ZAMANA KAR NA SAKA QAD KA ANDAZA...' 'WOH AASMAAN THA, MAGAR SAR JHUKA KAR CHALTA THA..!'

Dr Manmohan Singh was the person whom P V Narasimha Rao trusted, and India's economic fortunes began to change.

- DR VIJAY DARDA

I meet countless people in life, work with them and forge deep connections with some of them. But there are a few people who can impress you. Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was one such towering personality for me: captivating, just as his name suggests! His passing away marks the end of an era in history. Some called him the 'accidental Prime Minister', but his role in preparing the strong economic footing on which the country stands today is etched in history and there is no doubt that the future will always remember him for this remarkable achievement.

During his highly successful tenure, I served as a member of the Rajya Sabha and was fortunate enough to have close interactions with him. I observed his working style up close. He would never brag about. He did not explain or announce his actions to people. He worked quietly and moved forward. His voice was soft but his thoughts were profound. In 1991, when India was grappling with a severe financial crisis, the then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao decided to appoint him as finance minister. Together, they charted India's economic roadmap. Before that, the country was trudging along the path of socialism. They opened up the economy to the world, and the account of India's progress after that are before all to see. If India stands as the world's fifth largest economy today, the seeds of this growth were sown during Narasimha Rao's tenure by Dr Manmohan Singh.