Fri Dec 27 12:13:26 UTC 2024: ## India Mourns Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
**New Delhi** – India is observing seven days of national mourning following the death of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at age 92. Singh, who passed away Thursday in a New Delhi hospital, will be accorded a state funeral, the government announced Friday. The date of the funeral, which will include the national flag flown at half-mast on all government buildings, is expected to be Saturday.
Widely hailed as one of the architects of India’s economic liberalization in the early 1990s, Singh served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014. Current Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Singh as one of India’s “most distinguished leaders,” while The Times of India called him the “man who liberated India’s dreams.” Even the Indian cricket team paid tribute, wearing black armbands during their match in Melbourne.
Born in 1932 in a small village in present-day Pakistan, Singh rose from humble beginnings to become a globally recognized economist. He earned scholarships to Cambridge and Oxford Universities, and held senior positions in the civil service, the central bank, and international organizations like the United Nations. He was instrumental in guiding India through a major financial crisis in 1991 and oversaw a period of significant economic growth during his first term as Prime Minister. He also secured a landmark nuclear deal with the United States.
While his first term was marked by economic success, his second term faced challenges including corruption scandals, slower growth, and high inflation. This contributed to the electoral victory of Narendra Modi in 2014. Despite the later challenges, Singh’s legacy as a key figure in India’s economic transformation remains firmly established.
First Piper 