The Tribune Exclusive: Govt picks Rashtriya Smriti Sthal for MMS memorial, family seeks clarity on proposal

In the first remarks since the issue of the Manmohan Singh memorial came up, the late Prime Minister’s family on Tuesday said it needed more time to consider how to create a meaningful memorial to the departed leader.

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Speaking exclusively to The Tribune today, Daman Singh, daughter of the late PM, confirmed that the government had earmarked a site at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and engaged the family on the same.

Need to understand terms & conditions

We have asked the government for certain clarifications & are waiting for a response. We still need to understand the precise terms and conditions. Daman Singh, Daughter of late PM Manmohan Singh

“The government has earmarked a specific site within the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal where our family may wish to construct and manage a suitable memorial for Dr Manmohan Singh,” Singh told this correspondent.

She also told The Tribune that the family still needs to understand the precise terms and conditions of the proposal of the Centre and had sought clarity from the Centre on this issue.

“In fact, we have asked the government for certain clarifications and are waiting for a response,” she said. The family’s first response on the Manmohan Singh memorial issue comes six days after Union Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said good news on the issue was around the corner.

Daman Singh also added that Dr Manmohan Singh passed away only over two weeks ago and the family has hardly had time to grieve.

“We need some more time to think seriously about how to create a meaningful memorial for him,” she said in signs that the matter of finalisation of the Manmohan Singh memorial was in the preliminary stages. The Rashtriya Smriti Sthal where the Centre has proposed a specific site for the Manmohan Singh memorial is located at the Samadhis Complex near Ekta Sthal in New Delhi. It was constructed to establish a dedicated place to perform the last rites of departed national leaders namely Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Prime Ministers and other leaders as decided by the Cabinet.

Late PMs IK Gujral and Atal Behari Vajpayee were cremated here and their memorials also came up here.

Manmohan Singh’s last rites were however held at Nigambodh Ghat in a departure from the norm which was widely criticised by the Congress and even Shiromani Akali Dal leader Naresh Gujral. The late PM had died at AIIMS, New Delhi, on December 26 last year.

On January 2, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Katikithala Srinivas had met with the family of former PM Manmohan Singh in the national capital to discuss the government’s suggestions with regard to suitable sites for the memorial. The family was to get back to the government on the issue.

Rashtriya Smriti Sthal is the same place where a memorial for late President Pranab Mukherjee was also announced last week.

This site had been developed in line with a decision taken by the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government.

A May 2013 Cabinet decision in this regard said, “In the past, separate memorials to national leaders were created near Rajghat which covered a large space. In view of the Cabinet decision taken in 2000 that henceforth, the government shall not develop any samadhi for departed leaders and the paucity of land at the Samadhis Complex area, the Rashtriya Smriti is being developed to perform last rites of national leaders. The Smriti area shall provide space for the last rites of national leaders in the future, besides space for a public gathering.”