Goodbye, Manmohan

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who helped redefine India’s place in the world, was cremated with full state honours here today in the presence of top dignitaries from the country and abroad.

Singh’s eldest daughter Upinder Singh lit his funeral pyre at the Nigambodh Ghat crematorium in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, central ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, and Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were among those present.

Draped in the Tricolour, Singh’s body was carried through the national capital on a flower-decked carriage pulled by a ceremonial Army truck. Priests and family members recited religious hymns from the Gurbani while chants of “Satnam Waheguru” filled the air as Singh was cremated according to Sikh rituals.

Before Singh’s mortal remains were consigned to flames, the security forces gave a salute of three volleys of small arms and the buglers sounded the “Last Post” as a mark of honour for the former two-term PM, who ruled the country from 2004 to 2014. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and the chiefs of the tri-services also laid wreaths on the former PM’s mortal remains. Several Chief Ministers, including Siddaramaiah (Karnataka), Revanth Reddy (Telangana), Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh) and Atishi (Delhi), besides Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, also attended the last rites.

Earlier in the day, Singh’s body was taken to the AICC headquarters where hundreds of his admirers and party supporters paid their last respects. Senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, paid tributes by draping Singh’s body in the party flag. Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur and one of their daughters also laid a wreath on his body at the AICC headquarters. Singh’s three daughters—Upinder Singh, Daman Singh and Amrit Singh—along with other relatives were present.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also accompanied the procession, sitting alongside Singh’s relatives in an Army truck just ahead of the casket carrying the former PM’s mortal remains. Later, Rahul was also among those who carried Singh’s body to the pyre.

The vehicle carrying the mortal remains had left Singh’s residence a little before 9 am. The procession moved forward amid chants of “Manmohan Singh amar rahe”. A number of Congress workers and leaders, along with hundreds of Singh’s well-wishers, walked along chanting “jab tak suraj-chand rahega, tab tak tera naam rahega”. Demands for honouring Singh with Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of the country, were also raised during the procession.

Singh had died of age-related complications on the night of December 26. He was 92. He had been in poor health for the last few months.