Former PM Manmohan Singh Passes Away, Mourned by the Nation

Manmohan Singh, often described as a "reluctant king" during his first term as prime minister, passed away on Thursday, December 26, at the age of 92. A soft-spoken leader, Singh served as India's prime minister from 2004 to 2014, making him one of the country's longest-serving leaders in recent history. Despite his quiet demeanor, his tenure marked some of the most significant strides in India's development, with Singh credited for guiding the nation through a period of remarkable economic growth and pulling millions out of poverty.

The first Sikh to hold the office of prime minister, Singh had been receiving treatment for age-related health issues prior to his death. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed the nation's grief, saying, "India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders."

Singh's early life was marked by hardship. Born in a poor family in what is now Pakistan, he studied by candlelight and earned a place at Cambridge University, later going on to Oxford, where he completed a doctorate on India's economy. A distinguished economist, Singh had no initial aspirations to enter politics. However, in 1991, he was appointed as India’s finance minister, a role in which he played a pivotal part in rescuing the country from a balance of payments crisis. His reforms, including deregulation and opening India to global trade, helped reshape the nation’s economic landscape.

Singh’s rise to the role of prime minister in 2004 was an unexpected turn in his political journey. Sonia Gandhi, leader of the Congress Party, chose Singh to head the government after a surprise electoral victory. Despite her own leadership role, Sonia, who was born in Italy, feared that her foreign ancestry would make her a target of criticism, prompting her to ask Singh, a respected economist, to take on the position.

Singh's legacy is one of quiet strength and transformative leadership, with his economic reforms playing a key role in propelling India into the global economic spotlight.