Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condoled the passing of former prime minister Manmohan Singh. In a heartfelt message on social media, Mirwaiz praised Singh’s dedication to peace and dialogue, recalling their interactions over the years.
"Saddened by the demise of Dr Manmohan Singh Ji. I recall our meetings, both during his tenure as PM and before, where his sincerity towards dialogue on Kashmir and fostering people-to-people contact across borders was evident. He believed in open borders and lasting peace with neighbours and engaged with us in Hurriyat with an open mind. A statesman committed to harmony and resolution. Condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace," Mirwaiz wrote.
Singh, known for game-changing economic reform under former prime minister Narshima Rao, in the early 90s, died at the age of 92 in New Delhi. His passing has been widely mourned by political leaders and people from all walks of life.
Singh is one of the few leaders fondly remembered by all in Kashmir, cutting across the political divide. Separatist leaders remember him for his efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue.
Under his prime ministership, some of the flagship infrastructural programmes were sanctioned for Jammu and Kashmir such as AIIMS, IITs and prime minister’s scholarship programmes for students of Jammu and Kashmir. Several other infrastructural programmes were initiated for Jammu and Kashmir under his leadership and those programmes received continuous funding from the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Some of the projects have already come to fruition while others are in various stages of development.