'Manmohan Singh was one of the greatest champions of US India strategic partnership': Blinken
San Francisco (PTI): The US has offered its condolences on the passing of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling him "one of the greatest champions of the bilateral strategic partnership."
Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms, died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on Thursday night. He was 92.
He is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur, a history professor, and three daughters.
“Dr Singh was one of the greatest champions of the US-India strategic partnership, and his work laid the foundation for much of what our countries have accomplished together in the past two decades,” US Secretary of State Tony Blinken said.
Offering sincere condolences to the people of India for the passing of Singh, Blinken said the leadership of the former prime minister in advancing the US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement signified a major investment in the potential of the US-India relationship.
“At home, Dr Singh will be remembered for his economic reforms that spurred India’s rapid economic growth. We mourn Dr Singh’s passing and will always remember his dedication to bringing the United States and India closer together,” Blinken said.
Saddened by the death of Singh, Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna said the former prime minister will always be remembered for his pioneering economic reforms that led to India's economic growth.
“I was proud to work with the Bush administration on securing the US-India Nuclear Deal and have a letter thanking me for my work on that from Prime Minister Singh in my office. He will always have my respect and admiration,” Khanna told PTI.
Sending his heartfelt condolences to the family of the former prime minister and to the people of India on his passing, Atul Keshap, president of US India Business Council said Singh played a key role in elevating US-India ties and modernising the relationship and embarking both democracies on a steady path of strategic, economic, and technological convergence.
“Through his sustained leadership in achieving the transformative agreement on civilian nuclear energy cooperation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was rightly regarded as an architect of the modern bilateral relationship,” Keshap said.
Noting that Singh’s vision, teachings and leadership will be lessons for posterity, the board of US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) said the former prime minister was a scholar, statesman, and a venerated leader, and dedicated his life to serving the nation and enriching the lives of a billion plus Indians.
“Dr Singh was an eminent economist and a doyen of India’s economic transformation. The seminal moment in India’s leap to an economic powerhouse came in 1991 when Dr Singh then serving as the country’s Finance Minister, and under the stewardship of Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, both shepherded India through an economic morass,” USISPF said.
They spearheaded bold economic reforms that liberalised the country’s economy, paved the way for investors, and set the nation on a path of accelerated growth and global integration, it said.
“Dr Singh deeply believed in the US-India partnership and his unwavering commitment to strengthening ties left an indelible mark on both nations. None more so, than the historic US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement signed in 2007, which symbolised a new era of trust and collaboration and set both Washington and New Delhi on the path to forging the most consequential relationship of the 21st century,” it said.
“Dr Singh’s eternal belief in the shared values of democracy and mutual respect brought the United States and India closer together and his contributions to the relationship remain a cornerstone of his legacy,” it said.
“As Prime Minister for a decade from 2004 to 2014, Dr Singh guided India through a period of rapid development, social progress, and global recognition. His tenure was marked by transformative policies improving the lives of millions of people across India,” USISPF noted.
“But above all, generations of Indians and historians will remember a stalwart, who was a beacon of humility, an intellectual giant who never lost sight of the common man. On behalf of the Board of USISPF, we extend our deepest condolences to Mrs. Gursharan Kaur, Dr Singh’s family, friends, and the people of India during this time of profound loss. We honour his memory and celebrate his immense contributions to India’s progress and the strengthening of US-India relations,” USISPF said.
Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he was saddened to learn of the passing of his former colleague, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
“He was an individual of exceptional intelligence, integrity, and wisdom. Laureen and I wish to convey our condolences to all his family and friends,” he said.
“If India and the US have overcome some of the hesitations of history, Dr Manmohan Singh deserves considerable credit. Today, folks talk of cooperation ranging from deep sea to space; it wouldn't have been possible without the risks he was willing to take,” said Tanvi Madan from the Brookings Institute think-tank.
George Abraham, vice-chair of the Indian Overseas Congress, said Singh will be fondly remembered for his outstanding contributions to India's economic and social development.
“Dr Manmohan Singh was the Chief Architect of India's new economy. He has taken a centrally planned, inward-looking, public sector-centred economy and reversed its direction. What he has accomplished is just phenomenal. This dramatic change paints a picture of a man who is some sort of a revolutionary. If India has entered the 21st century, Dr. Manmohan Singh has much to do with it,” Abraham said.
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Not having memorial for Manmohan Singh deliberate insult to India's 1st Sikh PM: Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi, Dec 27: The Congress on Friday said that not finding a location for the cremation and memorial for Manmohan Singh is a deliberate insult to the country's first Sikh prime minister.
