P. V. Narasimha Rao: Difference between revisions

| image              = P. V. Narasimha Rao.JPG

| caption            = Rao in 1992

| birth_place        = [[Laknepalli]], [[Hyderabad State]], British&nbsp;India <br /> (present-day [[Telangana]],India)

'''Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao''' (28 June 1921 – 23 December 2004), popularly known as '''P. V. Narasimha Rao''', was an Indian lawyer, statesman and politician who served as the 9th [[prime minister of India]] from 1991 to 1996. He is known for introducing various [[Economic liberalisation in India|liberal reforms to India's economy]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Dean |first=Adam |title=India's Middle Path: Preventive Arrests and General Strikes |date=2022 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/opening-up-by-cracking-down/indias-middle-path-preventive-arrests-and-general-strikes/4CBA2877327208602BE6573BEA63D1A3 |work=Opening Up by Cracking Down: Labor Repression and Trade Liberalization in Democratic Developing Countries |pages=86–112 |series=Political Economy of Institutions and Decisions |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/9781108777964.006 |isbn=978-1-108-47851-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=23 December 2004|title=PV Narasimha Rao Remembered as Father of Indian Economic Reforms|work=voanews.com|publisher=[[VOA News]]|url=http://www.voanews.com/tibetan-english/news/a-28-a-2004-12-23-2-1-90257982.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702070909/http://www.voanews.com/tibetan-english/news/a-28-a-2004-12-23-2-1-90257982.html|archive-date=2 July 2012}}</ref><ref name="Narasimha Rao was father of economic reform: Pranab" /> His ascendancy to the prime ministership was politically significant because he was the second holder of this office from a non-Hindi-speaking region and the first from [[South India]] ([[United Andhra Pradesh]]){{efn|Now [[Telangana]]}}. He led an important administration, overseeing a major [[economic transformation]] and several home incidents affecting the national security of India.<ref name="Reforming">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4120429.stm|title=Narasimha Rao – a Reforming PM|work=news.bbc.co.uk|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=23 December 2004|access-date=2 March 2007}}</ref> Rao, who held the Industries portfolio, was personally responsible for the dismantling of the [[Licence Raj]], as this came under the purview of the [[Ministry of Commerce and Industry (India)|Ministry of Commerce and Industry]], reversing the economic policies of [[Rajiv Gandhi]]'s government.<ref name="DNAArticle">Arvind Kumar, Arun Narendhranath (3 October 2001). [http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column_india-must-embrace-unfettered-free-enterprise_1594401 India must embrace unfettered free enterprise]. ''[[Daily News and Analysis]]''.</ref>  

Former Prime Minister [[Manmohan Singh]] described Rao as the true ''father of economic reforms in India''.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/narasimha-rao-can-truly-be-called-father-of-economic-reforms-in-india-manmohan-singh/article32183365.ece | title=Narasimha Rao can truly be called the father of economic reforms in India: Manmohan Singh | newspaper=The Hindu | date=24 July 2020 }}</ref> In 1991, Rao employed Manmohan Singh as his [[Minister of Finance (India)|finance minister]] to embark on historic economic transition. With Rao's mandate, Manmohan Singh launched India's [[globalisation]] angle of the reforms that implemented the [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF) policies to rescue the [[1991 Indian economic crisis|almost bankrupt nation from economic collapse]].<ref name="DNAArticle"/> Rao was also referred to as ''[[Chanakya]]'' for his ability to steer economic and political legislation through the parliament at a time when he headed a [[minority government]].<ref name="frontline">{{cite journal |url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=20050114008013000.htm&date=fl2201/&prd=fline& |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100130013320/http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2201/stories/20050114008013000.htm |archive-date=30 January 2010 |title=Obituary: A scholar and a politician|author=V. Venkatesan |journal=Frontline |volume=22 |issue=1 |date=14 January 2005 |access-date=30 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tlca.com/adults/obit-pvn.html|archive-date=1 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071101063203/http://www.tlca.com/adults/obit-pvn.html|title=PV Narasimha Rao Passes Away|work=tlca.com|access-date=7 October 2007}}</ref> 11th [[president of India]], [[APJ Abdul Kalam]] described Rao as a "patriotic statesman who believed that the nation is bigger than the political system". Kalam acknowledged that Rao, had in fact, asked him to get ready for [[Nuclear weapons testing|testing nuclear weapons]] in 1996, but they were not carried out, due to the change of government pursuant to the  

