- If the Indian citizens ever remain grateful to a few leaders for transforming their lives from the cusps of abject poverty into meaningful and dignified ones then the major credit should accrue to none other than the gentleman academician-technocrat-politician ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The doyen of the Indian economic scenario and the man rightly credited for overhauling the stuttering country’s credentials for ushering with revolutionary but pragmatic measures to bail us out. Singh not only presented the most far-reaching budget in 1991 but also proceeded to initiate the much-discussed measures like globalization and liberalization with such nonchalance, finesse, and quiet authority. The economic giant has left this world for another one.
PC: Hindustan Times
- The roles donned by Dr. Manmohan Singh – ex-RBI Governor, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, UGC Chairman, and most importantly the finance minister altering the growth trajectory of the Indian economy for the better with deft measures during the time of crisis is indisputable. Singh was everything rolled into one ushering in certain economic initiatives when the country needed it most. That he was hand-picked by none other than one of the most intelligently intellectual politicians the country has ever seen in the form of ex-Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao as his finance minister during the 1990s makes it one fascinating story. The two giants of Indian political history delivered when it mattered most through deft maneuvers.
PC: The Hindu
- The Grand Old Party chose the soft-spoken academician-technocrat-economist to head the Finance Ministry in the history of the country as one of the most transformative and epochal moments. Here, the country must also recount the indelible contributions of Narasimha Rao for choosing Singh to head the crucial ministry when many appeared disinclined. What followed subsequently will go in the annals of Indian economic history as pathbreaking. If India stands at the cusp of being termed one of the fifth largest economies in the world, the credit for sowing those seeds way back in the 1990s goes to the Singh-Rao combination. The opening up of the market then paved the way for all the unbelievable transformations being witnessed now.
PC: The Financial Express
The Indian citizens cannot be blamed for thinking that the revered Singh was not fully accorded respect by the party he represented not only as the finance minister but also as a two-term Prime Minister. His stunning ascension to the highest executive office in the country was followed by an equally memorable comeback win on the back of an able administration in the first term. Sadly, Singh’s second tenure as PM was marked by several scams of humongous proportions besmirching his administration but the man’s reputation remained untainted. Singh’s integrity, honesty, and commitment to further the cause of the country were never questioned including political class cutting across party affiliations. RIP Sir! The country is ever indebted to you!
