New Delhi: The last rites of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was held with full state honours at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi on Saturday. His daughters lit the funeral pyre. The funeral was attended by prominent national and international dignitaries.
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge as well as Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, were among those who gathered to pay their last respects. The King of Bhutan also attended the funeral to honour the late leader.
Nation mourns a visionary leader
Dr Manmohan Singh passed away on December 26 at the age of 92. He had been undergoing treatment at AIIMS hospital in Delhi due to prolonged illness. Recognized as a prominent figure in India’s economic progress, Dr Singh served as the Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014. The central government has declared seven days of national mourning to honor his memory.
On Saturday morning, Dr Singh’s body was brought from his residence at 3 Motilal Nehru Road to Congress headquarters in Delhi. Thousands of people, including Congress workers and members of the public, gathered to bid farewell. Senior leaders like Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge paid tribute to him at Congress office before his body was taken to Nigambodh Ghat for the final rites.
Manmohan Singh: An architect of economic reforms
Manmohan Singh was widely known as the “superhero of economic reforms” for his groundbreaking role in liberalizing India’s economy. As Finance Minister under the Narasimha Rao government in 1991, he led the country out of an economic crisis, setting India on a path to global economic prominence.
During his tenure as Prime Minister, Dr Singh introduced transformative policies and schemes, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the Right to Information (RTI) Act and the Right to Education (RTE) Act. He also played a key role in the farmer loan waiver scheme and fostering India’s information revolution.
A life dedicated to service
Born on September 26, 1932, in Gah, now in Pakistan, Dr Singh’s family moved to India during the partition in 1947. A brilliant student, he studied economics at Punjab University before earning a DPhil degree from Oxford University.
Dr Singh began his political journey in the early 1990s when he was appointed Finance Minister. His policies laid the foundation for India’s economic liberalization, earning him national and international acclaim.
Tributes pour in
As the nation mourns his loss, tributes continue to pour in for Dr Singh. Leaders from across the political spectrum remembered him as a leader of integrity, intellect and humility. Prime Minister Modi described him as a “visionary leader” whose contributions shaped modern India.
