Poona College Remembers Dr. Manmohan Singh: A Visionary Leader Who Shaped India’s Future
Camp, 29th December 2024: A humble tribute was offered today by Poona College of Arts, Science and Commerce to the recently departed leader Dr. Manmohan Singh, the 13th Prime Minister of India, whose name is synonymous with resilience, intellect, and humility. The program, titled “A Tribute to Manmohan Singh: Father of Indian Reforms,” was organized jointly by the Department of Economics and Post Graduate Center, Department of English and Post Graduate Center, and the Department of Sociology.
The event commenced with the recitation of the holy Quran by Shaheena Khan, followed by the Welcome Address by Vice Principal Dr. Amjad Shaikh, who highlighted Dr. Manmohan Singh’s contributions as an economist, which earned him global recognition. He emphasized how Dr. Manmohan Singh’s pragmatic and visionary approach as Prime Minister made India one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. In his tribute, Dr. Shaikh mentioned that Dr. Manmohan Singh’s legacy was not just about economic policies, but also about the values of integrity, wisdom, and commitment that he embodied.
The theme of the program was introduced by Dr. Shahid Jamal Ansari, Head of the Department of Economics and Post Graduate Center. He extolled how the program aimed to pay a rich tribute to Dr. Manmohan Singh, the architect behind India’s early trade liberalization policies in the 1980s, which sowed the seeds of economic reform. He also highlighted the program’s intention to draw participants’ attention to the life skills involved in becoming a versatile, multifaceted, and successful personality like Dr. Manmohan Singh.
The keynote speaker of the program, Dr. Aftab Alam, a senior professor from the Department of Economics at Abeda Inamdar Senior College, traced Dr. Manmohan Singh’s life through the annals of time, pointing out the many trials and tribulations the great statesman faced during his early years. He shed light on Dr. Singh’s inspiring journey from being a resident of a small village named Gah in Punjab to becoming one of the most respected statesmen and economists in the world. Dr. Alam also praised the highly dynamic and versatile leader, who had a large number of multilingual speeches and publications to his credit.
The program concluded with two minutes of silence as a homage to the departed leader, followed by a vote of thanks from Dr. Gulab Pathan, Head of the Department of Sociology, who highlighted five seminal decisions made by Dr. Manmohan Singh: the Right to Education Act, Right to Information Act, MGNREGA, National Food Security Act, and the Land Acquisition Act—each of which is part of his lasting legacy.
Dr. Shahid Jamal Ansari, Head of the Department of Economics and Post Graduate Center, Zeenat Merchant, Head of the Department of English and Post Graduate Center, and Dr. Gulab Pathan, Head of the Department of Sociology, were the coordinators of the program. The program was compered by Shaheena Khan and was organized with the support of Dr. Iqbal Shaikh, Principal, and the Management of Poona College of Arts, Science and Commerce.
