Tearful farewell to Dr Singh today

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the top dignitaries who paid homage to former prime minister Manmohan Singh at his residence here on Friday. Several leaders cutting across party lines, including Union ministers and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, also paid their tributes to the former two-term prime minister who died on Thursday night.

President Murmu and Vice President Dhankhar visited the residence of Singh and paid their last respects to him and met his wife and other family members. Prime Minister Modi, who also laid a wreath, described his predecessor's death as a big loss to the nation, asserting that his commitment to the people and for the country's development would always be respected.

In a video message, Modi recalled Singh's life journey after his family migrated to India following Partition and noted that he left everything behind but his numerous achievements since then were no mean feat.

Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms and a consensus builder in the rough world of politics, died at AIIMS, Delhi, late on Thursday. He was 92. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.

The Union cabinet at its meeting held under PM Modi also condoled Singh's passing and hailed him as an eminent statesman and a distinguished leader who left an imprint on national life. During a meeting chaired by Modi, the cabinet observed a two-minute silence in honour of the departed soul and adopted a Condolence Resolution in the memory of Singh. "Dr Manmohan Singh has left his imprint on our national life.

In his passing away, the Nation has lost an eminent statesman, renowned economist and a distinguished leader,” the resolution read. The government has announced a seven-day State mourning as a mark of respect to the former prime minister.

Draped in the Tricolour, Singh’s body was brought to his 3, Motilal Nehru Road, residence -- the sprawling bungalow in Lutyens’ Delhi that served as his retirement abode for the last over 10 years ever since he relinquished charge as prime minister.

Several leaders paid their last respects to the former prime minister in the presence of his wife Gursharan Kaur and other family members. Singh would be cremated on Saturday and his final journey will commence from the AICC headquarters at 9.30 am on Saturday, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said.

Modi said Singh’s life would always serve as a lesson for the future generations on how someone can rise above deprivation and struggles to attain the heights of success. Noting that he served in various capacities in the government, the prime minister said Singh put the country on a new economic path as finance minister in the government headed by P V Narasimha Rao. “As prime minister, his contribution to the country’s development and progress will always be remembered,” he added. Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, and BJP president J P Nadda also paid their tributes to Singh. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also came to Delhi to pay their last respects to the former prime minister. Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav also paid their last respects to Singh. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale condoled his passing, saying his contributions to Bharat would always be remembered.

Born to Gurmukh Singh and Amrit Kaur on September 26, 1932 in Gah village of the Punjab province of undivided India (now Pakistan), Singh passed his matriculation examination in 1948. His family migrated to Amritsar after Partition in 1948 after living shortly in Haldwani. Singh completed his intermediate and graduation in economics from the Hindu College here before moving out of the city to pursue higher studies in Panjab University’s Hoshiarpur campus.

His academic career took him from Punjab to the University of Cambridge, UK, where he earned a First Class Honours degree in Economics. Singh followed this with a DPhil in Economics from Nuffield College of Oxford University. Singh’s half-brother Surjit Singh Kohli said the former prime minister had deep affection for his grandmother, who raised him following his mother’s death when he was very young.

After migrating to India, the Singh family settled in a small rented house in Amritsar till he graduated. A few years ago, Singh attended the convocation-cum-alumni meet of the Hindu College in Amritsar as chief guest and interacted with the staff like an ordinary person, reminiscing old memories, retired Hindu College professor Rajinder Loomba said. Raj Kumar (71), an Amritsar resident, told PTI Videos that Singh used to live in Petha Wala Bazaar near the Golden Temple.

The house where the Singh family lived is in a dilapidated state now, Kumar said. Some locals recalled Singh as someone who always took pains for Amritsar, saying the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government he headed sanctioned several projects for the holy city. His passing also witnessed people from various fields sharing their anecdotes about him. The social media was flooded with pictures that people posted along with the former prime minister and shared their memories with fondness and nostalgia.