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'One of the greatest men…': British journalist pens moving tribute to Manmohan Singh
In a heartfelt tribute, Martin Wolf hailed Manmohan Singh as an exceptional leader and policymaker.
British journalist and economic commentator Martin Wolf paid a moving tribute to former prime minister Manmohan Singh in a long opinion piece for the Financial Times. In the piece, titled "An economically dynamic India is Manmohan Singh’s greatest legacy", the journalist heaped praises on the late prime minister, who died last month at the age of 92, calling him one of the "most important policymakers of our era."
Referring to his time in public service as "intelligent and honourable", Wolf said the prime minister was one of the greatest men he has known. "Singh took ideas seriously, yet was unfailingly courteous and open to the ideas of others. I had the privilege of knowing him from 1974, when I was a senior economist in the World Bank’s India Division and he was the government of India’s chief economic adviser. He was one of the greatest men I have known," he wrote.
‘Manmohan Singh remained untainted’
Wolf said that while politics could be deeply tainted by money, Singh remained untainted. The journalist also praised the late PM's policy achievements including the nuclear deal with US, the national rural employment guarantee scheme and India’s unique identification system, Aadhaar.
Sharing his admiration for Singh, Wolf recalled what former US president Barack Obama said of him in G20 meetings: “When the prime minister speaks, the world listens.”
Believed in India's democracy
"Singh achieved what he did because he was a special man at a special time. India benefited from the fact that people with power were willing to trust him to use it well at critical moments. He also knew the importance of brilliant colleagues. A recent paper from the Mercatus Center describes him as “India’s finest talent scout”. Singh believed in the ideal of public service. He believed, too, in a thriving democracy. Indeed, he thought India could not survive without one," he wrote.
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