New Delhi: The last rites of former prime minister Manmohan Singh would be performed at Nigambodh Ghat on Saturday with full State honours as the nation united in paying rich tributes to the departed leader at his residence a day after his death.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have the funeral of Singh at a place where his memorial can be built. He also said it would be befitting a leader of Singh’s stature and in keeping with past traditions of having memorials of statesmen and former prime ministers at the very place of their funerals.
The government communicated the decision about Singh’s funeral.
“It has been decided by the Government that State funeral will be accorded to Dr. Manmohan Singh. The funeral will take place at 11:45 am on 28th December, 2024 at Nigambodh Ghat, New Delhi,” the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a communication.
The mortals remains of Singh will be kept at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters for an hour from 8.30 am for the people and Congress workers to pay their obeisance.
Singh’s final journey will commence from the headquarters to the cremation ground at 9.30 am on Saturday, party general secretary K C Venugopal said.
“At 8 am tomorrow, December 28, his mortal remains will be taken to the AICC headquarters where the public and Congress workers will have the opportunity to offer their tributes between 8.30 am and 9.30 am. Dr Singh’s final journey to the heavenly abode will commence from the AICC HQ to the cremation ground at 9.30 am tomorrow,” Venugopal said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was among the first ones to pay homage to Singh and lay a wreath on Friday, said his predecessor’s death was a big loss and the nation has lost an eminent statesman, renowned economist and a distinguished leader.
Draped in the Tricolour, Singh’s body was placed at his 3, Motilal Nehru Road, residence — the sprawling bungalow in Lutyens’ Delhi that served as his retirement abode for over 10 years, where people made a beeline to pay their last respects.
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 Gursharan Kaur and three daughters.
Singh’s wife, his daughter and other family members were present besides the body.
The government has announced a seven-day State mourning as a mark of respect to the former prime minister.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal expressed shock and disbelief over the Centre not acceding to the request of Singh’s family for cremation at a place where an “appropriate and historic memorial” may be built to commemorate his “unparalleled services to the nation”.
“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,” Badal said in a post on X.
Hours after the Union cabinet condoled the death of Singh and hailed his contribution to the nation, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) met in the evening to mourn the loss of a “true statesman” and said his life and work profoundly shaped the destiny of India.
Despite the inclement weather, leaders from across party lines and common people made a beeline to have a glimpse of the departed leader who was respected the world over.
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar were among the top dignitaries who paid homage in the morning. Former president Ram Nath Kovind also paid his last respects in the evening.
Several other leaders — Union ministers, chief ministers and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Kharge and Rahul Gandhi — also paid their tributes to the former two-term prime minister.
In a video message, Modi recalled Singh’s life journey after his family migrated to India following Partition and said his 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.
“As prime minister, his contribution to the country’s development and progress will always be remembered,” he added.
The Union cabinet also passed a resolution that said, “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.”
Describing Singh as a towering figure in India’s political and economic landscape, the CWC resolution said his contributions transformed the country and earned him respect worldwide.
“Through his policies of deregulation, privatization, and the encouragement of foreign investment, he laid the foundation for India’s rapid economic growth. Under his stewardship, India emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, a testament to his brilliance and vision,” the CWC said.
Sonia Gandhi termed Singh’s demise as a “personal loss”, saying he was her friend, philosopher and guide and that in his death, the party has lost a leader who was the epitome of wisdom, nobility and humility.
Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman and BJP president J P Nadda were among those 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.
Uttar Pradesh minister Asim Arun, who served as Singh’s close protection officer for nearly three years during his tenure as a Special Protection Group (SPG) officer, shared his experiences and insights into Singh’s personality, emphasising his simple lifestyle and connection with the common man. He also shared an anecdote of Singh’s attachment to his Maruti Suzuki 800 personal car, reflecting his simplicity.
His UPA government introduced path-breaking initiatives such as the Right to Information Act, Right to Education Act and the MNREGA.
