In Memoriam: Dr. Manmohan Singh
Ramanjit Singh
As we grieve the passing of Dr. Manmohan Singh, India's leading economist, esteemed Finance Minister, and two time Prime Minister, we acknowledge the modest origins of a man who emerged from the aftermath of India's partition and who made bold decisions to liberalize India's economy in 1991 during the financial crisis to prevent the country from going into bankruptcy. He led India through the critical period of the global financial recession in 2009. Dr. Manmohan Singh will be remembered for his simplicity and integrity. He was unwavering, selfless, and incorruptible.
We will honor his efforts in enhancing the lives of the Indian people. He hailed from Gah, Chakwal, Jhelum District, Punjab. His grandfather, Sant Singh, was tragically killed in the violence during Partition, an event that profoundly affected Singh throughout his life. Consequently, he never went back to Gah, despite invitations from the locals. However, in his later years, he expressed his desire to visit his ancestral village. In 2008, the then Prime Minister hosted his childhood friend from the village (news article). The emotional reunion was marked by heartfelt gestures.
In 1948, the family moved to Amritsar, where Singh went to Punjab University, studying Economics and earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in 1952 and 1954, respectively, consistently ranking first throughout his studies. He completed his Economics Tripos at University of Cambridge in 1957. He was affiliated with St John's College.
After completing his studies at Cambridge, Singh returned to India and worked as a teacher at Punjab University. In 1960, he attended the University of Oxford to pursue his DPhil, where he was affiliated with Nuffield College.
India was fortunate to have a leader with such profound academic expertise during the crucial years when there was minimal hope for change following decades of socialist and unsuccessful economic policies. He will also be remembered for bringing about the Right To Information Act (RIT), Mid-Day Meal for 120 million children in schools (MDM), and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and not to mention his loan forgiveness for farmers.
Global leaders frequently sought his counsel on economic policies. There's a tale of Germany's Angela Merkel engaging in lengthy discussions with Dr. Singh regarding the Greek financial debt crisis. President Barack Obama referred to him as a mentor. Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Anwar Ibrahim has paid an emotional tribute to Dr. Manmohan Singh and I present it here in its entirety:
" The weight of grief bears down on me at the news of the passing of my honoured and cherished friend: Dr Manmohan Singh.
Obituaries, essays and books a plenty there will surely be about this great man, celebrating him as the architect of India’s economic reforms.
As Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh was the midwife of India’s emergence as one of the world’s economic giants. I had the rare privilege of witnessing the early years of these transformative policies first-hand while we both served as finance ministers during the 1990s. We shared a fervent commitment to the war against corruption — even collaborating on unravelling a major case.
The praise that will follow in the days ahead will be truly well-deserved. Dr Manmohan Singh, slightly awkward as a politician but undeniably upright, steadfast and resolute as a statesman, leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations to come.
To me, he will be all that and much more.
Not many people know this, and it is time that I share it with Malaysians: during the years of my incarceration, he extended a kindness that he didn’t have to — one that was neither politically expedient nor, as one can imagine, appreciated by the Malaysian government at that time. Yet, true to his character, he did it anyway. He offered scholarships for my children, particularly my son, Ihsan.
Although I had declined the gracious offer, such a gesture undoubtedly showed his extraordinary humanity and generosity, demonstrative, as the Bard would have it, of a man so full of “the milk of human kindness”.
In those dark days, as I navigated the labyrinth of imprisonment, he stood by me as a true friend. Such acts of quiet magnanimity defined him, and they will remain etched in my heart forever.
Goodbye, my mitra, my bhai, Manmohan.
Anwar Ibrahim is Prime Minister of Malaysia.
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Farewell, Mr. Manmohan Singh, son of Punjab and the visionary behind modern India. You will surely be missed and will inspire generations to come. It is time to unite and honor the legacy of this great man.
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