Few politicians provoked such contrary views as P V Narasimha Rao whose largely ignored 90th birth anniversary last Monday showed that controversy dogs him even in death.I can still hear Lee Kuan Yew comparing him with China’s great moderniser, Deng Xiaoping. On that famous occasion, Lee even derided The Economist for writing of Narasimha Rao that “no one believes that his political future will extend very far”. But I knew the honeymoon wouldn’t last when I saw Lee’s face as Narasimha Rao declared in answer to a question that “the remedy for the ills of democracy is more democracy, not less”. Two years later, I was at a dinner at which Lee gloated on Narasimha Rao’s defeat and disgrace. Scathingly recalling the democracy comment, he added, “Well, he’s got it now!” Full Story
