NEW DELHI: The White House on Saturday issued a statement from US President Joe Biden, expressing condolences on the passing of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who died on Thursday night at the age of 92. Singh, widely regarded as a transformative leader and the architect of India’s economic liberalisation. He served as the Prime Minister for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2014.
“Jill and I join the people of India in grieving the loss of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,” President Biden said. “The unprecedented level of cooperation between the United States and India today would not have been possible without the Prime Minister’s strategic vision and political courage. From forging the US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement to helping launch the first Quad between Indo-Pacific partners, he charted pathbreaking progress that will continue to strengthen our nations—and the world—for generations to come.”
Biden described Singh as “a true statesman, a dedicated public servant, and above all, a kind and humble person.” Recalling his personal interactions with Singh, Biden pointed out their meetings during Singh’s tenure. “I had the chance to meet Prime Minister Singh as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2008 and as Vice President during his official state visit to the United States in 2009. He also graciously hosted me in New Delhi in 2013. As we discussed then, the US-India relationship is among the most consequential in the world. And together, as partners and friends, our nations can unlock a future of dignity and unlimited potential for all of our people.”
“And Jill and I send our deepest condolences to former First Lady Gursharan Kaur, their three children, and all the people of India,” Bided added further.
Singh, known for his landmark 1991 reforms under Narsimha Rao’s government, that opened India’s economy to global markets and dismantled the Licence Raj, a system that had long hindered economic growth.
As Prime Minister, Singh led the country through a decade of transformative change, making his tenure the longest after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi amongst Congress PMs.
His leadership was marked by the introduction of landmark legislations such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the Right to Information Act (RTI), and the Right to Education Act (RTE), which significantly impacted millions of lives.
Singh also had a distinguished career as a bureaucrat. He served as the Reserve Bank of India governor from 1982 to 1985 and was honored with the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award, in 1987.
Singh retired from active politics earlier this year, concluding an illustrious 33-year tenure as a member of the Rajya Sabha.