A man of exemplary honesty, simplicity
BACK in 1981, my PhD supervisor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Prof GS Bhalla, asked me to stay back in his office. He was expecting a visitor. Dr Manmohan Singh, then Member, Planning Commission, was scheduled to meet him around 2 pm.
When Dr Singh arrived, Prof Bhalla asked whether he would have tea or coffee. Dr Singh replied, “Thande paani da ik glass kaafi ae” (A glass of cold water will suffice).
During the brief visit, the talk between the two friends highlighted Dr Singh’s above-board dealings. He wanted to buy a plot in Delhi, but found it difficult to do so due to the terms and conditions of property dealers. When Prof Bhalla informed him that he would have to pay part of the money in black, Dr Singh said he could pay only by cheque — and would not buy any plot if that condition was not fulfilled.
Dr Singh’s punctuality was evident when he attended the wedding of Prof Bhalla’s daughter. He arrived on the dot at 7 pm. The host, still at his residence, asked me and a friend to rush to the venue and attend to him. When the professor also reached there, he told Dr Singh that it was too early; he could have come to the house instead. Dr Singh, with a smile on his face, simply replied that he had reached the venue on time, as mentioned in the invitation card. He stayed for 15 minutes or so, extended his good wishes to Prof Bhalla and left, having perhaps taken a cup of coffee.
I had two more occasions to have a glimpse of
Dr Singh after I joined the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), Chandigarh, in 2012 as RBI Chair Professor. He was a former president of the governing body of CRRID.
Once, he visited CRRID when he was the Prime Minister. All professors of the centre were invited for dinner with him. He interacted with them in an informal manner, getting to know about them and their work. His demeanour did not reflect even an iota of arrogance of the office he held. He was simplicity personified.
When he paid a visit to CRRID in 2019, the security arrangements were no longer very strict. This time, all professors were invited for lunch with him. Rashpal Malhotra, CRRID founder and a friend of Dr Singh, joked that one had to make a great effort to get words out of Sardar Saheb. He also said that the ex-PM listened very attentively and reacted only if required. Dr Singh just smiled.
Dr Manmohan Singh struck me as a man epitomising the adage — if speech is silver, silence is golden. Always measured in his words, cool, composed and down to earth, he came across as a man of exemplary honesty and integrity.
