Commemorative event turns into condolence meet as Congress mourns former PM Manmohan Singh

Belagavi: The sudden demise of former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh brought the celebrations to mark the centenary of the 1924 Congress Session in Belagavi – the only one to be presided over by Mahatma Gandhi – to a premature end. As gloom hung over the city, the commemorative event turned into a condolence meet, with tributes being offered to the late statesman and economist.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) leaders and office-bearers remarked the singular contributions of Dr Manmohan Singh through the years, and in various capacities, while specially noting his stellar role in remaking the economic landscape of India.

“Dr Singh was a soft-spoken but straightforward man, who did justice to all the posts he occupied – as Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Finance Minister and Prime Minister. It was he who opened up the Indian economy to the world as Finance Minister in P V Narasimha Rao’s Cabinet,” said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Pointing to the passage of “Right to Food” “Right to Work”, “Right to Education” and “Right to Information” Acts during his tenure as PM, Siddaramaiah said that Dr Singh had enshrined these as fundamental rights.

“The former PM, who was from a poor family, remembered his roots and worked for the betterment of the poor and downtrodden,” said the CM.

Deputy CM and KPCC president D K Shivakumar said that all the programmes that they had lined up to commemorate the centenary had been cancelled in the wake of Dr Singh’s death. “It’s unfortunate that the pandal installed for the rally is now being used for the condolence meeting,” said the Deputy CM, who echoed Siddaramaiah’s observations on the former PM’s role in eradication of poverty.

Shivakumar recalled Dr Singh’s role in increasing compensation for farmers who parted with their land for development projects. “He also ensured that forest dwellers were entitled to fundamental rights. He was also instrumental in implementing the Corporate Social Responsibility scheme,” the Deputy CM added.

Former CM Veerappa Moily, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil were among those who paid rich tribute to the contributions of the late PM in Belagavi.