Written by Nidhi Verma
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, whose death sparked a wave of grief at home and accolades from abroad, was cremated on Sunday on the banks of the Yamuna River in New Delhi with full official ceremonies.
The funeral was held in accordance with Sikh tradition, with priests chanting hymns, after Singh's body, draped in the Indian flag, was transported through the capital on a flower-decorated carriage pulled by a ceremonial military truck.
The flag was raised and the body was wrapped in saffron cloth before being placed on the pyre.
Since Singh's death on Thursday at the age of 92, many have embraced his comment near the end of his decade-long rule that “history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media.”
He was referring to the perception of weak leadership when he headed a coalition government facing numerous corruption charges, which was ousted from office in the 2014 elections won by his successor Narendra Modi.
Modi, who described Singh as one of the “most prominent leaders” after his death, attended the funeral along with President Draupadi Murmu and representatives of various countries. The Modi government decided to allocate land for the Singh memorial.
Singh, who is considered the architect of India's economic liberalization, has criticized Modi's economic policies such as demonetization and the imposition of goods and services tax.
Singh is survived by his wife and three daughters.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accompanied Singh's family on board the truck to the Nigambudh Ghat cremation site after the procession from the party headquarters in New Delhi, where people joined Congress leaders and members to pay their last respects.
The leaders of the United States, Canada, France, Sri Lanka, China and Pakistan were among those who expressed grief over Singh's death and highlighted his international contributions.
