Amritsar neighbour recalls Singh's humility

Amritsar: People who live next to the house here where former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spent his growing up years on Friday recalled his humble nature, terming his passing away an irreparable loss.

Singh was born at Gah in Punjab province which now falls in Pakistan's Chakwal district before his family migrated to Amritsar after Partition. He completed his schooling from Amritsar and did his graduation in economics from the Hindu College here.

Raj Kumar (71), a local resident, told PTI Videos that Singh used to live in Petha Wala Bazaar near the Golden Temple.

Recalling Singh as a very humble person, Kumar said, "I was a child then when his family shifted out."

The house where the Singh family lived is in a dilapidated state now as no one stays there since they moved out a long time ago, Kumar said.

Singh's half-brother from his extended family, Surjit Singh Kohli, who ran a readymade garment business in Amritsar, said the former prime minister had deep affection for his grandmother who raised him following his mother's death when he was very young.

"Manmohan Singh shared a deep attachment with Amritsar. He used to visit the Golden Temple every time he came to the holy city," Surjit Kohli said.

After migrating, the Singh family settled at a small rented house in Amritsar till he graduated.

Stating that economics was his favourite subject, retired professor of Hindu College, Rajinder Loomba, recalled that his wife Gursharan Kaur's parents also belonged to the holy city.

A few years ago, Singh attended the convocation-cum-alumni meet of Hindu College as the chief guest and interacted with the college staff like an ordinary person, reminiscing old memories, Loomba said. Singh talked about the teachers who taught him at the college besides interacting and clicking photographs with the students and faculty members, he recalled.