The face behind India's economic liberalization and former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has passed away at the age of 92 in New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences on Thursday night. His passing was mourned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, and leaders across political spectrums, leading to a declaration of a seven-day national mourning period.
From leaders to regular citizens, memories and stories of former PM Manmohan Singh are resurging as people pay their respects. This reflection extends to Pakistan, specifically the village of Gah in Punjab, Pakistan, where Singh was born. Dr. Singh spent his early educational years, up to the fourth grade, at the local primary school in Gah, born on September 26, 1932, in the then undivided Punjab of India.
From 1937 to 1941, Dr. Singh attended this primary school. After the partition, his family relocated to Amritsar. In his honor, the government of Pakistan named the school after him—Manmohan Singh Government Boys Primary School. The school still holds on to his enrollment records and exam results as a testimony to his early education.
Source: aajtak
This school's story finds a place in Parliamentarian Rajeev Shukla's book,
Scars Of 1947: Real Partition Stories
. He narrates an account of conversing with Dr. Singh after a trip to Pakistan, where Singh wistfully expressed his desire to visit Pakistan, particularly his village of birth if given a chance.
Also Read:
According to the book, Shukla inquired whether Dr. Singh wished to see his ancestral home. He replied with poignant acceptance that his home was long gone; instead, he wished to see the school where he studied until fourth grade. Despite being the Prime Minister, or afterward, he never got to fulfill this wish to visit Pakistan.
Also Read: Crowds Gather to Pay Last Respects to Manmohan Singh, Tributes by PM Modi-Shah-Nadda; Nitish Suspends His Progress Tour
Nonetheless, the Pakistani government did honor him by naming the school after him, and Gah has been declared a model village. The memories and anecdotes of Manmohan Singh linger in the lanes of Gah, keeping his legacy alive.
