‘The Disruptor’: VP Singh, the unusual politician

Sandeep Sinha

Vishwanath Pratap Singh has been an enigmatic figure in Indian politics, and ‘The Disruptor’ seeks to unravel the personality of a man loved and hated in equal measure. The author, a journalist of repute, deserves praise for the effort to turn the spotlight away from the usual protagonists who hog the limelight.

The book documents well the early life of VP Singh in a landed aristocratic family, his education, family life and political elevation.

Indira Gandhi, the author says, preferred VP over his brother Sant Bux Singh. As HN Bahuguna pointed him out as relatively inexperienced, Indira said she preferred “a novice”. VP went on to rise from being an MLA to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and then on to become the Prime Minister.

The role of caste in politics has been well highlighted, for VP Singh till so far as he was in the Congress had a different caste combination whose support he sought, that of Thakurs and Brahmins. That changed the moment he left the party for Janata Dal, reflected in the implementation of the Mandal Commission recommendations.

VP Singh himself had a rather eclectic upbringing with the family of Jagdish Mathur, an administrative service officer entrusted to look after him, and Lal Bahadur Shastri telling his wife that he was their another son. But politics cast its shadow, with even his brothers falling out as interests varied. VP Singh was not overtly confrontationist, even being self-effacing to a fault, but his sense of timing was immaculate, taking a stand on idealistic grounds. That saw him ascend the foremost political positions.

His sense of propriety and integrity was immense, at times seemingly exaggerated, which saw his own party leaders revolt against him. His differences with Rajiv Gandhi were also, as the book says, because of his proactive approach when he ordered an inquiry into the defence deals without consulting him as the Defence Minister, before earlier conducting raids on business houses as the Union Finance Minister.

Despite his political success, VP ended up being equidistant from both the BJP and the Left, coalition politics testing his acumen to the hilt. With painstaking research, the book shows what an intricate web the world of politics can be in a politically important state like UP, the perpetuation of caste as a vehicle for political aggrandisement as also its consolidation, and the fickle nature of political ties. The man whose tenure was remarkable for political controversies and underscoring the fact that politics was the art of the possible, VP Singh faded away from memory, his illness aiding the process.