NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Friday to pay tribute to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and described his passing as a great loss for the nation.
In his address, the Prime Minister highlighted Manmohan Singh’s contributions to the country, and asserted that his life exemplified the values of integrity and simplicity.
“We all are deeply saddened by the demise of former PM Dr Manmohan Singh. His passing is a setback to the whole nation…his life is an example for future generations regarding how we can rise above struggles and achieve greater heights,” PM Modi said in his address.
“He will always be remembered as an honest man, a great economist and a leader who dedicated himself to reforms. As an economist, he provided a lot of services to the nation. During a challenging time, he served as RBI Governor…when he was finance minister in the cabinet of former PM Bharat Ratna PV Narasimha Rao, he gave the country that was reeling under economic crisis, a new direction in terms of economy,” he added.
PM Modi visited Singh’s residence on Friday morning to offer condolences to his family and pay his last respects. In a statement on X, PM Modi said, “India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders.”
Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda, and Congress leaders, including KC Venugopal, were among those who paid homage to the former Prime Minister. Earlier in the day, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi visited the residence to offer their tributes.
The mortal remains of Singh will be kept at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi on Saturday morning from 8:00 to 10:00 for public viewing. His last rites will be performed near Rajghat, the traditional cremation site for former prime ministers.
Manmohan Singh, born on September 26, 1932 in Punjab of undivided India, left an indelible mark on the nation as an economist and statesman.
Known as the architect of India’s economic liberalisationhe served as finance minister in PV Narsimha Rao’s government, introducing 1991 reforms that opened India’s economy to global markets and ended a major hindrance to economy, the Licence Raj in India.
His tenure as India’s 13th Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, the longest after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, saw landmark legislations such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the Right to Information Act (RTI), and the Right to Education Act (RTE).
His career as bureaucrat has also been remarkable. The Centre conferred Manmohan Singh with second highest civilian honour, Padma Vibhushanin 1987.
Singh also served as the RBI governor from 1982 to 1985 and retired from active politics earlier this year after 33 years as a Rajya Sabha member.
