Manmohan Singh was cremated with full state honours and a 21-gun salute at New Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat on Saturday, December 28. The former Indian PM breathed his last on December 26. His eldest daughter, Upinder Singh, lit the funeral pyre amidst the chanting of Sikh religious hymns.
PM Narendra Modi led the troop of top leaders across party lines who flocked to offer final tributes to the two-time PM.
Earlier in the day, the final journey of former PM Singh began from the Congress headquarters, where party leaders gathered to pay their respects to the architect of India’s economic liberalisation. His body was carried in a flower-adorned vehicle, with a solemn procession through the national capital as supporters chanted, ‘Manmohan Singh amar rahe (Manmohan Singh lives forever)’.
Hundreds of Congress workers, leaders, and supporters walked alongside the procession, with senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accompanying Singh’s family.
The final rites were attended by President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and other senior political leaders, along with foreign dignitaries.
Among those present were the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, and Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful, both of whom paid their respects to Singh.
Amidst a war of words between the BJP and Congress, the Centre agreed to allocate space for a memorial for the late leader. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had written to PM Modi and Union Home Minister, requesting that Singh’s last rites be performed at a site where a memorial could be established.
The Centre has declared a seven-day national mourning period, lasting until January 1, during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast across the country, including at all Indian missions and high commissions. A half-day holiday will also be observed in central government offices and Central Public Sector Undertakings on Saturday, December 28.
