Manmohan Singh’s association with Assam began with tenure as finance minister

Manmohan Singh would transform the Indian economy by unshackling growth as the finance minister and a Rajya Sabha member from Assam before becoming the prime minister in 2004

Published on: Dec 27, 2024, 16:23:21 IST

By Utpal Parashar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

When Manmohan Singh was inducted into Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao’s government for a consequential tenure as the Union finance minister in 1991, it also marked the beginning of his three-decade association with Assam. Rao got Singh, who passed away at 92 in New Delhi on Thursday, elected as a Rajya Sabha member from the northeastern state at the suggestion of the then chief minister Hiteswar Saikia.

Manmohan Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur, were enlisted as voters in Guwahati. (Sourced)

Singh would transform the Indian economy by unshackling growth as the finance minister and a Rajya Sabha member from Assam before becoming the prime minister in 2004.

Singh, who had four more terms as a member of the upper House of Parliament from the northeastern state, unveiled economic reforms in 1991 and laid the foundation for India’s rise as a major world economy. He rented a two-room set in Guwahati’s Sorumotoria locality the year he was inducted into Rao’s Cabinet. Singh retained the set, which was part of the house of Hiteswar Saikia’s wife Hemoprova Saikia, until 2019 when the former prime minister contested his last Rajya Sabha election from Rajasthan. The Congress lost power to Bharatiya Janata Party in Assam in 2016. Singh was reelected to Rajya Sabha from Assam in 1995, 2001, 2007, and 2013.

Hiteswar and Hemoprova Saikia’s son, Debabrata Saikia, a Congress lawmaker and leader of opposition in the Assam assembly, said Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur, were enlisted as voters in Guwahati apart from being their tenants. He added Singh was very particular about paying his rent, which was nominal, on time and came to Guwahati to vote during Lok Sabha and assembly polls.

Debabrata Saikia said the former prime minister and his wife stayed overnight at the modest rented accommodation on a couple of occasions despite being the Union finance minister. “Singh used to pay rent for the two rooms until 2019 when he got elected to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.”

He added Singh recollected memories of those years as a tenant in their house and his association with Assam and his father when he met the former prime minister in New Delhi last year to inquire about his health. “In the absence of my father, he used to guide me in my political career,” said Saikia.

The Hiteswar Saikia Foundation the late former chief minister’s family set up after his death in 1996 brought out a coffee table book, highlighting Singh’s contribution to Assam as a mark of respect and his association with the state. Singh released the book in New Delhi in 2019.

Debabrata Saikia said there was a misconception that Singh did not do enough for the state despite representing Assam in Rajya Sabha for a long time. “He used to keep track of every development in the state,” he said. “Whenever he learnt about issues such as drinking water or electricity in Assam, he ensured funds were released from the Centre to tackle them. He never highlighted these things himself,” he added.

The Saikias have not rented out their two-room set since Singh vacated it given its association with the late former prime minister.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

Follow India news real-time updates and the latest news covered on Hindustan Times, featuring today's critical updates on Sonam Wangchuk LIVE and more across India.