke for 90 minutes with an enthralling erudition. He spoke from the heart. He spoke with facts and figures. He spoke with the zeal of a reformer. He spoke to render all else speachless.

Today, this man who once propounded Keynes, is the guru of economic recovery and counter cyclicality, and guru of modern fiscal management, a man who showed an adeptness and uncanny knack of handling political contradictions with a simplicity and unambiguity of purpose that puts career politicians to shame.