When soft-spoken Dr Singh asserted himself in national interest

Everyone is heaping praise on Dr Manmohan Singh as a soft-spoken and mild-mannered technocrat-turned-politician who unleashed far-reaching reforms in the country, but what is rarely talked about is how the former Prime Minister acted tough and asserted himself in the national interest when the situation demanded.

- ASHOK TUTEJA

In June 2009, soon after the UPA's victory in the Lok Sabha elections, Singh went to Yekaterinburg in Russia to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit. On the margins of the summit, he also had a bilateral meeting with Asif Ali Zardari, who was then the President of Pakistan.

The Pakistani leader must have expected a cordial meeting with an Indian leader known for his mannerism and cordial nature. However, Zardari was taken aback and fumbled for words when Singh bluntly told him: "I am happy to meet you, but my mandate is to tell you that the territory of Pakistan must not be used for terrorism against India." The meeting had taken place a few months after the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.