Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi mourned the death of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh – who died late last night at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
At the age of 92 – in a short but deeply emotional statement released Friday evening. She hailed Dr Singh as “the epitome of wisdom, nobility, and humility” and confessed that his death had come as a personal loss.
“He was my friend, philosopher, and guide. He was so gentle in his manner but so resolute in his deeply-held convictions. His commitment to social justice, secularism, and democratic values was deep and unwavering. To spend any time with him was to come away enlightened by his knowledge and sagacity, moved by his honesty and integrity, and awed by his genuine humility,” she wrote.
“He leaves a void in our national life that can never be filled. We in the Congress Party, and the people of India, will forever be proud and grateful we had a leader like Dr Manmohan Singh.”
Ms Gandhi led an avalanche of tributes for Dr Singh, including similarly heartfelt notes from her son and daughter, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. In his message too Mr Gandhi said he had lost a “mentor and guide”, underlining the importance Dr Singh played within the Gandhi family.
Ms Gandhi Vadra said, “Few in politics inspire the kind of respect Manmohan Singhji did. His honesty will always be an inspiration… and he will forever stand tall among those who truly love this country.”
Dr Singh and Ms Gandhi, leading lights of the Congress through the glory days of the party-led UPA era, when it won back-to-back national elections, may have had very different roles but for a decision taken by the latter in May 2004 – to relinquish claim to the Prime Minister’s chair.
“I knew my limitations… I knew Manmohan Singh would be a better Prime Minister…” she said over a decade later, recollecting what had been a contentious, even controversial, decision.
Dr Singh, having already guided the economy through the liberalisation process as Finance Minister (from 1991 to 1996), returned to lead again, only this time it was the entire nation.
And those leadership qualities, known already to some, soon became apparent to the country, his critics and rivals, and the world. Ms Gandhi underlined this when she wrote, “A luminous and beloved guiding light for the Congress Party, his compassion and vision transformed and empowered the lives of millions of Indians… He was respected and admired by leaders and scholars all over the world.”
“Dr Manmohan Singh brought brilliance and distinction to every high office that he held (the long list of which included Governor of the Reserve Bank). And he brought pride and honour to India.”