Rao's years as prime minister also saw the emergence of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP), a major right-wing party, as an alternative to the [[Indian National Congress]] which had been governing India for most of its post-independence history. Future prime ministers [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] and [[Manmohan Singh]] continued the economic reform policies pioneered by Rao's government. Rao died in 2004 of a heart attack in New Delhi. He was cremated in [[Hyderabad]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/12/26/stories/2004122601690300.htm|title=Narasimha Rao cremated|work=thehindubusinessline.com|date=26 December 2004|access-date=18 April 2007}}</ref>

He was a versatile thinker with interests in a variety of subjects (other than politics) such as literature and computer software (including [[computer programming]]).<ref name="The meek inheritor">{{cite news|title=The meek inheritor|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/prime-minister-narasimha-rao-a-faithful-but-unambitious-congressman/1/318533.html|access-date=17 November 2013|newspaper=India Today|date=15 July 1991|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131117090315/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/prime-minister-narasimha-rao-a-faithful-but-unambitious-congressman/1/318533.html|archive-date=17 November 2013|quote=Rao was one of the first converts to the new technology. Today, he is so adept with the machines that along with the 10 Indian and four foreign languages, Rao has also taught himself some computer languages and is now able to programme them.}}</ref> He spoke 17 languages.<ref name="PVN – Obituary" /><ref name="'PV': A scholar, a statesman" /> Although he was also criticised during his tenure and even sidelined later by his own party,<ref>{{cite web |title=PV Narasimha Rao, a forgotten prime minister |url=https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/0i3G8vG5fALoILBeJBqqHL/PV-Narasimha-Rao-a-forgotten-prime-minister.html |website=Livemint |language=en |date=21 June 2016}}</ref> retrospective evaluations have been kinder, even positioning him as one of the best prime ministers of India in various polls and analyses.<ref>{{cite web |title=Half Lion: Resurrecting Narasimha Rao |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/Arrackistan/half-lion-resurrecting-narasimha-rao/ |website=Times of India Blog |date=26 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Raman |first1=B |title=Narasimha Rao: Our finest PM ever? |url=https://www.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/28raman.htm |access-date=1 May 2022 |work=Rediff |date=27 December 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Biswas |first1=Soutik  |date=25 July 2016 |title=Reassessing India's 'forgotten PM' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-36791913 |website=BBC News |access-date=1 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Padmanabhan |first1=Anil |date=7 October 2016 |title=Why Narasimha Rao is suddenly a star |url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/xdRVNfVp6pYaB8pYueVQLO/Why-Narasimha-Rao-is-suddenly-a-star.html |work=Livemint |access-date=1 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gupta |first1=Shekhar |date=23 December 2018 |title=Why Narasimha Rao is India's most vilified, deliberately misunderstood and forgotten PM |url=https://theprint.in/opinion/why-narasimha-rao-is-indias-most-vilified-deliberately-misunderstood-and-forgotten-pm/24463/ |work=ThePrint |access-date=1 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Pushkarna |first1=Vijaya |title=The PMs who shaped India |url=https://www.theweek.in/leisure/society/2019/09/26/The-PMs-who-shaped-India.html |access-date=1 May 2022 |magazine=The Week |date=26 September 2019 |language=en}}</ref> His achievements include steering India through the 1991 economic crisis, completing a tenure with a [[10th Lok Sabha|minority government]], establishing [[India–Israel relations|diplomatic relations with Israel]], starting India's [[Look East policy (India)|Look East policy]], rekindling [[Indian nuclear programme|India's nuclear programme]], defeating the 1994 United Nations resolution against India,<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Gupta |first1=Shekhar |date=31 March 1994 |title=India shows the world it means business on Kashmir issue at Geneva meet |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19940331-india-shows-the-world-it-means-business-on-kashmir-issue-at-geneva-meet-808937-1994-03-31 |magazine=India Today |access-date=1 May 2022}}</ref> effectively handling and crushing [[insurgency in Punjab]], tough policy against [[terrorism in Kashmir]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gupta |first1=Shekhar |title=P.V. Narasimha Rao's Kashmir policy was much more muscular than PM Modi's |url=https://theprint.in/opinion/narasimha-raos-kashmir-policy-was-much-more-muscular-than-pm-modis/76506/ |access-date=1 May 2022 |work=ThePrint |date=28 June 2018}}</ref> and opening [[India–Taiwan relations|partial diplomatic relations with Taiwan]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Kumar |first=Sumit |date=22 May 2016 |title=Strategic ties with Taiwan will greatly benefit India |url=https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/4762-strategic-ties-taiwan-will-greatly-benefit-india |work=The Sunday Guardian Live}}</ref>

