The family of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has approved the construction of his memorial at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, located near Rajghat in Delhi. A family member confirmed this decision recently.
Manmohan Singh, known for his significant role in India’s economic transformation, passed away on December 26, 2024. Back in 2013, during a Cabinet meeting he chaired, a policy was established to limit the land allocated for memorials of notable leaders at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal.
Following his death, there was some debate over the location of his funeral, which took place at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi. The Congress Party criticized this site, arguing that it was not a fitting farewell for a leader of Singh’s stature. As a result, the government decided to honor Singh with an official memorial.
The memorial is set to be constructed by the Central Public Works Department, under the management of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, which oversees much of the land meant for such memorials.
For over two months after his passing, the ministry did not receive input from Singh’s family regarding the memorial’s nature, despite the land being identified for the project.
Previous memorials at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal include one for former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, established in 2018, and another for former President Pranab Mukherjee, who died in August 2020. Memorials for former prime ministers and presidents are traditionally located at this site.
