Demand for Bharat Ratna for Dr Manmohan Singh grows louder

On the day of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's final journey, calls for him to be posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, gained significant momentum. These demands were voiced with the laying of the wreath at the state funeral where people, including prominent political figures, paid tribute to his legacy.

As Singh’s coffin was bedecked with wreaths, chants of "Manmohan Singh ko Bharat Ratna do (give Manmohan Singh the Bharat Ratna)" went up, reflecting the deep respect many have for his contributions to India.

Several politicians, including Punjab Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa, Telangana chief minister A. Revanth Reddy, Congress MLC T. Jeevan Reddy, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and general-secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh publicly demanded that Singh be honoured with the Bharat Ratna.

They argued that his transformative role in India's economic reforms, particularly his stewardship in liberalising the economy in the 1990s and his tenure as prime minister from 2004-14, had a lasting impact on India's growth and global standing.

1. Singh is often credited with steering India's economy through significant challenges, leading economic reforms and managing global relations. Despite his low-key, technocratic leadership style, many view him as one of the architects of India’s modern economy. These tributes and demands underscore the reverence Singh commands, particularly from those who believe his economic policies laid the foundation for the country's future prosperity.

Former Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) emphasised the significant role Singh played during his tenure. KCR highlighted that the formation of Telangana, a historic milestone in Indian politics, occurred under Singh's leadership, acknowledging his crucial support in the creation of the new state in 2014.

KCR's remarks underscore the pivotal role Singh played in ensuring that the process of bifurcating Andhra Pradesh to create Telangana was handled with care and consideration, paving the way for the state’s formation. This gesture of respect from KCR reflects the lasting impact of Singh’s tenure, especially in the context of regional aspirations and the sensitive political landscape at the time.

In response to Singh's passing, KCR directed his BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samithi) leaders to attend the former prime minister's state funeral, further demonstrating the respect and recognition Singh received across political parties, particularly for his contributions to national and regional issues like Telangana's formation.

On Saturday, speaking at the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) office, Congress leader Jeevan Reddy praised Singh for his crucial role in steering India’s economy during his tenure. Reddy emphasised that Singh’s leadership was instrumental in guiding the country through significant economic reforms and challenges.

He particularly highlighted the former PM’s involvement in key initiatives that transformed India's socio-economic landscape, pointing to Singh’s role in launching several important programmes including the farm loan waiver aimed at providing financial relief to farmers, and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which aimed to provide rural employment and reduce poverty.

Reddy also acknowledged Singh’s contributions to the Right to Information Act, which empowered citizens and promoted transparency, as well as the establishment of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which laid the foundation for the Aadhaar project, further modernising the country’s identity and welfare systems.

Meanwhile, Reddy made the demand for a Bharat Ratna while moving a condolence motion to begin the special session convened to pay tributes to the late leader. Members cutting across party lines paid rich tributes to Singh and recalled his close association with Telangana.

Principal opposition party BRS fully supported the demand for conferring Bharat Ratna on Singh. BRS leader K. T. Rama Rao said they believe that the late leader deserves the highest honour.

CM Revanth Reddy also suggested that a statue of the late PM be installed in the financial district in Hyderabad to honour his memory and in recognition of the close association he had with Telangana. The chief minister said installing the statue at a prominent place would enable people to pay tributes to the late leader on his birth and death anniversaries and take inspiration from him.

Terming Manmohan Singh’s demise a great loss for the country, Revanth Reddy noted that the people of Telangana will always remember him as he fulfilled their 60-year-old dream of a Telangana state.

Revanth Reddy recalled that it was at Mahabubnagar that as prime minister, Singh had launched the MGNREGS for 100 days of assured employment in a year. He said Singh also launched the unique identity number Aadhaar, which brought a social revolution in the country. It was also Singh who brought in legislations like Food Security and Right to Information.

He also brought in the Forest Rights Act in 2006, and enacted the Land Acquisition law in 2013 for fair compensation to people losing their lands. The simplified policies introduced by him brought a transformation in the country.

Revanth Reddy recalled that Singh had joined the protest by MPs to safeguard democracy. He said that he would always remember those moments.

KTR recalled that when "son of Telangana" P. V. Narasimha Rao was prime minister, he brought Dr Manmohan Singh into the government through lateral entry. Singh, who had served in the Reserve Bank of India, was made the finance minister.

Terming the late leader a great economist, the BRS leader said in his very first Budget speech in 1991, Singh had stated that the entire world would hear about India.

With IANS inputs