P.&nbsp;V. Narasimha Rao was born on 28 June 1921 in a [[Telugu people|Telugu]] [[Niyogi Brahmin]]{{sfn|Reddy|1993|p=35}} family in the village of [[Laknepalli]] village of [[Narsampet]] mandal, [[Warangal district]] of present-day [[Telangana]] (then part of [[Hyderabad State]]).{{sfn|Reddy|1993|p=35}}<ref name="britannica">{{citation |title=P.V. Narasimha Rao |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/P-V-Narasimha-Rao |encyclopedia=britannica.com |date=17 May 2023 }}</ref><ref name="thehindu.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/people-hail-decision-on-pvs-birth-anniversary/article6146786.ece|title=People hail decision on PV's birth anniversary|date=25 June 2014|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=31 December 2019}}</ref> His father Sitarama Rao and mother Rukma Bai hailed from agrarian families.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Aggarwala |first1=Adish C. |title=P.V. Narasimha Rao, Scholar Prime Minister |date=1995 |publisher=Amish Publications |isbn=978-81-900289-1-2 |pages=215, 298 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CfxtAAAAMAAJ&q=+Rukma+Bai |quote=His father Mr. Sitarama Rao and mother Mrs. Rukma Bai. With his wife Mrs. Satyamma}}</ref> Later he was adopted by Pamulaparthi Ranga Rao and Rukminamma and brought to [[Vangara, Hanamkonda district|Vangara]], a village in [[Bheemadevarpalle]] mandal of present-day [[Hanamkonda district]] in Telangana when he was three years old.<ref name="thehindu.com"/><ref name="britannica" />{{sfn|Sitapati|2016|p=}} Popularly known as P.&nbsp;V., he completed part of his primary education in Katkuru village of Bheemdevarapalli mandal in [[Hanamkonda district]] by staying in his relative Gabbeta Radhakishan Rao's house and studying for his [[bachelor's degree]] in the Arts college at the [[Osmania University]]. P.&nbsp;V. Narasimha Rao was part of Vande Mataram movement in the late 1930s in the Hyderabad State. He later went on to [[Hislop College]], now under [[Nagpur University]], where he completed a master's degree in law.<ref name="pmindia">{{citation |title=Shri P. V. Narasimha Rao |url=https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/former_pm/shri-p-v-narasimha-rao-2/ |work=pmindia.gov.in }}</ref> He completed his law from Fergusson College in Pune of the University of Bombay (now Mumbai).<ref name="britannica" />

