New Delhi:
Weeks before leaving office as Prime Minister in 2014, Dr Manmohan Singh made a statement that would be repeated even after his death. “I honestly believe history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media or for that matter, the Opposition parties in Parliament,” he said, responding to NDTV’s Sunil Prabhu who asked Dr Singh about his perceived inability to rein in ministers and act decisively in certain situations.
This response, dismissed by some at the time as self-assurance amid mounting criticism, has gained resonance following his death last night at the age of 92
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Dr Singh died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. As condolences pour in from across party lines, his legacy as a silent architect of India’s economic reforms is being revisited.
“I honestly believe that history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media, or for that matter, the Opposition parties in Parliament,” Dr Manmohan Singh said in 2014. Just ten years later, he is already being proven right,” wrote Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.
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Similarly, BRS leader KT Rama Rao described Dr Singh as a “silent architect of modern India”.
“A silent architect of modern India, a visionary, a true intellectual, and a gracious human being! History will indeed be kinder and grateful to you. My heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh ji. His legacy will continue to inspire many generations to come,” Mr Rao said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, reflecting on Dr Singh’s impact on the liberalisation of India’s economy, said, “For someone like me, born in the 90s, the opening up of India to the world and vice versa was like growing up in a decade where each day was new.
He credited Dr Singh with putting India on the global stage and recalled his dignified response to criticism during his tenure.
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“He truly put our nation on a world stage. As he said about himself while taking on all the unfounded criticism, ‘history would be kinder’, we as Indians truly believe, that the present too will be kinder to his statesman-like legacy, as we all bid him a sorrowful goodbye,” Mr Thackeray said.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge paid homage to Dr Singh’s enduring legacy, echoing his 2014 statement. “Undoubtedly, history shall judge you kindly, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji!” Mr Kharge posted on social media.
Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPIML leader, recalled the allegations and criticisms that Dr Singh faced during his tenure. “He was grilled for scams that would never be proved, for his reticence that’d be held against him as a sign of weakness. But today India will perhaps agree to his 2014 remark: ‘history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media’,” Mr Bhattacharya stated.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy described Dr. Singh as “one of the greatest economists, leaders, reformers, and above all, a humanitarian of our times.”
“He showed how decency and class are much needed aspects of political & public life. He is a legend in whose passing away, India has lost a great son. Truly, in his own words, history will treat him far more kindly, and respectfully, than his own times perhaps did. My prayers and deepest condolence for the bereaved family members.” Mr Reddy added.
Dr Singh’s quiet demeanour often masked the monumental impact of his policies. As Finance Minister in the early 1990s, he spearheaded economic reforms that liberalised India’s economy, paving the way for rapid growth and global integration. His tenure as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014 saw significant achievements, including the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement and an ambitious expansion of social welfare programs.
