The Hindu : New Delhi News : Arjun Singh lauded as man with "titanic vision''

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 28, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Arjun Singh lauded as man with "titanic vision''

Staff Reporter

Party leaders celebrate his birthday

HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with United Progressive Alliance Chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi at a felicitation ceremony to mark the birthday of Union Human Resource Minister Arjun Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday. — Photo: Sandeep Saxena

NEW DELHI: : The contributions made over the years by the Union Human Resource Development Minister, Arjun Singh, as a politician, administrator and negotiator were commended by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, the Lok Sabha Speaker, Somnath Chatterjee, and the Congress president and UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, at a felicitation function organised at Siri Fort Auditorium here on Wednesday to celebrate his 75th birthday.

The Prime Minister described his Cabinet colleague as a man with a "titanic vision''. Recalling his 25-year association with Mr Arjun Singh, Dr. Singh said it began when Mr Arjun Singh was the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh while he was the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. "He had vision for the transformation of a poor State and the lasting impression I have of him is of the most successful Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.''

Even earlier, Dr. Singh said, as the Agriculture Minister of Madhya Pradesh Mr Arjun Singh was "the principal architect of the Green Revolution''. Then he recalled with great admiration and gratitude the manner in which he as Governor of Punjab had helped the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi reach the historic accord with Sant Harcharan Singh Longowal which paved the way for normalcy in Punjab.

And now as the Union HRD Minister, Dr. Singh said, Mr Arjun Singh was a pathfinder and pacesetter as his commitment to education was there for all to see. "Who is more qualified than him for the job?'' he said to a thunderous applause from the audience in the packed-to-capacity auditorium. Finally, with the note that "everyday my admiration for him increases,'' the Prime Minister wished Mr Arjun Singh a long life.

The Congress president said the happy family life and successful career of Mr. Singh was the kind most would long for. "Though there are ups and downs in everyone's life, his life has been one of ascendancy at large,'' she said philosophically, adding that both the party and the Government had benefited from him. Lauding his role in upholding values dear to him, Ms. Gandhi went on to wish him good health, long life and many more years of public service.

Mr. Siomnath Chatterjee described Mr Arjun Singh as an outstanding parliamentarian and a renowned orator whose experience had been helping parliamentary discourses. Particularly appreciative of Mr. Arjun Singh's efforts in reviving the education system, especially the secular education for maintaining the unity and integrity of the country, he said "his vision is of a strong and united India''.

The Speaker said Mr Arjun Singh was a "national leader who had dignified our political and parliamentary systems in more ways than one''. Lauding his capability of "handling challenging situations'' well, Mr Chatterjee also spoke highly of his work during the Green Revolution and in bringing about the Rajiv-Longowal accord.

The man of the moment, Mr Arjun Singh - who was presented with an eight-volume "Abhinandan Granth'' brought out in his honour - felt overwhelmed by the words of praise showered on him. Narrating Winston Churchill's words that "the only guide to a man is his conscience'', Mr Arjun Singh noted how his political journey was marked with certain moments that had left a deep impression on him. The first defining moment was Mahatma Gandhi's assassination and then it was Jawaharlal Nehru's resting of his head on his shoulder for a brief while in 1960.

Thereafter when he was introduced to Indira Gandhi by Pandit Nehru at Anand Bhavan in Allahabad as a "committed worker'', Mr Arjun Singh said he had felt really elated. Another momentous occasion was when he was sent to Punjab as Governor by Rajiv Gandhi barely a week after his being sworn in as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

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