Nation bids adieu to Dr Singh

New Delhi: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who led India to the path of economic liberalisation in the 1990s, was cremated with full state honours here on Saturday in the presence of top dignitaries from the country and abroad. Singh's funeral pyre was lit by his eldest daughter, Upinder Singh, at the Nigambodh Ghat as family members, friends and dignitaries bid farewell to the reformist former prime minister. President Droupadi Murmu, the supreme commander of the armed forces, led the nation in paying last respects to the departed leader.

Priests and family members recited religious hymns from the holy Gurbani, while chants of "Satnam Waheguru" filled the air, as Singh was cremated according to Sikh rituals.

Before Singh's mortal remains were consigned to flames, the security forces gave a salute of three volleys of small arms and the buglers sounded the "Last Post" as a mark of honour for the former prime minister. At the Nigambodh Ghat, a sense of deep grief united the assembly featuring Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers and senior Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the foreign minister of Mauritius, Dhananjay Ramful, were among the foreign dignitaries who paid tributes to Singh, who served as the prime minister from 2004 to 2014. Singh (92) died on the night of December 26.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also paid their last tributes to the former prime minister and laid wreaths on his mortal remains. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and the chiefs of the tri-services also laid wreaths on the former prime minister's mortal remains. Several chief ministers, including Siddaramaiah (Karnataka), Revanth Reddy (Telangana), Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh) and Atishi (Delhi), besides Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, also attended the last rites of Singh.

Among the first ones to place a wreath on the mortal remains of the late prime minister was his political mentor, Sonia Gandhi, to whom he deferred his entire life even at the cost of criticism by political rivals.

It was Sonia Gandhi who, after powering the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to victory in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, stepped back from the prime minister's chair, nominating Singh to lead the coalition.

The quintessential economist went on to steer the nation for the next 10 years, a period that saw him end India's nuclear apartheid by pressing ahead with the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, despite resistance from the Left Front that was giving support to the UPA from outside. In a show of uncharacteristic firmness in 2008, Singh risked his government over the deal after the Left withdrew support. He faced and won a no-confidence vote in the Lok Sabha.

Entering the Rajya Sabha in 1991 as a member from Assam, Singh remained in the House of Elders till April 2024. His last innings in the Upper House was from Rajasthan, the only other state he ever represented besides Assam. Sources close to the family said "Akhand path" would be held at Singh's residence on January 1 and its "bhog" would be held on January 3. They said the Antim Ardas and kirtan for Singh would be conducted at the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj in the evening of January 3.