Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
| Photo Credit: PTI

The Kerala Legislative Assembly on Monday (January 20, 2025) paid homage to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who passed away on December 26, remembering him as a liberal-minded Prime Minister, an internationally respected economist who steered India’s economic reforms and a resolute statesman who remained, throughout, a staunch defender of democratic and secular values.  

In Manmohan Singh’s death, the country has lost an extraordinary individual who was a gifted economist and a soft-spoken yet firm patriot who held secular values in high regard, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. 

While the Left front disagreed with some of his and the UPA government’s policies, Manmohan Singh’s stand on defending Constitutional values and the democratic system is commendable, Mr. Vijayan said.

Mr. Vijayan recalled notable initiatives such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Right to Information Act of the Manmohan Singh-led first UPA government that had the backing of the Left front.

Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan remembered the softspoken Manmohan Singh as an advocate of secular and democratic values and an internationally-acclaimed economist who astutely steered India through a crippling global recession. His sweeping economic reforms may have drawn criticism, but they filled the nation’s coffers and generated employment, Mr. Satheesan said.

“But the important question is, what was done with that wealth? He took the initiative to ensure its equitable redistribution,” Mr. Satheesan said.  By introducing the RTI, Manmohan Singh sought to uphold the loftiest ideals of democracy, he said.

Speaker A.N. Shamseer remembered Singh as the Union Finance Minister who launched economic liberalisation in India. As Prime Minister in the Left-backed UPA-1 government, his Ministry launched farsighted welfare measures. In Manmohan Singh’s death, India has lost an able economist and a resolute statesman, Mr. Shamser said.

The former Prime Minister was particular that the achievements of his government should not be credited to him, but to the nation as a whole, CPI parliamentary party leader E. Chandrasekharan observed.

Manmohan Singh’s policies of privatisation, liberalisation and globalisation were wholly capitalist in nature. Perhaps the country needed it then, but he displayed uncommon skill in taking them forward, Mr. Chandrasekharan said. Later on, his ability as an economist was on display when the BJP government implemented  demonetisation in 2016 and he slammed it as organised loot, Mr. Chandrasekharan said.

During his time as Union Finance Minister, Manmohan Singh’s farsightedness and skill prevented the Indian economy from sliding down into a closed economy, Deputy Leader of Opposition and IUML leader P.K. Kunhalikutty said. “It would not be wrong to call him India’s saviour,” Mr. Kunhalikutty said. Kerala also benefitted from his time as Prime Minister, he noted.

Parliamentary party leaders in the House spoke. The House, which is in session for the 13th session of the 15th Kerala Assembly, adjourned for the day after the obituary reference.