Dehradun: Uttarakhand’s Haldwani was the first address of Manmohan Singh after his family migration during partition in 1948. He had taken admission in 6th standard in M.B. Inter College situated at Bhotia Padav area in Haldwani after coming to India.
The entire nation is mourning the loss of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had a special attachment to Dehradun, where his relatives reside. Manmohan Singh frequently visited Dehradun, cherishing the city’s climate and spending time with his family and relatives.
Haldwani was the first home after partition
After the Partition of India, Manmohan Singh’s family migrated to Haldwani, settling in the Bhotia Padav area. He completed his 6th grade at Haldwani’s M.B. Inter College in 1948. A year later, his family relocated to Amritsar, where he continued his studies at Hindu College. His transfer certificate remains an important document at the school to this day.
Relatives live in Dehradun
Manmohan Singh’s uncle, Gopal Singh Kohli, lived in Race Course, Dehradun, and his family still resides there. Family members recall how much Manmohan Singh enjoyed Dehradun’s climate and visited frequently.
Tributes from state leaders
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep sorrow over Manmohan Singh’s passing, highlighting his simple behavior and dedication to the nation. In a message released on social media, CM Dhami stated, “While discharging various responsibilities, his entire life was dedicated to the service of the nation. I pray to God to give a place to the virtuous soul in his feet and give strength to the bereaved family and supporters to bear this immense pain.”
Finance minister who laid the foundation for India’s economic development; Harish Rawat
Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat also paid tribute, describing Dr. Manmohan Singh as an unprecedented personality and a finance minister who laid the foundation for India’s economic development. Rawat wrote, “He put India on the path of establishing itself as an economic superpower. He showed us the dream of becoming a 5 trillion-dollar economy and took the country forward in that direction. During his tenure, 27 crore people came above the poverty line. He gave the poor the right to work under MNREGA and forest dwellers the right in the form of forest rights where they lived near the forest.”
A legacy of rights and reforms
Dr. Manmohan Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister saw significant reforms, including the waiver of 70 thousand crores of loans for farmers, the Right to Information, the Right to Education, the Right to Medical Care, and the Right to Food Security. Harish Rawat emphasized, “Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who gave a series of rights one after another to the common man, is not among us today, but he will always remain in our hearts, in the hearts of the countrymen, and in the hearts of the well-wishers of India. A great Sikh, a great Indian, a great human being, Dr. Manmohan Singh, we will always remember you. We are all filled with grief, we can console each other.”
