Manmohan Singh skipped meals in UK and lived only on chocolates at times: Daughter Daman | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: In a book written by Manmohan Singh’s daughter, it was revealed that during his time in the UK, the former prime minister at times survived on a sixpence bar of Cadbury’s chocolate instead of a full meal due to financial woes.
In the book titled “The book Strictly Personal: Manmohan and Gursharan in 2014”, Daman recounted her father’s time at Cambridge, saying that financial difficulties were his main concern. His tuition and living expenses totaled around 600 pounds annually, while his scholarship from Punjab University provided only about 160 pounds.
“Manmohan was careful to live very stingily. Subsidized meals in the dining hall were relatively cheap at two shillings sixpence. He never ate out, and seldom indulged in beer or wine. He skipped meals or got by on a sixpence bar of Cadbury’s chocolate. He would never borrow money in his entire life, but this was when he came closest to doing so. The only person he could think of turning to was Madan (his close friend Madan Lal Sudan),” the book noted.
After securing the top position in his first-year Tripos examination, Singh informed Madan that he no longer needed financial support. “I think I will get some prize worth about 20 pounds, and if I press, I might get an Exhibition (an allowance or scholarship), but I am not so greedy. I prefer to wait till next year,” he wrote.
Singh graduated with a First-Class Honours degree in Economics from the University of Cambridge in 1957.
Daman Singh also reflected on her father’s frequent reminiscences about his early years, describing both the hardships of village life and the appeal of its simplicity. Born in Gah, located in the western region of Punjab province (now in Pakistan), Singh had a deep connection to his roots. However, when his daughter Kiki once asked if he wished to return to Gah, he responded gently, “No, not really. That is where my grandfather was killed.”
Daman also mentioned how her father used to sing at family get-togethers and picnics. “Whenever we went on a picnic, people used to sing. He knew a couple of songs. He sang ‘Lagta nahin hai ji mera’ and Amrita Pritam’s poem ‘Aakhan Waris Shah noon, kitey kabran vichon bol’,” she wrote.
According to Daman, her father had a keen sense of humor, which was most apparent when he was with friends, even economists. “It was comforting to know that he could laugh and crack jokes as well. With us, he rarely did either,” she noted.
He also enjoyed giving nicknames to people. “Unknown to them, one of our uncles was ‘John Babu,’ another was ‘Jewel Babu,’ and a third—thanks to his pointed turban—was ‘Chunj Waley.’ My mother was ‘Gurudev,’ and the three of us were ‘Kick,’ ‘Little Noan,’ and ‘Little Ram.’ Some of the other names he coined were less charitable,” Daman wrote.
Even the family dog, Penu, wasn’t spared his playful creativity, as Singh gave him a series of affectionate nicknames like ‘Nut Babu,’ ‘Nutter,’ and ‘Douse Fellow,’ even composing little jingles around them.