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Indian-origin Canadian MPs condole death of Manmohan Singh
All MPs of Indian descent who had a chance to meet or interact with him were infatuated by his warmth, simplicity and clarity.
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Herb Dhaliwal with Dr Manmohan Singh. / Herb Dhaliwal
Herb Dhaliwal, the first MP of Indian descent to become a federal minister in Canada, was joined by some of his contemporaries in eulogizing one of India’s tallest prime ministers, Dr Manmohan Singh, who passed away this week.
Dhaliwal, who lives in Vancouver, says among various things he shared with Singh was “our retirement from politics”.
“I am personally saddened by the loss of my good friend, Dr Manmohan Singh. Beginning in the late 1990s I had the distinct privilege of becoming acquainted with this wonderful gentleman. I met him several times during his terms of office, first as Finance Minister and then as Prime Minister, as well as since he and I both left politics.”
Acknowledging Singh’s contributions, he said: “India has lost an icon, a distinguished past prime minister highly respected by his world leader peers. He was a humble, long-standing career official who rose to make an indelible mark as an inspirational economic visionary. His dynamic policies on deregulation changed many sectors, opening India to foreign investment and the prosperity resulting.”
He said “Manmohan Singh was the first Sikh in history to occupy the Lok Kalyan Marg (prime minister’s official residence). He also was a man whose legacy includes, although with his characteristic soft voice, being outspoken on behalf of India’s less fortunate.”
Gurbaksh Malhi, who was also elected to the House of Commons along with Herb Dhaliwal in 1993, condoled the death of Dr Manmohan Singh, who was the second Indian prime minister after Indira Gandhi to visit Canada.
Malhi recalaled meeting Singh when the latter came to attend the 2010 G 20 Summit in Toronto At that time, all Canadian MPs of Indian descent called on him and submitted a memorandum highlighting the problems members of Indian Diaspora faced back home.
“He was a thorough gentleman, soft-spoken, with an open mind. He evinced keen interest in the issues we raised with him. He promised to look into all those demands mentioned in our memorandum. “
Malhi also recalled his continued association with him: “I also had a few other opportunities to meet him. During my visits to India, both as a part of the Canadian delegations and my personal or private visits, I would make sure to call on him. And he was always warm and receptive. He would enquire about the strong Indo-Canadian community in general and the Canadian Punjabis in particular.
Gurmant Grewal, another former Canadian MP of Indian descent remembered meeting him in India as part of a delegation. “I accompanied a delegation of Canadian Parliamentarians to India with Preston Manning, the then Chief of Reform Party. We wanted the sanctions Canada had Imposed on India following its nuclear explosion under the BJP regime to be lifted. We met him. And he was very open. Friendly and receptive to our suggestions. He was a giant. He was not only a world-class economist but also a wonderful human being, known for his integrity and simplicity. His connectivity to people at the grassroots level made him a most revered politician not only in India but worldwide.”
Gurmant Grewal also said Singh had a soft corner for Canada. “He was always ready to do anything to promote bilateral relations between India and Canada as the two nations enjoy a very strong people-to-people bonding,” he added.
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