The Congress raked up the issue after the Union home ministry said in a statement that Singh's last rites will be held at New Delhi's Nigambodh Ghat at 11:45 AM on Saturday with full state honours.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said party president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to conduct Singh's last rites at a location where a memorial could be built to honour his legacy.
"The people of our country are simply unable to understand why the Government of India could not find a location for his cremation and memorial that is befitting of his global stature, record of outstanding achievements, and exemplary service to the nation for decades," Ramesh said in a post on X.
"This is nothing but a deliberate insult to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh," the Congress leader said.
Kharge wrote the letter after speaking to Modi about setting up a memorial for Singh, who was a two-term prime minister revered by the people of the country.
"Apropos our telephonic conversation today morning, wherein I made a request to hold Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for memorial of the great son of India.
"This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals," Kharge said in his two-page letter.
The Congress chief said Dr Manmohan Singh holds a highly revered place in the psyche of the country and the people of this nation, and his contributions and achievements were phenomenal.
He also said that Dr Singh's erudition on economic and fiscal matters came from his vast experience as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, chief economic advisor to the government of India and in various other capacities in several organisations, and the respect and regard that world leaders had for him bears testimony to this fact.
Kharge said Singh's wise counsel, leadership and contribution in mitigating the global economic financial crisis is well-acknowledged. He also recalled President Obama's words when as the US president, he mentioned that "whenever the Indian prime minister speaks, the whole world listens to him".
He also said that when the nation was in the throes of a grave economic crisis, it was Dr Manmohan Singh, along with former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, who took India out of the crisis and also led the country towards economic prosperity and stability.
The nation today reaps the benefits of the robust economic foundations built by them, Kharge noted.
"Coming from a humble background and having experienced the pains and sufferings of the Partition, it is through his sheer grit and determination that he rose to become one of the leading statesmen of the world. I hope and trust that befitting stature of Dr Manmohan Singh, request to have the funeral of Dr Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, will be acceded," Kharge said in the letter.
Congress Legislature Party leader in Punjab assembly Pratap Singh Bajwa also separately urged Prime Minister Modi to have Manmohan Singh's funeral at a place where a memorial could be built later in his honour.
"I urge Prime Minister @narendramodi to honour Dr Manmohan Singh, one of the most towering Sikhs of modern times, with a memorial befitting his immense contributions to our nation. Rising from humble beginnings in a historic state, representing a community that has always stood steadfast for India's unity and progress, Dr Singh's life is a testament to intellect, integrity, and selfless service," he posted on X.
Bajwa said Punjabis across faiths and political lines unite in their heartfelt plea to recognise this son of Punjab, who played an instrumental role in shaping India's destiny, with the respect he deserves.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed the Centre has "declined" the request of Manmohan Singh's family for performing the funeral and last rites at a place where an appropriate memorial may be built.
There is no official word from the government on Kharge's request.
However, Badal took to X to post, "Shocking and unbelievable! It is condemnable in the extreme that Union Govt has declined the request of Dr Manmohan Singh Ji's family for performing the funeral and last rites of the highly distinguished leader at a place where an appropriate and historic memorial may be built to commemorate his unparalleled services to the nation."
He further said this place should be Raj Ghat.
"This will be in keeping with the settled practice and tradition followed in the past," Badal said.
He said it is "inexplicable" why the government is "showing such disrespect to the great leader who was the only member of the Sikh community to rise to become the Prime Minister".
"As of now, the cremation is slated to be performed at the common cremation ground at Nigambodh ghat. I am unable to believe that the BJP govt's bias would go to such extremes in utter disregard of the towering global stature which Dr Manmohan Singh ji enjoyed and will always enjoy," Badal further said in his post.
He said Singh took the country to great international heights.
"Our political differences with the Congress apart, we have always held Dr Manmohan Singh in the highest esteem as he transcends politics and political affiliations. He belongs to the entire nation.
"Dr Sahib showed great sensitivity and compassion in his dealings with Shiromani Akali Dal over Sikh and Punjab issues," said Badal urging Modi to "intervene personally to change this deplorable decision of the government".
Singh passed away on Thursday night at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at the age of 92.
आज सुबह कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष ने प्रधानमंत्री को पत्र लिखकर प्रस्ताव दिया था कि पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह का अंतिम संस्कार ऐसे स्थान पर किया जाए जहां उनकी विरासत का सम्मान करने के लिए एक स्मारक बनाया जा सके।
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) December 27, 2024
हमारे देश के लोग यह नहीं समझ पा रहे हैं कि भारत सरकार उनके वैश्विक…
