Dr Singh’s impact on Indian economy reflected in his books

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Dr Singh’s impact on Indian economy reflected in his books

Saturday, 28 December 2024 | TN RAGHUNATHA | Mumbai

An academician par excellence and a man of letters, late Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was a voracious reader of books. When he was the Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the 1980s, he would step out of the RBI during lunch hour and would take rounds of book shops in Mumbai’s downtown Fort area – especially Strand Book Stall.

The Strand Book Stall, which remained a favourite destination for thousands of book lovers from across Mumbai and the country, was one of the favourite places that Dr Singh would visit during his lunch hours and evenings looking for books.

The Strand Book Stall --- housed in Dhannur Building off the Sir Pherozeshah Mehta Road – sold outstanding rare books from each and every field so much so that it had been frequented by Presidents and Prime Ministers, film stars, writers, journalists, sportsmen, business personalities and commoners during the seventy years of its existence. The shop closed down in February 2018, nine years after the famous shop owner T N Shanbhag passed away in 2009.

“Dr Manmohan Singh loved books. I have seen Dr Manmohan Singh at Strand Book Stall many times during lunch hour. He would quietly walk into these book stores and search for books. He invested a good bit of money on books,”  Old timer Raj Suri, who used to publish Mumbai tour guides and also run Wheeler’s book stores at Churchgate Railway station, recalled.

“When it came to simplicity and humility, there was one else who could match him. He held such top posts like that of RBI Governor, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Finance Secretary, Finance Minister and Prime Minister at different points in time. Even though he was the RBI Governor, I have seen him converse with the book stall owner Shanbaug in such a humble manner.  I have also seen Dr Singh visit Modern Book Stores in Fort,” Suri said.

A world-renowned economist, he had an in-depth knowledge of the manner in which had progressed in the field of economy.

As the Finance Minister and other key posts like the RBI Governor, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Finance Secretary,  Dr Singh steered the country through the difficult times.

As much as he was a reader, Dr. Manmohan Singh -- who used to teach at Panjab University and the Delhi School of Economics, before entering politics – was a prolific author. His five-volume series, "Changing India" published in 2019 reflects his view of India’s economic and political journey.

In his landmark work “A Decade of Economic Reforms” published in 2004, Dr Singh wrote about the economic changes implemented during his tenure as Finance Minister and later as Prime Minister. He dwelt upon how liberalisation contributed to an unprecedented growth in the country,

In his another important book India's Economic Reforms: An Agenda for the Future|, published in 2006, Dr Singh wrote about the economic

policies that shaped modern India and discussed future challenges and opportunities for growth. In this book, he wrote about the importance of public-private partnerships and strengthening of institutional frameworks.

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