Dr. Manmohan Singh: Assam's beloved statesman leaves behind a rich legacy

Guwahati, Dec 28: Initially dubbed by some elements as an "outsider" when he was first elected to the Rajya Sabha from Assam in 1991, Dr Manmohan Singh went on to become a source of pride for all the citizens of the State within a very short period of time.

Dr Singh, who changed India's destiny by initiating the liberalization of the economy that lifted millions of citizens out of poverty as the Union Finance Minister between 1991 and 1996 and later guided the country's destiny for ten years as the Prime Minister for two terms between 2004 and 2014, had a very intimate relationship with Assam.

On being elected to the Rajya Sabha for the first time in 1991, Dr Singh shifted his address to House Number 3989 of Nandan Nagar, Sarumotoria. The house was owned by the then Chief Minister Hiteswar Saikia and remains with his family.

Dr Singh was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha from the State in 1995, 2001, 2007, and 2013. He was a member of the Upper House of Parliament from Assam for 28 years and five consecutive terms, from 1991 to 2019. He won his sixth term in 2019 from Rajasthan. Dr Singh remained a tenant of the Saikia family throughout his tenure as a Rajya Sabha member from Assam.

"Even after he shifted in 2019 following his election from Rajasthan, we did not rent the apartment to anybody else. Many of Dr Singh's items, including his turban, kirpan, and a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib, remain in the apartment," Debabrata Saikia, Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, who is also the son of the late Hiteswar Saikia, told this newspaper.

Debabrata Saikia said that Dr Singh's legacy of economic reforms and steadfast leadership will forever be cherished and added that his "vision and commitment transformed the Indian economy and inspired countless".

During his term as a Rajya Sabha MP from Assam, Dr Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur, were registered as voters in the polling station at Dispur Government Higher Secondary School.

Dr Singh last came to cast his vote in Guwahati in 2019.

During his tenure in the Rajya Sabha as a representative of Assam, Dr Singh utilized his MPLAD funds for various educational, health, and infrastructural projects in the State.

Admired and respected by the masses and considered to be above narrow political partisanship, Assam achieved a lot during Dr Singh's tenure as the Prime Minister.

It was during the UPA government led by Dr Singh that a decision was made to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) during a tripartite meeting involving the Central and State governments and the AASU in 2005 and the first steps were taken in that direction.

Dr Singh also laid the foundation stone of the Assam Gas Cracker Project.

The construction of the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge commenced in 2011 during the UPA government headed by Dr Singh. The second bridge over the Brahmaputra at Saraighat (the three-lane Saraighat road bridge) was sanctioned during his tenure.

The Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Guwahati started operations in 2013 when Dr Singh was the Prime Minister.

His government also took initiative to bring peace to the State. The first round of talks between the ULFA-appointed PCG and the Centre was held in 2005. Later, negotiations with the Arabinda Rajkhowa-led faction of the ULFA commenced during the UPA regime.

The Central government led by Dr Singh played a crucial role in boosting sports infrastructure in the State in the run-up to the National Games held here in 2007.

Several other infrastructure projects in Assam, including the expansion of rail and road networks, were also taken up by the UPA government under his leadership.

"It was our good fortune to be associated with him. His death is a big shock for all of us. Our family got strength from his presence amidst us. Now he is gone. His demise is a big misfortune for us. We have lost a pillar of strength," said Dr Hemoprova Saikia, wife of the late Hiteswar Saikia and mother of Debabrata Saikia.

She added, "(Former Prime Minister) PV Narasimha Rao wanted to appoint Dr Singh as the Union Finance Minister as he believed that Dr Singh would be able to do justice to the post. My husband was the Chief Minister at that time. Rao spoke with my husband and expressed his desire to make Dr Singh the Finance Minister. My husband suggested getting him elected to the Rajya Sabha from Assam. My husband also suggested that he (Dr Singh) stay as a tenant at our place."

"He used to visit us with his wife at times. They used to have meals or tea with us when they visited Assam while Dr Singh was the Finance Minister and later as an MP. However, after he became Prime Minister, he was reluctant to visit our house as he believed that the residents of our locality would face harassment due to his security arrangements. It is rare to find such a humble and down-to- earth person in the field of politics. Our family has many memories of the pleasant times we spent with them," she recalled.

Dr Singh's demise has spread a pall of gloom across the State. The people of Assam considered him as their own not only due his services to the State but also due to his modest and amiable personality.

Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Deputy Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah, AGP president and Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, AASU chief advisor Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharjya, among others, have condoled his demise.

By Pranjal Bhuyan