Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's remarks at the unveiling of the Jawaharlal Nehru Bust and Commemorative Marker in Singapore

"I feel deeply honoured to be here this afternoon at this ceremony to unveil the bust of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and the Marker commemorating his association with Singapore.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was not just India's first Prime Minister. He was a visionary, scholar and the builder of modern India. He was a humanist and an internationalist, and a champion of the post-colonial world.

Singapore today is an embodiment of human progress and the spirit of internationalism. Jawaharlal Nehru was prescient when he said in 1946 that Singapore will become the city where Asian unity is forged. We are witnessing such unity being forged. Singapore's great cultural and intellectual institutions are playing a vital role in this process. I therefore most warmly congratulate the National Heritage Board of Singapore on this initiative, and wish it all success in its future activities.

In honouring Pandit Nehru today, you honour India and all the values that India stands for - secularism, democracy, freedom and the rule of law. These are the values that continue to unite our two nations today. The Bust and Commemorative Marker will serve as a symbol of our friendship and our respect for each other's achievements. In celebrating our past, we enhance understanding of each other's cultures, inspire the younger generation and better prepare ourselves for the future.

Singapore stands at the crossroads of East Asia. It is today one of the most advanced economies of the world and an engine of growth for Asia. It has led by example, and by the exceptional qualities and skills of its people and society. These are successes which Jawaharlal Nehru would have been very happy to see. There is a lot that India can learn from Singapore.

This Bust and Marker will stand as yet another symbol of the close relations between India and Singapore, and will inspire even greater interest about each other among our peoples.

I most sincerely thank Mr. Goh Chok Tong, Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim and Mr. Ong Yew Huat for being present here to honour a great son of India and a great statesman.

I thank you."