P. V. Narasimha Rao

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**P. V. Narasimha Rao**
Prime Minister of India
Image:Pvn1.jpg
Date of Birth:	June 28 1921
Place of Birth:	Vangara(villege),Karimnagar(Dist), Andhra Pradesh.
Date of Death:	December 23 2004
Place of Death:	New Delhi
Tenure Order:	9th Prime Minister
Political party:	Congress (I)
Took office:	June 20, 1991
Left office:	May 16, 1996
Predecessor:	Chandra Shekhar
Successor:	Atal Behari Vajpayee

Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (పాములపర్తి వంకట నరసిమ్హా రావు in Telugu, पामुलापर्ति वेन्कट नरसिम्ह राव in Devanagari) (June 28, 1921 – December 23, 2004) was the ninth Prime Minister of the Republic of India, and led possibly the most critically important administration in national history.

A polyglot, Rao could read and write in 17 languages.He could speak and write Urdu, Marathi, Hindi, Telugu and English like a native. He learnt European languages like French and Spanish too. He translated Jnanpith Award winner Viswanatha Satyanarayana's Telugu novel Veyi Padagalu (literally Thousand Hoods) into Hindi as "Sahasr Phan". Rao studied at Osmania University and the Universities of Mumbai and Nagpur, acquiring Bachelor's and Master's degrees in law.

Rao was an active young freedom-fighter, and after independence, joined politics full time. Rao served brief stints in the cabinet (1962 - 1971) and chief ministries (1971 - 1973) for the state of Andhra Pradesh. When the Indian National Congress split in 1969, he remained loyal to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and stayed so during the national emergency (1974-1977). He then rose to the national level in 1972 by serving in several ministries, most significantly home, defence and foreign affairs (1980 - 1984), in the cabinets of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. He was the first PM from South India and Andhra Pradesh.

After the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and the general elections of 1991, Rao was chosen to lead the Congress party, and when Congress won a plurality in parliament later that year Rao was invited to head a minority government. He was the first person outside the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to serve as Prime Minister for five continuous years. He was also the first prime minister to lead a minority government for a full term (five years). This is a singular achievement in the stormy, corrupt and torn world of Indian politics.

1 National Economic Crisis
2 National Security, and National Unity
3 Later Life and Legacy
4 Quotes
5 External link

National Economic Crisis

Narasimha Rao took charge of the world's largest democracy at an extremely sensitive time. At the time Rao took charge the national economy was on the verge of collapse due to low foreign exchange reserves, and a stagnant socialistic economy riddled with incompetence, corruption and mismanagement. This is not to mention huge unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, and disease. India faced a severe balance of payments crisis and Rao was instrumental in initiating free market reforms that helped end the "licence raj" that was the mainstay of India's post independance economic policy. This meant literally cutting red-tape, liberalizing imports and exports control, and easing foreign investment regulations. His appointment of the former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, a brilliant economist, Dr. Manmohan Singh, as Finance Minister was generally considered a very good move. Dr. Singh later rose to become the nation's 13th Prime Minister in 2004.

Rao provided the much needed political will and support to push economic reforms. India's economy grew by an average of 6.3% between 1991-2000, a growth rate that continues with a predicted rate of 6.7% for 2005 (source: IMF World Economic Outlook). Wasteful expenditure was eliminated by large margins, and the tax policy reformed. Privatization of incompetent government corporations and a focus on increasing economic efficiency and competition for the private sector created a new era of economic expansion, growth and optimismm. Rajiv Gandhi's gruesome assassination created a deep sense of insecurity and panic. P.M. Rao effectively steered the country out of that mode and put India on the threshold of the 21st century. The modern economic boom in India is largely attributed to the fundamental reform started by P.M. Rao and Dr. Singh.

This transformation is absolutely amazing when one considers it was carried out by two wise men under a Prime Minister leading a "minority" coalition government, liberating the futures of 850 million people from over 40 years of fabian socialism administered by corrupt, fragile and incompetent political regimes and bureaucracies. The present "Information Technology Giant" was a place where only 14 years ago, a special permission, or license was needed to buy a personal computer, a process taking ages and several bribes. All this ended thanks to Rao. Communications infrastructure and industrial infrastructure improved and expanded on a massive scale, and agricultural production increases also boosted the country's fortunes.

Prime Minister Rao also won accolades from his critics and political opponents when he chose the Leader of the Opposition (and future PM) Atal Bihari Vajpayee of the BJP, to represent India at the World Disarmament Conference. Rao could have chosen any of his MPs or his own Minister for External Affairs, but he opted for the experienced, hardened statesman of the BJP for the Conference could have put a lot of pressure on national security by imposing restrictions on India's nuclear program. The nation needed a tough representative, and Rao thus did not hesitate to opt for his prime political opponent.

