When Obama called Manmohan Singh 'Guru': MK Narayanan

MK Narayanan, former governor of West Bengal and national security advisor to the Prime Minister, believes Narendra Modi's tenure as Prime Minister has been considerably different from his predecessors.

In an interview with Mathrubhumi Editor Manoj K Das, MK Narayanan delves into various foreign policy issues, shedding light on India's recent tensions with the Maldives and the apparent shift in the country's global role under Modi's leadership.

Relationship with China

Narayanan, who was the special representative of the government in border talks with China, opined that improving the relationship with China is of paramount interest for India in the current geo political context.

"I believe I know China better than most people. My point is that the two Asian giants have to live in peace. And we certainly had a period when Hu Jintao was the president. I think the two countries maintained a certain amount of a comfortable relationship during the period. My point is that neither India nor China will recognize the other as superior."

Narayanan also pointed out how the West looks at India and China to safeguard their own interests.

"There is actually no real conflict between India and China. In the case of the West, they are looking only for a market. China is a huge market, but now its economy is coming down due to various factors. So, they view India as the next biggest market in the world. I think we should not fall into this idea."  

India, US Nuclear Deal

According to Narayanan, the role played by Manmohan Singh in striking a nuclear deal with the US is of utmost importance. He claimed that it was due to Manmohan Singh that former US president George W. Bush signed the nuclear pact with India. Recalling Manmohan's visit to the US, Narayanan said that President Barack Obama termed the former a "guru".

"... you must understand the way the world leaders treated Mr. Manmohan Singh. He was not a politician and hardly a leader in that sense. But he was viewed as an extraordinary individual, a very intelligent leader. I'll talk about an incident that happened around the time when Barack Obama became the president. It was also the first time a state visit was given to an Indian leader. And during the meeting, I was lucky to be the aid on the Indian side. When Manmohan Singh spoke to Mr Obama, the US president suddenly interrupted him and said: Please stop. You are my guru. And I shall go by what you say. I think it sums up everything. It probably sums up the image of the prime minister or the image of the country translated to that of the prime minister. I think in this case, Manmohan Singh's approach to issues had already created an impact."

Manmohan & Modi

Narayanan feels that there are drastic differences between Narendra Modi and Manmohan Singh. Terming Manmohan as a friendly face, Narayanan praised Modi for his excellent oratory skills and being a good tactician.

"... Mr Modi is different. He is an excellent orator and has a brilliant memory. He is very definitive about what he wants to say. There is a major difference between the two leaders...Modi is making a tremendous impact. I think it's comparable to what Indira Gandhi orJawaharlal Nehru, had in many ways. I think Manmohan Singh was nowhere at that level... I think Modi will be remembered for a long, long time. Many people will hail him, others will hate him. That's a different matter."

However, Narayanan highlighted a distinctive trait that sets Modi apart from Manmohan. "...I don't know whether Modi will leave an impact as Mrs Gandhi or Nehru had. But at the moment, he is a hero to most people. I think he takes full credit for whatever he is doing. It is something that Manmohan or others didn't. The flourishing Indian economy, now attributed to Modi in many minds, reflects, in my opinion, a commendable approach to politics."

India and Maldives

An expert on foreign affairs, Narayanan explained India’s relationship with the nation of Maldives in the wake of recent developments.

“Maldives had a troubled relationship from time to time. During Gayoom's (Maumoon Abdul Gayoom) presidency, our relations with them were excellent. Then, when Gayoom fell out of favour or lost the election, you had a new government, which was not so well disposed of. Then we had Nasheed (Mohamed Nasheed), who was very pro-India. So there's been a bit of a roller coaster kind of attitude. Small countries always have a feeling that the bigger countries are trying to exercise undue influence. And maybe, to some extent, we could say that our diplomacy has not been even-handed in these matters. I'm sure that his predecessor made much of us. There's no way that the Maldives can survive without India. I think every Maldivian leader knows that,“ he said.

Ajith Doval, my former colleague

I feel Ajith Doval is one of the best operatives the country has ever had. However, I believe that when an issue develops (international affairs), it is not ideal to arrive at a conclusion and call it a Doval operation, says Narayanan about the incumbent National Security Advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  

During the conversation, Narayanan discussed his close connection with Ajith Doval while discussing India's strained relations with Canada following the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023. The senior diplomat also addressed the foiled assassination attempt against Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on US soil, claiming that a 'rogue operation' was likely to be behind the incident. 

"Doval was my colleague, one of my favourite officers. I think he is one of the best operators we ever had in the country. I have known him for years, and I believe we still maintain a good equation. The point here is that I think you should not jump to the conclusion that this is a tactical Doval Operation. Doval is an excellent operative. And if he was behind it, then clearly it would not have been like this, that I'm very sure. I do not think this is an Indian operation in that sense of the term. I've been wrong very many times. It could be a rogue operation, or it could be something else and maybe somebody else who has done it," he said.