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When Manmohan Singh said ‘History will be kinder to me than the media’
Manmohan Singh: Former PM, who was bold enough to admit inadequacies in his government, was confident that in the long run, he would be judged more favourably.
Dr Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister of India, passed away on Thursday at the age of 92. The leader left behind a legacy of unforgettable contributions to India's economy and politics.
Singh, a globally celebrated economist who once played an instrumental role in the liberalisation of India's economy, especially during the 2008 global economic meltdown, once famously said "History will be kinder to me than the media."
Dr Singh, who was bold enough to admit inadequacies in his government, was of the opinion that in the longer run, he and his administration would be judged more kindly by history and posterity than the contemporary media or his political peers.
"I honestly believe that history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media or for that matter the Opposition in Parliament... when history is written we will come out unscathed," he said during an interaction with Hindustan Times.
READ | Dr Manmohan Singh leaves a long legacy: His political, economic achievements
Manmohan Singh made the remarks when he announced his plans to step down as Prime Minister after the General Elections of 2014.
About his performance, Dr Singh said that given the challenges he faced, his administration did a great job while managing a difficult coalition for almost a decade.
He added it was under his tenure that the economic growth notched up 7.6% on average.
Then Prime Minister candidly admitted to the shortcomings or areas of improvement under his government, which according to him were - Employment generation, inflation and combating corruption.
Despite controversies and scams, Manmohan Singh remained confident
Dr Manmohan Singh, a loyal and disciplined Congress soldier, began his political career in 1991 with a Finance portfolio. He became Prime Minister of India for the first time in 2004.
READ | Manmohan Singh, the reformist leader who transformed India's economy
Under his decade-long leadership from 2004-2014, India witnessed impressive economic growth, with an average GDP growth rate of 7.6% and also secured exceptional global relations with the Western nations.
However, Singh's second term as Prime Minister was marred with controversies as his administration faced several high-profile scandals, such as the Coal scam, and 2G and 3G spectrum scams which tarnished the latter part of his tenure.
