'A kind person, a learned economist, a leader dedicated to reforms': PM Narendra Modi remembers Dr Manmohan Singh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed grief over the passing of the former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who breathed his last at the age of 92 in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the national capital the previous night. With Dr Singh's demise, the country lost a legendary statesman. Dr Singh had been in poor health for the last few months and is survived by his wife, Gurcharan Kaur Singh, and three daughters. PM Modi said that Dr Singh always rose above party politics, maintaining contact with individuals from all parties and being easily accessible to everyone, remembering the former PM's distinguished parliamentary career. Dr Singh's career was marked by his "humility, gentleness, and intellect", said Prime Minister Modi, who took over from Dr Singh in May 2014.

Dr Singh's life teaches future generations how to rise above adversity and achieve great heights, and he will always be remembered as "a kind person, a learned economist and a leader dedicated to reforms", said Prime Minister Modi in a video message from the national capital. 

Stating that Dr Singh's demise is a significant loss for the country, PM Modi said that "achieving success in every field of life is not an ordinary feat and Dr Singh was an achiever despite having lost much after he came to India during the partition".

Here are five takeaways from what PM Modi said about Dr Singh:  

"A kind person, a learned economist, a leader dedicated to reforms": PM Narendra Modi about Dr Manmohan Singh

Dr Singh will always be remembered as a kind person, a learned economist, and a leader dedicated to reforms, said Prime Minister Modi.  

"His contributions to nation development & progress will always be remembered": PM Narendra Modi about Dr Manmohan Singh  

Emphasising that Dr Singh's contributions to the nation's development and progress as PM will always be remembered, the current Prime Minister said that Dr Singh's commitment to the people and the country's development was always held in high regard.

He also praised Dr Singh's numerous contributions to the government at various levels as an economist, as RBI Governor and as Finance Minister.

"Dr Manmohan Singh guided India out of financial crisis": PM Narendra Modi remembers Dr Manmohan Singh  

"In the government of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Shri PV Narasimha Rao, Dr Manmohan Singh guided the country out of a financial crisis and onto a new economic path," said Prime Minister Modi. 

Dr Singh is widely recognised as the chief architect of the country's pivotal economic reforms in 1991, serving as Finance Minister under then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao.

"Honesty and simplicity": PM Narendra Modi remembers Dr Manmohan Singh

Dr Singh's distinguished parliamentary career was marked by his humility, gentleness, and intellect, remarked Prime Minister Modi.

Underscoring that Dr Singh's life was a reflection of his "honesty and simplicity", PM Modi highlighted that the former PM's distinguished parliamentary career was marked by his "humility, gentleness and intellect".

India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist. He served in various government positions as well, including as Finance Minister, leaving a strong imprint on our economic… pic.twitter.com/clW00Yv6oP

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 26, 2024

"Dr Manmohan Singh never forgot the values of his humble background": PM Narendra Modi

The Prime Minister remarked that despite receiving education from prestigious global institutions and holding top government positions, Dr. Singh never forgot the values of his humble background. 

Fondly remembering his open discussions with Dr Singh on national and international issues during his tenure as Chief Minister and later in the national capital, PM Modi expressed his condolences to Dr Singh's family and paid tribute to him on behalf of all citizens.