The irony that the man who transformed India’s economy at a key moment in its history, reversing years of socialism, should pay tribute to India’s founding father who first powered the Indian economy, albeit in another time and another place was lost on no one as the covers came off the Jawaharlal Nehru bronze and marker on the Singapore River in this lush garden city. The bronze being vetted, some say by no less than Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Watching Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh do the honours was Singapore’s former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, Minister Emeritus, and Judith Prakash, whose father helped Subhas Chandra Bose launch the Indian National Army.
Dr Singh paid tribute to the founder of modern India whom Singapore says was “a true friend,” and to the island nation that he described as “sitting on the crossroads of East Asia”. The rare honour extended to Pandit Nehru comes some 61 years after India’s founding father’s last visit to Singapore in June 1950 on a return journey from Indonesia when he laid the foundation stone for the Indian Association, Singapore.
Earlier, on March 18, 1946 when he arrived at the invitation of Lord Mountbatten as plans for Independence from Britain were in full play. Nehru was alone. Unlike his earlier visit in 1937 and again on his final visit in June 1950 when he addressed a public meeting at the Jalan Besar Stadium, he was accompanied by his daughter Indira Gandhi.
It was the same venue that Singapore’s former Prime Minister Lee Kwan-yew chose to host a condolence service when Nehru, one of Asia’s most revered leaders died in May 1964.
Dr Singh lavished praise on the leaders of Singapore who he said had led by example to ensure that Singapore, which “today became one of the most advanced economies of the world and an engine of growth for Asia”. He said these are successes which Jawaharlal Nehru would have been very happy to see. There is a lot that India can learn from Singapore.”
He described Pandit Nehru as not just India’s first Prime Minister, but as “a visionary, scholar and the builder of modern India. He was a humanist and an internationalist, and a champion of the post-colonial world.” He said Singapore today is an embodiment of human progress and the spirit of internationalism. He added: “Jawaharlal Nehru was prescient when he said in 1946 that Singapore will become the city where Asian unity is forged.”
Earlier, speaking at the lunch hosted in his honour by Singapore’s leaders, Dr Singh said, “In honouring Pandit Nehru today, you honour democracy, freedom and the rule of law.”
“India and all the values that India stands for — secularism we in India regard you as an ardent advocate and supporter of our strong partnership. It was during your visit to India in 2005 that we signed a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between India and Singapore. That Agreement has led to a qualitative upgradation of our trade and investment relations with Singapore,” he said. “It was the opening of our relations with Singapore which led to a strategic shift in India’s foreign and economic policies,” he said.