Dr. Manmohan Singh, who served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, was respected globally for his simplicity, humility and strategic leadership. He died on Thursday night at the age of 92. His life and achievements have been discussed by everyone, but he has an interesting story, which connects him with Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the Quaid-e-Azam of Pakistan. This incident happened before the partition of India, which very few people know.
Hockey and Jinnah: Unknown story of Manmohan Singh
This was in 1945, when India had not been partitioned. While playing near his home in Lahore, a ball hit with the hockey stick of Dr. Manmohan Singh, who was an avid hockey player at that time, accidentally hit Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Dr. Singh himself had narrated this story
Dr Singh mentioned this incident in an informal conversation with some media persons in Bengaluru during the Karnataka Assembly election campaign. He said:
“I met Jinnah in Lahore in 1945. He lived near my house and we used to play hockey near his house. One day the ball hit by my hockey hit Mr. Jinnah. Fortunately, he was not injured. Jinnah was standing outside his house watching us play, when my shot hit him.”
‘First attack’ on Jinnah and Dr. Singh’s smile
When a journalist jokingly said that this was the first attack on Jinnah and the credit for it should go to Manmohan Singh, Dr Singh smiled shyly.
Jinnah did not know
Dr. Singh said that this incident happened in the grounds of a junior college in Lahore. The ground was right next to the bungalow of Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
“I hit the ball towards the goal post, but the ball missed the target and hit Jinnah on his head. He was standing in the verandah of the bungalow. “He didn’t know what hit his head.”
Manmohan Singh: Precious gem of Indian politics
Dr. Manmohan Singh was a symbol of policy and economic reforms in Indian politics.
- He is the country’s longest serving Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Narendra Modi.
- He was the first Prime Minister after Nehru, who completed two consecutive five-year terms.
- Under his leadership, India took many economic reforms and development steps.
Dr. Manmohan Singh will remain immortal
Dr. Manmohan Singh’s life was a symbol of simplicity and service. His humility and working style gave him a unique place in Indian politics. Even though he is not among us today, his contribution to the development of the country will always keep him immortal.
