In Gah village, locals are deeply grieving the death of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, calling it the loss of a family member. Altaf Hussain, a teacher at Manmohan Singh's old school, expressed the collective sorrow of the community as they gathered to honor his memory.
Manmohan Singh, who rose to become India's 13th Prime Minister, spent his early years in Gah village, located about 100 km southwest of Islamabad. He attended school here up until Class 4 before moving to Chakwal. He was known affectionately as ‘Mohna’ by his friends, and his family lived modestly, with his father Gurmukh Singh working as a cloth merchant and his mother Amrat Kaur as a homemaker.
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Deep connections with the village
The villagers remember Dr Manmohan Singh with great pride, reflecting on his journey from a small rural community to the highest office in India. Raja Ashiq Ali, the nephew of one of Manmohan Singh's schoolmates, shared that the community had been deeply moved by his passing, with many hoping to attend his final rites in India but unable to do so. Ali recalled the immense pride felt when Manmohan Singh became Prime Minister in 2004, a memory still cherished by those who knew him.
The most iconic landmark in Gah is the school where the former PM received his early education. His admission records are still kept there, noting his entry date as April 17, 1937, and his caste as ‘Kohli.’ Locals credit him with helping renovate the school, and there were even discussions about naming the school after him. His success brought attention to the village, leading to improved development in the area.
Manmohan Singh’s Last Visit to Gah
After completing his primary education, Manmohan Singh's family relocated to Amritsar, just before India’s partition. Despite his high-profile career, he never returned to Gah. However, the villagers hold onto the hope that a family member might one day visit in his honor. Teacher Altaf Hussain expressed the collective wish, saying, “Dr Manmohan Singh could not come to Gah in his lifetime, but now when he is no more, we want that someone from his family should come and pay a visit to this village.”
Published: 28 Dec 2024, 11:36 am IST
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