National Security, and National Unity

Apart from preventing the titanic national economy, and lives of over 850 million people from financial disaster and bankruptcy, Rao also faced two massive challenges that could easily have caused disintegration and disaster in the country.

TERRORISM The Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir began facing an avalanche of Muslim fundamentalist terrorists (many veterans of the Soviet-Afghan war), sweeping in through porous borders from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to explode bombs, murder policemen, civilians and government officials, and attack Hindu and Sikh minorities. It was soon discovered that training camps for these militants previously directed at evicting the Soviet army from Afghanistan, were now producing terrorists for Kashmir. Violence rocked and shut down Kashmir, which heavily depended on tourism, and also struck major cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Similar terrorism spread into the northeastern states of Assam, Tripura and Nagaland.

BABRI MOSQUE CRISIS The long-agitating VHP activists finally launched themselves upon the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya on December 3, 1992. After struggling peacefully and litigating for a Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir to be constructed at the site of the dilapidated, abandoned mosque, the passions boiled over. The site is said to be the birthplace of Lord Rama of the Ramayana, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Supreme God - Legendary hero to 1 billion Hindus even today. The VHP and BJP wanted to remove the mosque imposed there upon the ancient, sacred site by Muslim invaders. After decades of non-action by politicians and courts, activists hurled pickaxes and shovels to reduce the dilapidated structure to rubble. But this violent imagery, carelessly carried on television, unleashed the most vicious communal violence in modern history. Over 10,000 Hindus and Muslims were killed all over the country, and almost every major city like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Chennai was struggling with vicious mobs. Only one year later, riots again broke out, killing hundreds of people as 3 vicious bombs exploded in Mumbai, the nation's commercial and cultural capital. These bombs killed hundreds of people, and were set-off as retaliation for the violence a year ago, by Muslim gangsters operating from Pakistan and Dubai.

The terrible earthquake in Latur, Maharashtra, also killed 10,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands in 1994-95. Terrible floods struck Bihar, Assam and Orissa, which caused millions of already poor people incredible hardship in desperate conditions.

These vicious, tragic and horrifying episodes of violence could have set ablaze a nation burdened by terrible poverty, overpopulation, crime and natural disasters. It was Rao's firm and able leadership, which while failed to prevent many tragedies, did restore calm, peace, order and reassure many hundreds of millions of citizens who were deeply anxious about their families and their country's future. Calling out the Army and energizing the government and police, Rao oversaw proper distribution of humanitarian aid, relief to victims and their families, the punishment of offenders and restoration of confidence in the government. In Kashmir and the Northeast, Rao launched major counter-offensives that captured, killed thousands of terorrists and destroyed their bases of supply and support. Rao banned the VHP, and radical Islamic groups that were causing unrest and disharmony. Although never a vocal or iconic leader, the modern success and peace in the country can largely by attributed to his five years of steely leadership.

Prime Minister Rao also energized the national nuclear security and ballistic missiles program, which ultimately yielded in the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests. It is speculated that these tests were actually planned in 1995, during Rao's own tenure itself. Rao increased military spending, and set the Army on course to fight the emerging threat of terrorism and insurgencies, as well as Pakistan and China's nuclear potentials.

In foreign policy, Rao improved relations with Western Europe, the United States and China. Cold war barriers were broken down to usher a fresh age of optimism in the country.

Later Life and Legacy

Rao's government survived a "no-confidence" vote in Parliament in 1994. In 1996 a corruption scandal rocked the government. When general elections were held in May, Rao and Congress were badly defeated, and he lost the prime ministership. He retained leadership of the Congress party until late 1996. After his tenure, Rao was charged in several bribery cases, the most famous among them being the one involving Harshad Mehta, although he was later acquitted on all charges. In late 1996, Rao was ousted as party leader and his political career ended.

Rao rarely spoke of his personal views and opinions during his 5 year tenure. After his retirement from national politics Rao published a novel named The Insider (ISBN 0670878502). The controversial book, which follows the career of a person as he rises through the ranks of Indian politics, resembled events from Rao's own life. Rao, however, denied any connection.

Rao suffered a heart attack in December 2004 and died at the age of 83.

Rao never was an iconic leader. And while his leadership through the economic crisis, terrorism, religious violence and corruption scandals inspired the people to beat the odds, endure the hardship and look at the future optimistically, he was never loved or idolized. And since the fruits of his substantial labors were long to materialize, he was never actually as popular as his more iconic predecessors, who had faced and achieved much less.

Quotes

"When I don't make a decision, it's not that I don't think about it. I think about it and make a decision not to make a decision."
Inaction is also action.