'Singh the king' roars back

July 22 was 'liberation day' for Manmohan Singh. Until then, the unassuming economist who was four years ago unexpectedly anointed as India's prime minister by Sonia Gandhi, the powerful Congress party chief, was at the receiving end of all manner of humiliating invective - weak, indecisive, inarticulate, Sonia's stooge.

Many pundits had been predicting a fall. Finally, after the bloc of left-wing parties withdrew support from the Congress-led ruling coalition last month due to Dr Singh's decision to sign a nuclear agreement with the United States, the prime minister was forced to seek a confidence vote in parliament.

The agreement with the US will end India's nuclear pariah status, and provide access to nuclear technology and fuel.

Disparate political groupings came together to topple Dr Singh. The abrasive Lal Krishna Advani, leader of the Hindu right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party who had been mocking Dr Singh as a nikamma - incompetent - prime minister, sensed an opportunity to move in for the kill. Dr Singh was assailed for everything from terrorism to double-digit inflation. Bundles of cash were flaunted in Parliament to underscore allegations of vote buying.

Dr Singh sat virtually impassive throughout the discordant two-day debate, appearing typically diffident if somewhat pained. When he stood up to deliver what was arguably the most important speech of his career, his husky contralto lacked the power to be heard over the din from the opposition benches.

He briskly submitted the text of his speech for the parliamentary record and a vote was called.