Sonia praises former PM Singh, says he headed country when it was on edge
NEW DELHI: United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday hailed former Minister Manmohan Singh’s integrity, humility and sagacity and also reminded people of his unique and different leadership style.
“His demeanour is such that it appears that he was born wise. He is the very epitome of integrity, humility, sagacity and gravitas. Not for him tall claims. Not for him empty and fanciful boasts. Not for him self-promoting bombast. Not for him falsifications of facts and history. Not for him the language of abuse and vitriol,” she said about Singh, who won this year’s Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development.
Gandhi added that Singh became PM “when the country was on edge, when its collective nerves were frayed and when its secular fabric was under assault. Within months his persona and policies had a profound calming effect. The country once again had the assurance that the man at the very top was not a divisive person, that no group or individual need feel insecure.”
In his speech, Singh took a swipe at the current regime and said, “We must not fall prey to the argument that India’s development requires a restriction of the freedoms of its people and a concept of nationhood which demands a contrived unity rather than embrace the reality of India’s diversity.”
“For India which is a successful and vibrant democracy, there is an even greater responsibility to keep faith in the liberal values enshrined in its Constitution and more importantly, ingrained in the sensibilities of its people.”