Manmohan Singh’s life and work, 1991-2014 will be a golden chapter in India’s history: Chidambaram
NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram said the life and work of Dr Manmohan Singh as well as the period from 1991 till 2014 would be a golden chapter in the history of India.
“His story has not been told fully. His achievements have not been recorded fully. I am sure when we look back upon the 23 years that Dr Singh was in active politics, we will realize his true contribution,” Chidambaram said.
“It is a deeply emotional moment for me to speak about Dr Manmohan Singh. The life and work of Dr Manmohan Singh and the period from 1991 till 2014 will be a golden chapter in the history of India. I worked closely with him for many years. I have not met a person more humble and self-effacing than Dr Singh. He wore his scholarship lightly and never claimed credit for any of his historic achievements,” Chidambaram, who served as finance minister in Singh’s government, said on X.
The story of India turned after Singh became finance minister, he said, adding that the present middle class of India was virtually the creation of his policies as finance minister and prime minister.
“Throughout his tenure, he had great empathy for the poor. He did not hide the fact that many millions of India are poor and reminded us that government’s policies must lean in favour of the poor. Examples of his empathy are MGNREGA and the restructuring of PDS and the extension of the mid-day meal scheme,” Chidambaram said.