- Sunday, December 29, 2024
On X, Anwar Ibrahim described Manmohan Singh as “slightly awkward as a politician but undeniably upright, steadfast and resolute as a statesman”
By: India Weekly
MALAYSIAN prime minister Anwar Ibrahim wrote a moving tribute to Manmohan Singh Friday (27), recalling how the Indian leader offered scholarships for his children while he was in prison.
On X, he described the former prime minister, who died Thursday, as “the midwife of India’s emergence as one of the world’s economic giants”.
And also as “my mitra, my bhai, Manmohan”.
Though Anwar declined the offer, he was clearly moved by the gesture. The Malaysian leader was in jail from 1999 to 2004, when his sentence was overturned.
During this period, Singh was Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha.
“Dr Manmohan Singh, slightly awkward as a politician but undeniably upright, steadfast and resolute as a statesman, leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations to come,” he posted.
“To me, he will be all that and much more. Not many people know this, and it is time that I share it with Malaysians: during the years of my incarceration, he extended a kindness that he didn’t have to… He offered scholarships for my children, particularly my son, Ihsan.
“Although I had declined the gracious offer, such a gesture undoubtedly showed his extraordinary humanity and generosity, demonstrative, as the Bard would have it, of a man so full of “the milk of human kindness,” the Malaysian PM posted.
“In those dark days, as I navigated the labyrinth of imprisonment, he stood by me as a true friend. Such acts of quiet magnanimity defined him, and they will remain etched in my heart forever. Goodbye, my mitra, my bhai, Manmohan,” he wrote.
Anwar began by describing his overwhelming grief over the death. “The weight of grief bears down on me at the news of the passing of my honoured and cherished friend: Dr Manmohan Singh.”
“Obituaries, essays and books a plenty there will surely be about this great man, celebrating him as the architect of India’s economic reforms. As Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh was the midwife of India’s emergence as one of the world’s economic giants,” he said.
A true statesman: Biden
Mourning the passing of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, US president Joe Biden has called him “a true statesman” and credited his strategic vision and political courage for the unprecedented level of bilateral cooperation.
Singh, who was India’s prime minister for 10 years from 2004 to 2014 died in New Delhi on Thursday night. He was 92.
“The unprecedented level of cooperation between the United States and India today would not have been possible without the prime minister’s strategic vision and political courage,” Biden said in a statement as he and the First Lady, Jill Biden, joined the people of India in grieving the loss of the former prime minister.
“From forging the US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement to helping launch the first Quad between Indo-Pacific partners, he charted path-breaking progress that will continue to strengthen our nations—and the world—for generations to come. He was a true statesman. A dedicated public servant. And above all, he was a kind and humble person,” Biden said.
The outgoing US President said he had the chance to meet prime minister Singh as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2008 and as Vice President during his Official State Visit to the United States in 2009.
“He also graciously hosted me in New Delhi in 2013. As we discussed then, the US-India relationship is among the most consequential in the world. And together, as partners and friends, our nations can unlock a future of dignity and unlimited potential for all of our people,” Biden said.
“During this difficult time, we recommit to this vision to which Prime Minister Singh dedicated his life. And Jill and I send our deepest condolences to former First Lady Gursharan Kaur, their three children, and all the people of India,” Biden said.
Singh risked political future: Condoleezza Rice
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh was a great leader who helped to put US-India relations on a “fundamentally new footing” with the landmark Civilian Nuclear Agreement between the two nations, former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said.
“I am very saddened to learn of the passing of India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh – a great man and a great leader who helped to put US-Indian relations on a fundamentally new footing with the landmark US-India Civilian Nuclear Agreement of 2008,” Rice said in a post on X on Friday.
Rice, 70, was Secretary of State from 2005 to 2009 and before that she served as the National Security Advisor from 2001 to 2005, both under the then President George W Bush. Those eight years are seen as years that transformed the India-US relationship, in particular the landmark civil nuclear deal that was initiated jointly by Singh and Bush.
“Prime Minister Singh risked his political future and then remade his government to gain the support needed to secure a deal that would ultimately change the geopolitical trajectory of the region and have far-reaching implications for decades to come. I extend my deepest condolences to the people of India for this great loss – may he rest in eternal peace,” Rice said.
In a post on X, Gita Gopinath, the First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, wrote that Singh’s 1991 budget “unshackled India’s economy, significantly enhancing the economic prospects for hundreds of millions of Indians”.
She said Singh’s visionary reforms inspired countless young economists like her.
Trudeau lauds Manmohan Singh
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Singh’s passing is a loss for India and the world.
“As one of its longest-serving leaders, he transformed the country’s economy, lifted millions out of poverty, and built strong bridges with the world — including Canada,” he said.
‘Appreciate Singh’s support for Palestine’
Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, the charge d’affaires of the Palestine embassy in India, on Saturday paid his last respects to former prime minister Manmohan Singh and appreciated his support to Palestine.
Jazer said Singh played a key role in Palestine getting land for its embassy in Delhi.
“We have a history of relationships. He (Singh) met Yasser Arafat in 1991 when he was finance minister, he met (State of Palestine) President Mahmoud Abbas several times throughout his tenure,” the diplomat told reporters outside the Congress headquarters where he paid tribute to the former prime minister on behalf of Palestine.
He also laid a wreath on behalf of the president of the State of Palestine.
“We had good relations with him (Singh). He met our president several times during his tenure. He also provided land for establishing the Palestinian embassy in Delhi, gave support to build the embassy, and also inaugurated it in 2012,” Jazer said.
“We appreciate his support to Palestine, we are remembering his contributions. We stand with the Indian people to show our respect for the leader,” he added. (PTI)
