Decision-making has fallen into a bit of disarray, says Arjun Singh

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Friday , May 09, 2008 at 2244 hrs In a veiled criticism of the way decisions are now taken in the party, senior Congress leader Arjun Singh has said that the decision-making process has “fallen into a bit of disarray”.

“Earlier there were many opportunities to contribute to the decision and even major decisions of the Congress were taken after going through the process of consultations and people used to accept it.

“But now this process has fallen into a bit of disarray and when people do not have feeling that they have contributed to the decision making process, then they have no hassles in defying it,” Singh said.

He said this in a wide-ranging interview to noted journalist Kanhaiyalal Nandan in a book edited by him titled “Mohi Kaha Vishram” a compilation of various articles on the HRD minister and interviews given by him.

President Pratibha Patil will release the book on Friday.

When asked about leaders whom he regarded as great as an administrator as also a leader, Singh said Mahatma Gandhi was in a different league and leaders like Pandit Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad and Subhash Chandra Bose are part of that group. Besides, he said, Kamaraj could also be included in that league.

Indira Gandhi was in a “class apart” as she had been a leader who had a wonderful capacity to take immediate and urgent decisions, Singh said. Asked whom he considered his guru in politics, Singh said if teacher is one, whose views you value the most then it was none other than Pandit Nehru.

The late Dwarka Prasad Mishra was the person who guided him on how to go about in the rough and tumble of politics. “He has made a considerable contribution in my making. But that does not mean that I agreed to each of his actions.” As regards the lowering of the image of politicians in the eyes of the people with a growing projection in a comic way, the Minister said he feels that for much of this situation, the leaders themselves are to be blamed.

To another question, Singh said that to take politics as a career was not that bad. “But when someone uses fraud and deceit to further his ends in politics, it affects the society.”