Former Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, who was also a pioneer of economic reforms, died at the age of 92 on December 26, 2024. The politician was revered for his immense contribution to the country's economic policies. As soon as the news of his demise broke out, people from all walks of life came forward to pay their respects to the leader. The country mourned the loss of the man whose humility and wisdom defined his leadership. While the nation processes the loss of one of India's finest economists, a chapter from his personal life surfaced on the internet. The story that dates back to 2008 stands as a memory of friendship between the politician and his childhood friend from Pakistan.
Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932, in a village in Punjab province in undivided India named, Gah, a village that is now a part of Pakistan. The two countries' shared past shaped Manmohan's childhood years. However, that is not all that was shared between the two nations. It shared a friendship that withstood time and the partition. The independence of India in 1947 brought along the great partition, which is still fresh in the memories of many Indians who lived during those days. The former PM was one of them; his family was forced to migrate to India, yet his native village and friends remained in his heart.
In 2004, when Manmohan Singh became the Prime Minister of India, the news travelled all the way across the borders. His village had heard the news, and his schoolmate and friend, Raja Mohammad Ali, was happy for his friend. However, he reminisced on his friendship with Manmohan and expressed his desire to visit Delhi to reconnect with his lost friend. According to the reports, Manmohan was extremely close to Raja Ali during his childhood, and the latter would lovingly call his best friend, 'Mohna'. They studied together in primary school until the partition brought Manmohan's family to the other side of the border.
In May 2008, Raja Mohammad Ali travelled from Pakistan all the way to Delhi, India, to meet his long-lost friend. Manmohan Singh, who was serving as Prime Minister at the time, hosted his friend, and their friendship was evident in their pictures. The reunion was filled with emotions, and their friendship was still fresh in the teary eyes of the duo as they met after years of being apart.
Raja did not come alone, though; he brought mitti and paani from their ancestral village as a present for the Prime Minister. He also brought a photograph of Gah. Manmohan also gifted his friend India's most premium picks, which included a turban, a shawl, and a Titan watch set. For the unversed, Dr Manmohan Singh was the first Sikh Prime Minister of India and the first leader after Jawaharlal Nehru to win re-election following a full term. He was a visionary and an important part of modern India’s political and economic history.
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