Rao very nearly retired from politics in 1991. He was Indian National Congress President  from 29 May' 1991- Sept.1996. It was the [[Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi|assassination of the Congress President Rajiv Gandhi]] that persuaded him to make a comeback.<ref>John F. Burns (21 May 1995). [https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/21/world/crisis-in-india-leader-survives-for-now.html Crisis in India: Leader Survives, for Now]. The New York Times.</ref> As the Congress had won the largest number of seats in the [[1991 Indian general election#1991|1991 elections]], he had an opportunity to head the [[minority government]] as Prime Minister. He was the first person outside the [[Nehru–Gandhi family]] to serve as [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] for five continuous years, the first to hail from the State of [[Telangana]]{{efn|Then [[United Andhra Pradesh]]}}, and also the first from [[Southern India]].<ref name="Reforming"/><ref>[http://www.boloji.com/plainspeak/045.htm Observations on Indian Independence Day] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061112211011/http://www.boloji.com/plainspeak/045.htm |date=12 November 2006 }}. Subash Kapila. Retrieved 2 March 2007.</ref> Since Rao had not contested the general elections, he then participated in a by-election in [[Nandyal (Lok Sabha constituency)|Nandyal]] to join the parliament. Rao won from Nandyal with a victory margin of a record 5 lakh (500,000) votes and his win was recorded in the [[Guinness Book Of World Records]]; later on, in 1996, he was MP from Berhampur, Ganjam District, Odisha.<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/feb/andhra27.htm Rao's world record]. ''[[rediff.com]]''. Retrieved 2 March 2007.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/rezuj/pt.html |title=Indian Political Trivia |access-date=18 April 2007 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050206101148/http://www.geocities.com/rezuj/pt.html |archive-date=6 February 2005 }}. Retrieved 19 April 2007.</ref> His cabinet included [[Sharad Pawar]], himself a strong contender for the Prime Minister's post, as [[Defence Ministers of India|Defence Minister]]. He also broke a convention by appointing a non-political economist and future prime minister, [[Manmohan Singh]] as his [[Finance Minister of India|Finance Minister]].<ref name = "cabinet1">{{cite news|url=https://articles.latimes.com/1991-06-22/news/mn-916_1_prime-minister|title= Rao takes oath in India, names his cabinet|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=30 March 2010 | date=22 June 1991}}</ref><ref name = "cabinet2">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3725357.stm|title= Profile: Manmohan Singh|work=BBC News |date=30 March 2009|access-date=30 March 2010 }}</ref> He also appointed [[Subramanian Swamy]], an opposition party ([[Janata Party]]) member as the Chairman of the Commission on Labour Standards and International Trade. This has been the only instance that an opposition party member was given a Cabinet rank post by the ruling party. He also sent opposition leader [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]], to represent India in a UN meeting at Geneva.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jha |first=Prabhat |date=24 December 2020 |title=No one like Atalji |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/no-one-like-atal-bihari-vajpayee-7118859/ |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Indian Express |language=en }}</ref>

Narasimha Rao was charged for his facilitating safe exit of accused of 1995 Purulia arms drop case.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Purulia-arms-drop-had-govt-sanction-Davy/articleshow/8112968.cms|title=Purulia arms drop had govt sanction: Davy &#124; India News - Times of India|website=The Times of India|date=29 April 2011 |access-date=31 December 2019}}</ref> Although, it was never proved.

[[File:The Mauritius Prime Minister, Mr. Anerood Jugannath greeting the Union Finance Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at the dinner hosted in the former's honour, by Prime Minister Shri P. V. Narasimha New Delhi on July 24, 1991.jpg|thumb|The Mauritius Prime Minister, Mr. Anerood Jugannath greeting the Union Finance Minister Manmohan Singh at the dinner hosted in the former's honour, by Prime Minister Shri P. V. Narasimha New Delhi on 24 July 1991]]

[[File:The President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam paying tributes at the mortal remains of the former Prime Minister Late Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao in New Delhi on December 23, 2004.jpg|thumb|The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam paying tributes at the mortal remains of the former Prime Minister Late Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao in New Delhi on 23 December 2004]]

