India's former PM Manmohan Singh cremated with state honours

28/12/2024 16:42

The body of Manmohan Singh, the former Indian prime minister whose death has sparked outpourings of grief at home and accolades from abroad, was cremated on Sunday on the banks of the Yamuna River in New Delhi with full state honours.



The funeral was conducted in the Sikh tradition as priests chanted hymns, after Singh's body, draped in the Indian flag, was carried through the capital on a flower-decked carriage pulled by a ceremonial army truck.



The flag was removed and the body covered with a saffron cloth before it was placed on the pyre.



Since Singh died on Thursday at 92, many have taken up his comment near the end of his 10-year rule that "history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media".



He was referring to a perception of weak leadership as he headed a coalition government facing numerous charges of corruption, which was thrown out of office in the 2014 election won by his successor Narendra Modi.



Modi, who called Singh one of the nation's "most distinguished leaders" after his death, attended the funeral, along with President Droupadi Murmu and representatives of various countries. Modi's government has decided to allocate land for Singh's memorial.