Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, the face of economic liberalization in the country, is no more. 92-year-old Manmohan Singh breathed his last on Thursday night at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and many leaders of the opposition have expressed grief over the demise of Manmohan Singh. Seven days of national mourning has been declared in the country.
From leaders to common people, people are paying tribute to former PM Manmohan Singh by remembering their memories and stories related to him are being remembered. Pakistan is also in discussion and Gah village of Punjab province of Pakistan where Manmohan Singh was born. Manmohan Singh, born on 26 September 1932 in Gah village of Punjab province of undivided India, studied till class four in the primary school of the village.
Dr. Manmohan Singh was a student of this primary school between 1937 and 1941. After partition, Manmohan Singh’s family came and settled in Amritsar. This government school was later named by the Government of Pakistan after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh – Manmohan Singh Government Boys Primary School. The records of Manmohan Singh, from his registration records to his examination results, are still kept safe in this school.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Shukla has mentioned this school in his book. Scars Of 1947: Real Partition Stories I have done it too. He has written that once after returning from a tour of Pakistan, he was sitting with Dr. Manmohan Singh at the Prime Minister’s residence. During this, Doctor Singh said that I also feel like going to Pakistan. Asked him where in Pakistan he wanted to go, Dr Singh’s answer was to his village.
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According to this book, Rajiv Shukla asked the then Prime Minister whether he wanted to see his ancestral home. In response to Rajeev Shukla’s question, Doctor Singh had said that no, my house was finished long ago. I want to see the school where I studied till class four. Manmohan Singh did not go to Pakistan either while he was the Prime Minister or after that and his wish remained unfulfilled.
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However, the Government of Pakistan named this school after him and the village was also declared a model village. Memories and stories related to Manmohan Singh are still alive in the streets of Gah village of Pakistan.