Usama Malick
Manmohan Singh-Ji, India’s first Sikh prime minister, was the child of partition. Opening his eyes in Gah, a small village located in the Chakwal district of Punjab, on 26th September 1932, he would not have imagined even in his wildest dreams that he would grow up to lead one of the most populous democracies of the world. The early years he spent on this side of the border remained etched in his memory, creating an everlasting bond between him and his birthplace.
Following his demise on December 26, 2024, his resume started making the rounds on social media. From matriculation to his doctorate, he completed every degree with first class honors. World-class educational institutes like Oxford and Cambridge university were among his alma maters. Though he was reticent and soft-spoken, his educational achievements speak volumes about his dedication and hard working nature. The year 1991 marked a period of severe economic crisis in India, primarily triggered by the Gulf War of 1990-91. During such tense time, Manmohan Singh-Ji was serving as the Minister of Finance (1991-96). With his economic astuteness and acumen, he turned out to be a beacon of hope for the sinking ship of Indian economy. When Manmohan Singh-Ji took over the charge of Finance ministry in the government of Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, Indian foreign reserves were only enough to clear the payments of two weeks of imports.
Under these challenging circumstances, Manmohan Singh-Ji presented the Union Budget of 1991-92. With his unflinching and audacious steps, he was determined to steer the country out of economic turmoil and define its trajectory. While delivering the budgets, he said, “No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come. I suggest to this august House that the emergence of India as a major economic power in the world happens to be one such idea”. Consequently, he came to be known as the architect of Indian economic reforms.
As a prime minister of Congress-led coalition governments from 2004 to 2014, Manmohan Singh-Ji was the first person from a minority community to hold the reins of the country. In 2004, he was nudged by Sonia Gandhi to occupy the office, as she feared that her Italian roots would give an excuse to the Hindu-Nationalists in opposition parties to berate the government. During his first term, his government witnessed an unprecedented economic growth, giving them an edge to introduce welfare projects and create jobs for the rural poor of the country.
Comparatively, he remained more active in his first term than the second one. He was a man of upright character and his credibility and integrity were never questioned. However, his second term was mired by allegations of corruption against some of his cabinet members. As opposed to his first term, he refrained from attending the news conferences and his public appearances gradually kept decreasing. To make things worse, the economic growth of India began slowing down. Corruption touched the new heights and jobs started shrinking in the market. Further complicating the situation, the criticism of his government also increased.
Amid all the political vendetta against his party, there was not a single instance where he tried to defend his position. He silently faced the criticism. Then, at a news conference, he declared that he would not like to run for a third term in office. While shedding light on his second term’s achievements, he added “I honestly believe that history will judge me more kindly than the contemporary media, or for that matter, the opposition parties in parliament did.” Despite all this, he remained an active member of Rajya Sabha (upper house of the parliament) for 33 years, ending his parliamentary journey in 2024.
Throughout his political career, Manmohan Singh-Ji remained an ardent supporter of achieving peace between India and Pakistan. As per a recent documentary by BBC, the former light blue-turbaned premier shared a deep connection with his birthplace. As long as he was alive, Gah had a special place in his heart. Remembering the premier, one of the senior villagers recounts that Manmohan Singh-Ji was a generous and human-loving person. In one of the letters to the villagers, Manmohan Singh-Ji mentioned the Jamia mosque, which was right beside his house. He said he would send a geyser for the mosque, as his Muslim brothers had to perform ablutions with cold water in winters. He fulfilled his promise and the geysers were installed in not just one but other mosques as well.
These qualities demonstrate that he was not only an exceptional leader but also a compassionate and remarkable individual. In today’s era, when the world is teeming with jingoistic leaders, humans are in dire need of peace-loving leaders like Manmohan Singh-Ji.
The writer is a freelance columnist.
