His actions spoke louder than words. Despite his prestigious degrees, academic accolades, and illustrious career, he never let them consume him. He was an inspiration to many millennials like me, including me, who developed an interest in politics because of him. His economic reforms created a significant section of society called ‘the middle class’. He became the first Prime Minister from a minority community and led the most democratic government after Nehru. As an FM, he changed India’s financial trajectory. Under his watch, India witnessed the highest GDP growth in its 5000-year history in the next decade.

He was instrumental in making India the third largest economy, next to the US and China. In ten years as Prime Minister, he lifted nearly 30 crore people out of poverty, one of the largest upliftments in world history. None of the countries except a non-democratic China have done the upliftment to this scale. He was one of the most consequential Prime Ministers, but he never claimed credit or boasted about himself. Despite unfair treatment by his opponents, he never turned bitter against or abused them. He was the epitome of humility and selflessness, a truly liberated soul!