Manmohan Singh's Rajya Sabha tenure ends; Kharge lauds his 'quiet dignity'

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will retire from Rajya Sabha at the age of 91. He is among 54 other MPs bidding goodbye to the Upper House

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is set to retire from the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, bringing an end to his 33-year-long parliamentary career in the Upper House.

Singh is among 54 Rajya Sabha MPs, including nine union ministers, retiring from the Rajya Sabha this week.

Singh, 91, became a member of the House for the first time in October 1991. His career with the government began as an economic advisor to the commerce minister in 1971. He was the finance minister in the Narasimha Rao government from 1991 to 1996 and the prime minister from 2004 to 2014.

Manmohan Singh’s life and career

Singh was born on September 26, 1932, in Gah, West Punjab, in modern Pakistan. He is hailed as the architect of India’s economic liberalisation and has been a part of key institutions, including the Reserve Bank of India, where he served as a governor 1982-1985, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) among others.

He is the only Sikh to be India's Prime Minister. Singh’s political career is preceded by a rich academic background. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Punjab University. He completed his Economic Tripos from Cambridge University in England. He gained a DPhil degree in Economics from Oxford University in 1962.

Kharge pens letter for Manmohan Singh

As the former PM’s active political career concluded with this development, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge penned a letter to him, remembering his legacy and contributions to the country’s development.

“...Very few people have accomplished as much as you for the nation and its people…you have always been a source of wisdom and someone whose advice I valued,” Kharge wrote.

“You have shown that it is possible to pursue economic policies that were equally beneficial to large industries, young entrepreneurs, small businesses, the salaried class and the poor,” the Congress chief praised Singh, recalling several milestones achieved during his premiership.

Kharge hailed Singh as the “hero of the middle class” while listing several of his key decisions, including the MGNREGA scheme, Indo-US Nuclear Deal, the global financial crisis, lifting 270 million people out of poverty, among others.

Congress chief’s scathing attack on Modi

In his two page long letter, the Congress chief did not shy away from launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he alleged to have “reaped benefits” of Singh’s works while denying him any credit.

“Whatever little reforms done by the current government have its seeds in the work initiated in the UPA government headed by you,” he said, alleging that the Modi government hijacked schemes such as zero balance accounts, and Aadhaar.

“The nation misses the quiet yet strong dignity that you brought to the office of the Prime Minister. The Parliament will now miss your wisdom and experience,” Kharge said.