Are former Prime Ministers mandated memorials? | Explained Premium

Former PM Manmohan Singh's cremation at Nigambodh Ghat sparks controversy over lack of designated memorial space.

The story so far: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh passed away on December 26. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) declared seven days of State mourning and announced a state funeral for the dignitary. Mr. Singh was cremated at the Nigambodh Ghat in central Delhi, a first for any former PM. The Congress party said it was an “insult” that a separate place was not allocated by the government for the funeral of the former PM. The Congress party demanded that a memorial be built at the designated place where the cremation took place.

While guidelines exist for State funerals, there is no specific rule or government order regarding allocation of space for memorials for former PMs. According to constitutional expert P.D.T Achary, there was a departure in the case of Mr. Singh. “As far as I know, there is no such rule. The convention is that former PMs have been cremated at designated places and in this case there is a departure. They cremated him at a place where anybody can be cremated even a common man. In our country though everyone is equal before the law, in society, a former PM has a status and especially a person like Manmohan Singh who was also globally respected,” Mr. Achary said.

Except PM Vishwanath Pratap Singh, all other former PMs have memorials dedicated to them, majorly in Delhi and other parts of the country.

P. V. Narasimha Rao got a memorial in his name at Ekta Sthal in Delhi in 2015, 10 years after his death in 2004. In Delhi, the samadhi of Jawaharlal Nehru is known as Shanti Vana, Lal Bahadur Shastri’s memorial is known as Vijay Ghat, that of Charan Singh’s is Kisan Ghat, Indira Gandhi’s memorial is at Shakti Sthal, and Rajiv Gandhi’s memorial is known as Vir Bhumi. In 2013, due to paucity of space, the Congress government decided that all memorials will be built at Smriti Sthal.

According to a reply furnished by the Culture Ministry on December 11, 2012 in Lok Sabha, the memorials of various personalities are maintained by the respective State Governments and local municipalities. “However, the Central Government through the Ministry of Urban Development is looking after the upkeep and maintenance of the Samadhis adjacent to Rajghat, New Delhi, Morarji Desai’s Samadhi at Abhay Ghat at Ahmedabad and the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial at Sriperumbudur (Tamil Nadu),” the reply stated.

On December 27, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the Union Government to identify a designated place where the last rites of the departed leader could be held and a memorial built thereafter. Despite the request, the cremation was held at Nigambodh Ghat on December 28. Following an uproar, the MHA released a press statement on December 27 at 11.45 pm. It stated that the government received a request to allocate space for a memorial for the former Prime Minister. “Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of Late Dr Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile cremation and other formalities can happen because a Trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it,” the statement said. Till December 30, the memorial for Mr. Singh had not been announced. Atal Bihari Vajpayee who passed on August 16, 2018 was cremated at Smriti Sthal, and a memorial came up at the same place within 45 days. The memorial was funded by the “Atal Smriti Nyas Society”. It was built at a total cost of ₹10.51 crore which was borne entirely by the society.