Dr. Manmohan Singh, India’s former Prime Minister and a visionary behind economic reforms, passed away at 92 on Thursday. Among cherished stories of his life, his 2008 reunion with a childhood friend, Raja Mohammad Ali, from Pakistan stands out.
Dr. Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932, in Gah, a village now in Pakistan. Partition in 1947 forced his family to migrate to India, leaving behind their home and friends.
In 2004, when Dr. Singh became India’s Prime Minister, news reached Gah. This inspired his old schoolmate, Mr. Ali, to reconnect. The two had shared a close bond during childhood, with Mr. Ali calling him “Mohna.”
In May 2008, Mr. Ali traveled to Delhi for an emotional reunion. The two embraced warmly and exchanged heartfelt gifts. Mr. Ali brought soil and water from their village, a photograph of Gah, a century-old shawl, and embroidered suits for Dr. Singh’s wife, Gursharan Kaur. In return, Dr. Singh gifted a turban, a shawl, and a Titan watch set.
Their meeting symbolized a bridge across time and borders. However, Mr. Ali passed away two years later in 2010 at 78, in Pakistan’s Chakwal district.
Dr. Singh remains a towering figure in India’s history. As the first Sikh Prime Minister, he led the country from 2004 to 2014 under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.
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