Rao suffered a heart attack on 9 December 2004, and was taken to the [[All India Institute of Medical Sciences]] where he died 14 days later at the age of 83.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20041230182813/http://www.hindu.com/2004/12/24/stories/2004122408870100.htm Narasimha Rao passes away at the age of 83]. Hindu.com (24 December 2004). Retrieved 10 July 2012.</ref> His family wanted the body cremated in Delhi. "This is his karmabhoomi", Rao's son Prabhakara told Manmohan Singh. But it is alleged that Sonia Gandhi's closest aide [[Ahmed Patel]] and others ensured that the body was moved to Hyderabad.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sitapati|first1=Vinay|title=Day after Babri Masjid demolition, Narasimha Rao kept tabs on Sonia Gandhi courtesy the IB|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/day-after-babri-demolition-narasimha-rao-kept-tabs-on-sonia-gandhi-courtesy-the-ib-2872490/|access-date=22 August 2016|issue=24 June 2016|publisher=The INdian Express}}</ref> In Delhi, his body was not allowed inside [[All India Congress Committee|AICC]] building.<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/28monu.htm Narasimha Rao's final humiliation]. Rediff.com (31 December 2004). Retrieved 10 July 2012.</ref> His body was kept in state at the Jubilee Hall in [[Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh|Hyderabad]]. His funeral was attended by the Prime Minister of India [[Manmohan Singh]], the Home Affairs Minister [[Shivraj Patil]], the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP) president [[L. K. Advani|L.&nbsp;K. Advani]], the Defence Minister [[Pranab Mukherjee]], the Finance Minister [[P. Chidambaram]] and many other dignitaries. Rao was a long-time widower, since his wife died in 1970 and he was survived by his eight children.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20041231060007/http://www.hindu.com/2004/12/26/stories/2004122605320100.htm Nation bids adieu to Narasimha Rao]. ''[[The Hindu]]''.</ref> A memorial was built for P.&nbsp;V. Narasimha Rao located adjacent to [[Sanjeevaiah Park]], developed in 2005 on {{convert|2.9|acre|order=flip}} of land known as P.&nbsp;V. Gyan Bhoomi.<ref>[https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/article19166407.ece PVNARASIMHARAO], The Hindu, 29 June 2017</ref> The Government of Telangana declared his birthday to be celebrated as a Telangana State function in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=PVNR Birth Celebrations a State function|url=http://deccan-journal.com/content/pvnr-birthday-declared-state-function-telangana|work=Deccan-Journal|access-date=23 June 2014}}</ref> 10 years after his death, P.&nbsp;V. Narasimha Rao was accorded a memorial in Delhi at Ekta Sthal, which is now integrated with Rashtriya Smriti, a common place for erecting memorials for former Presidents, PMs and others. The memorial is raised on a plinth in marble bearing text highlighting briefly his contributions. The plaque describes Rao: "Known as the scholar Prime Minister of India, Shri P V Narasimha Rao was born on 28 June 1921 in Vangara, Karimnagar District in Telangana state. He rose to prominence as freedom fighter who fought the misrule of the Nizam during the formative years of his political career. A reformer, educationist, scholar, conversant in 15 languages and known for his intellectual contribution, he was called the 'Brihaspati' (wiseman) of Andhra Pradesh."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/10-years-after-death-Narasimha-Rao-gets-memorial-in-Delhi/articleshow/47868463.cms|title=10 years after death, Narasimha Rao gets memorial in Delhi &#124; India News - Times of India|website=The Times of India|date=30 June 2015 |access-date=31 December 2019}}</ref>

In 1931, the 10-year-old Narasimha Rao was married to Satyamma, a girl of his own age, belonging to his own community and coming from a family of similar background.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sitapati |first1=Vinay |title=The Man who Remade India: A Biography of P.V. Narasimha Rao |date=2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-069285-8 |page=16 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oUxUDwAAQBAJ&dq=P.+V.+Narasimha+Rao+married+in+1931&pg=PA16 |language=en}}</ref> The marriage, which was arranged by their families in the usual Indian way, was entirely harmonious and it lasted all their lives. Smt. Satyamma died on 1 July 1970.  

 

The couple had three sons and five daughters. Their eldest son, [[P. V. Ranga Rao]], was the education minister in [[Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy]]'s cabinet and an [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|MLA]] from [[Hanamkonda (Assembly constituency)|Hanamakonda]] Assembly Constituency, in Warangal District for two terms. The second son, [[P. V. Rajeshwar Rao|P.&nbsp;V. Rajeshwar Rao]], was a [[Member of parliament, Lok Sabha|Member of Parliament]] of the [[11th Lok Sabha]] (15 May 1996 – 4 December 1997) from [[Secunderabad (Lok Sabha constituency)|Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency]].<ref name = "raj1">{{cite web |url=http://www.parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/lok11/biodata/11ap35.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100812105543/http://www.parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/lok11/biodata/11ap35.htm |archive-date=12 August 2010 |title=Biographical Sketch of P.V. Rajeshwar Rao |publisher=Parliament of India |access-date=30 March 2010}}</ref><ref name = "raj2">{{cite web|url=http://www.mipgs.ac.in/pvrajeswararao.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721150223/http://www.mipgs.ac.in/pvrajeswararao.htm |archive-date=21 July 2011 |title=Sri. P.V.Rajeswara Rao |publisher=Matrusri Institute of P.G. Studies |access-date=30 March 2010}}</ref> The third son is P.V. Prabhakara Rao.

 

* {{citation |last=Sitapati |first=Vinay |title=Half - Lion: How P.V. Narasimha Rao Transformed India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R2yCDAAAQBAJ |date=27 June 2016 |publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited |via=Google Books |isbn=9789386057723 }}

[[Category:Union Ministers from United Andhra Pradesh]]