Someday within the early Eighties, my dad and mom went to a marriage reception and got here away impressed. It was a small gathering on the official residence of the Governor of the Reserve Financial institution of India (RBI) on Carmichael Highway. For days, my mom spoke concerning the lovely simplicity that marked the celebration.
The bride’s dad and mom, Dr and Mrs Manmohan Singh, had invited only a few colleagues to affix family and friends for snacks. There was no stage nor another type of pomp and “present”. Years later, my dad and mom would nonetheless recall that event as an embodiment of a core worth they had been introduced up on — easy residing and excessive considering.
Paradoxically, it was the liberalisation spearheaded by Manmohan Singh that triggered a cultural shift during which this worth got here to be ridiculed. By the flip of the century, most younger individuals had been offered the false declare that “easy residing” had been dressed up as a worth with a view to make shortage extra bearable. During the last quarter century or so, I’ve by no means misplaced a chance to counter this false declare.
Each Dr Singh and my father survived the bodily and social displacement brought on by Partition. So, they skilled moments in life when there was critical materials shortage. However their era’s sense of self was by no means anchored in both materials lots or shortage.
Maybe, their anchor was an unwavering respect for the fact that the fabric circumstances of life are at all times in flux. Sure, bodily consolation is vital. However to turn out to be a slave to materials consolation saps life. It follows that equating materials possessions with “standing” was, for them, unthinkable.
Nonetheless, a legendary equanimity of the type that we noticed in Dr Singh will need to have nonetheless deeper roots. His devotion to the Guru Granth Sahib is properly documented. The observe of this religion was his respectful engagement with all whom he met. My father would usually reward Singh sahab’s “halimi”, Urdu for gentleness, humility and kindness.
That is the recurring theme within the flood of messages about him on the day after his demise. Since each particular person journey is exclusive, the manifestations of these traits had been certainly particular to Dr Singh. However that is additionally an excellent second to recollect and honour that he excelled at what had been traits of a sure high quality of individuals in his era.
They cared about rising a profession however had been equally or extra dedicated to nation constructing. They understood and had been in a position to wield energy however with “halimi”, not with narcissism. The “self” was outlined not via projections by or for others however via a deeply private inward quest. The striving for achievements was made conditional to fulfilling duties – to that self on its inward quest, to household and samaj.
By the point Dr Singh’s tenure as prime minister got here to a detailed, it had turn out to be modern to faux that these qualities had by no means existed. His era was accused of losing 70 years of free India’s progress potential.
About 2013 onwards, when younger individuals in my household loudly made these allegations, I might ask them why then had been officers of the Reserve Financial institution, like my father Sant Dass, being requested by UN businesses to go to nations internationally and share their experience in rural credit score methods? Why was Dr Singh chosen to function secretary common of the pathbreaking South Fee in Geneva?
Simply this previous week, India bid farewell to 3 different legends who, like Dr Singh, embodied these particular qualities. Sunil Pandya, famend neurosurgeon and founding father of the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics; Shirish Patel, visionary city planner and architect, and Shyam Benegal, film-maker and cultural activist.
The final time I met Dr Singh was in early 2014, in reference to the assembly of a Ministry of Tradition committee on which I served. The assembly was held within the massive boardroom of the Prime Minister’s Workplace. He stayed for the complete assembly and gave it his full consideration, though he regarded a bit unwell. Once we had been leaving, a colleague stated wistfully, “We’ll keep in mind this as a particular second when decency was in energy.”
The author is the founding father of the YouTube channel Ahimsa Conversations
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