(Image source from: x.com/INCIndia)
The late former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's final rites were performed with full state honors at the Nigambodh Ghat, a public cremation ground in Delhi. Several politicians, including President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and leaders from Congress, attended the funeral ceremony. Dr. Singh's body was first taken to the Congress headquarters in the capital. The government has declared a seven-day state mourning nationwide, and the Congress has cancelled its official programs for the next seven days to honor the former Prime Minister. There was a disagreement between the government and the Congress party over the allocation of space for Dr. Singh's memorial.
The letter requested the possibility of constructing a memorial for Dr. Singh at the same location where his final rites would be performed. The author mentioned their earlier phone conversation and stated that this would align with the tradition of having memorials for statesmen and former prime ministers at their funeral sites. However, a BJP spokesperson criticized the Congress party, stating it was ironic that they were now advocating for this tradition, when they had not built a memorial in Delhi for former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, who passed away in 2004 during the Congress-led UPA government's tenure.
The government has stated that a memorial space will be allocated for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. However, they mentioned that a trust needs to be formed and a location needs to be identified before the cremation and other formalities can proceed. Sharmistha Mukherjee, the daughter of the late former President Pranab Mukherjee, criticized the Congress party's demand for a separate memorial, noting that the party did not even hold a condolence meeting when her father passed away. Manmohan Singh, known as the architect of India's economic reforms, died at the age of 92 due to age-related medical issues after being in poor health for several months.
Dr. Singh obtained his Economics degree with the highest honors in 1957. He also earned an Economics degree from Nuffield College at Oxford University. Dr. Singh became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1991 and served as the Leader of the Opposition from 1998 to 2004. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honor, in 1987. Several world leaders, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, have expressed their condolences over Dr. Singh's passing.
