The government has announced its decision to allocate space for a memorial dedicated to former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, following a formal request from the Congress party. The announcement came shortly after Congress raised concerns that its appeal for a resting place in Delhi for Dr. Singh had not been addressed.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) stated:
“This morning, the Government received a request from the Congress Party President to allocate space for a memorial for former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. Following the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Shri Amit Shah informed Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge and Dr. Singh’s family that the Government would allocate the requested space. Meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can proceed, as a trust must be formed before the space can officially be designated.”
The precedent for such memorials dates back to 2013, when the UPA-2 cabinet approved the establishment of the ‘Rashtriya Smriti’ at the Samadhis Complex near Ekta Sthal in New Delhi. This decision aimed to create a unified site for the last rites of departed national leaders, replacing the earlier practice of constructing individual memorials. The official release at the time noted the complex would accommodate future ceremonies for Presidents, Vice Presidents, Prime Ministers, and other leaders as decided by the Cabinet.
The ‘Rashtriya Smriti’ concept addressed space constraints near Rajghat, where earlier memorials were built. The first leader to be honored at this site was former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao in 2015, followed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose memorial, Sadaiv Atal, was also constructed there.
Sources indicate that during a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, members of the Gandhi family suggested conducting Dr. Singh’s funeral near the memorials of Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi. Dr. Singh’s wife, Gurcharan Kaur, reportedly expressed a preference for the memorial to be established at the site of the funeral itself.
The decision underscores the government’s commitment to recognizing the contributions of national leaders, ensuring a dignified space for public remembrance.
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