Guwahati: Former Assam Chief Minister Hiteshwar Saikia’s wife, Hemoprova Saikia, expressed condolences over the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s demise, calling it a great loss for the country.
Recalling memories and moments spent with Singh, a close friend of Saikia, Hemoprova said, “His demise is a great loss for the country… He was a close friend of my husband…After the death of my husband, he continued to be a close member of our family…He was a great personality.”
Dr Hemoprova Saikia met Dr Singh first time in a flight from Newyork to Delhi when her husband late Hiteswar Saikia introduced him as Governor of Reserve Bank of India.
Singh lived at House No. 3989, in Nandan Nagar of Guwahati after he was elected to Rajya Sabha in 1991 when the then Chief Election Commissioner T N Seshan made it mandatory that the Rajya Sabha members must be domicile of that state.
Dr Singh casted his vote in Dispur Govt Boys School as voter till 2019 Lok Sabha election as a voter of Dispur constituency. His residential address was a rented first-floor apartment in the house of Hiteswar Saikia in the Sarumotoria area in Guwahati.
The former prime minister served as a Rajya Sabha member from Assam for five consecutive terms, from 1991 to 2019.
The Assam government has also declared a seven-day state mourning in honour of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday. The state mourning, beginning from December 26 will last till January 1, 2025.
