Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s parting shot – “History will be kinder to me than the contemporary media” – echoed in January 2014 as he mourned his death at the last press conference he addressed before leaving office on Thursday night. His former cabinet colleagues and UPA allies quoted him as saying the truth.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President MK Stalin credited Dr Singh for India’s economic transformation. “His tenure marked an era of steady growth, social progress, and reforms that improved the lives of millions.” Reflecting on DMK’s steady presence in UPA, he said, M. Karunanidhi with Dr. Singh’s partnership was instrumental in advancing the development of Tamil Nadu. “Even in turbulent times, Dr. #ManmohanSingh and Thalaivar Kalaignar stood together, exemplifying the power of coalition politics based on trust and respect for regional identity,” Mr Stalin said.
Funeral procession Manmohan Singh, the gentleman politician who opened India’s economy in 1991
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee described her time in the Union Cabinet, when the two worked closely together. “His erudition and wisdom were unquestionable, and the depth of the financial reforms he initiated in the country is widely acknowledged,” she said, adding that she will miss his stewardship and his affection. He is Dr. She was the railway minister in Singh’s cabinet from 2009 to 2011.
Former Vihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav called Dr Singh the father of the country’s economic reforms and said that the former prime minister presided over a historic period of unprecedented growth and development of the country. His “wisdom, patience, foresight, humility and dedication will always be remembered.”
“Surely, history will judge you kindly, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji!” Senior RJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj K Jha wrote in X. The RJD stayed with the UPA for both terms and remained a key Congress ally.
Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said that Dr. Singh’s work from 1991 to 2014 will be remembered as a “golden chapter in the history of India”. “I worked with him for many years. I have never met a person as humble and selfless as Dr Singh. He wore his scholarship lightly and never claimed credit for any of his historic achievements,” he wrote in a post on X. Mr. Chidambaram further said that Dr. Singh’s story has not yet been fully told and his achievements have not been fully recorded. “Dr. . Looking back at Singh’s 23 years in active politics, one will realize his true contribution,” he said.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, who Dr. Singh has the longest relationship among his former cabinet colleagues, he said. praised Singh’s “quick resolve” while remaining “soft-spoken, discreet and always respectful”.
“His Prime Ministership saw revolutionary laws on rural employment, tribal rights, reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs, primary education, food security, and land acquisition. The Indo-US nuclear deal was a landmark one that boosted India’s global status. His prime ministership saw the highest GDP growth rate in the country’s history,” he said.
Manmohan Singh: Life in Pictures
Dr. Manmohan Singh resigned as Member-Secretary of the Planning Commission and took over as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India on September 22, 1982.
The then Governor of the Reserve Bank of India Manmohan Singh met the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MG Ramachandran at the State Secretariat on March 7, 1983.
(From left) BB Sundaresan, Vice-Chancellor, SL Khurana, Governor of Tamil Nadu and Chancellor of University of Madras, Reserve Bank of India Governor Manmohan Singh and Education Minister C. Aranganayagam. On January 10, 1985.
World Bank president at the time, Louis T. Preston, at a lunch meeting with then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao and Union Finance Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on November 12, 1992.
Looking back at the road the economy traveled for three years under his guidance? Or Finance Minister Dr. Looking to see what the future holds for Manmohan Singh? Photo published on July 18, 1994.
Finance Minister Manmohan Singh was going to Parliament to present the budget for 1994-95.
Finance Minister Manmohan Singh presiding over the 34th meeting of the Advisory Board on Customs and Central Excise in New Delhi on September 14, 1994.
Finance Minister Manmohan Singh giving final touches to the General Budget for 1995-96 in New Delhi on March 14, 1995.
Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao with his Finance Minister Manmohan Singh at an award ceremony in New Delhi on April 20, 1995.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi Manmohan Singh, CPI (M) leader Harikishan Singh Surjit and CPI leader D. After a meeting with Raja at the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi on January 13, 2002.
Former Finance Minister Manmohan Singh at a meeting with members of the Confederation of Indian Industry on party and election finance in New Delhi on February 22, 2002.
A Congress delegation of Ahmed Patel, Manmohan Singh, Kamal Nath and Arjun Singh are seen at the Prime Minister’s House in New Delhi on February 28, 2002 after discussing the situation in Gujarat.
The then Prime Minister AB Vajpayee and his Home Minister LK Advani met with the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the opposition leader of the Rajya Sabha. Met Manmohan Singh at his residence in New Delhi on May 19, 2002 to discuss the security situation.
Prime Minister-elect Manmohan Singh, with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, displays a letter of support from the Congress and its allies during a press conference at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on May 19, 2004.
Manmohan Singh was sworn in as Prime Minister on May 22, 2004 at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 22, 2004.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a dinner meeting with United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi on May 23, 2004.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after paying his respects at Shanti Van on the occasion of Jawaharlal Nehru’s 40th death anniversary in New Delhi on May 27, 2004.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the birth centenary celebrations of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in New Delhi on October 2, 2004.
Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Manmohan Singh during a meeting in New Delhi on April 11, 2005, during which the two leaders signed an agreement to resolve border disputes between the two countries.
(From left) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his wife Gurcharan Kaur and Congress president Sonia Gandhi at the defense investment ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on April 19, 2005.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi meets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on June 12, 2009.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi during the MoU signing ceremony for Dhamanganga-Pinjal and Par-Tapi link projects in New Delhi on May 3, 2010.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to inaugurate the Kartarpur Corridor passenger terminal building on the Indian side in Gurdaspur on November 9, 2019.
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Ramesh said that he practiced politics of dialogue, agreement and harmony even in difficult situations. Humility and integrity defined him. “Those who tried to malign him revealed their true colours. Many of the initiatives he took as Prime Minister were marketed, branded and projected as contributions to his successor. But Dr Singh didn’t mind and flashed his trademark smile,” he wrote in X.
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Sharad Pawar called Mr Singh a “global statesman” whose legacy will inspire generations to come.
KT Rama Rao, Executive President of Bharat Rashtra Samiti (then Telangana Rashtra Samiti) which was a part of UPA-1, Dr. Calling Singh the silent architect of modern India, a visionary, a true intellectual and a compassionate human being, “History will indeed be kind and grateful.”
Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said working with Dr Singh was a humbling learning experience.
Former Union Ministers and Dr. Sachin Pilot, one of the youngest members of Singh’s cabinet, said the former prime minister will always be remembered for his wisdom and invaluable contribution to India’s economic growth.
Former colleagues who have now defected from the Congress also spoke fondly. Union minister Jitin Prasad, who joined the BJP from the Congress, said the country had lost an “educated and sensitive” leader. “I consider myself lucky to have worked closely with Manmohan Singh for so long,” he wrote in X.
published – December 27, 2024 at 12:15 pm IST