Movie at Kiran on Friday, rajma-chawal on Sunday

Chandigarh: Dr Manmohan Singh and his friends used to go to Kiran Cinema in Sector 22 from Panjab University (PU) on rickshaws every Friday to watch a movie. He and his wife used to love gorging on rajma-chawal on Sundays. His parents provided all the goodies for the first Lohri celebration of the newly-married couple. Former PU vice-chancellor R P Bambah shared these morsels of information as he recalled his more than 50 years old association with the former Prime Minister.
The relationship began during the undergraduate days of Manmohan Singh in Panjab University in the 1950s. The university was then located in Hoshiarpur. Bambah was a reader in the mathematics department. "It was a small campus with only a few departments. All faculty members had a good interaction. It was there that Prof S B Rangnekar from the economics department introduced me to Manmohan Singh as one of his brightest students."
Manmohan Singh graduated in economics in 1952 from PU and completes his master's degree in 1954. He was the only student from his department to pass in first division." I remember telling him that he should not stick to civil services but do something more to contribute in a larger manner. He then went to University of Cambridge, St John's College, which was my college too," Bambah said. Manmohan Singh pursued honours degree in economics and returned to Panjab University in 1957. In 1958, the campus shifted to Chandigarh. Bambah was then a professor. Yet again, being a small campus with less than 50 faculty members, the personal connect was stronger.
"In 1958, Manmohan Singh and two other young faculty members got married. When their brides joined them, our wives, being elder, took care of them. It was just like the entry of a new family member. We had a grand celebration on their first Lohri. Manmohan Singh's parents were merchants of dry fruits in Amritsar and they provided all the goodies for the celebration," Bambah recalled.
He also shared Manmohan Singh and his friends used to go to watch movies to Kiran Cinema every Friday on rickshaws.
The association did not end even when Manmohan Singh was living abroad. "Once during the 1960s, Manmohan Singh was in New York and I in Columbus, Ohio. My uncle and aunt came to visit us but since their flight got delayed, they could not catch the connecting flight from New York. At that time, Manmohan Singh specially took a subway train from his house to the airport and got them home. The next day he again dropped them to the airport," Bambah said.
He also remembered how Manmohan Singh helped his daughter in Geneva, Switzerland. Bambah also had the opportunity to have lunch with Manmohan Singh after he became the Prime Minister. "Though I was his professor and he respected me, we only shared a personal relationship. Even when I met him after he became the Prime Minister, our conversation was non-academic and non-political," Bambah said.
He further said, "Whenever we visited Manmohan Singh in Delhi, his wife always prepared tea and food. They never had a domestic help. When we had gone for lunch to their house, his wife Gursharan Kaur prepared rajma for us. She remembered how we always cooked the dish on Sundays and invited them."
BLAST FROM PAST
Dr Manmohan Singh was introduced as a brilliant student by his professor
Was the only student to pass in first division in his class
His first Lohri after he got married was celebrated in Panjab University
INSPIRING PERSONALITY
Manmohan Singh is the greatest Indian economist. PU and its students are blessed that he has accepted the professorship of the Jawaharlal Nehru Chair. He is an inspiring personality and can help Panjab University grow in many ways.
R P Bambah, Former VC, PU
'Worshipped By Students'
Panjab University department of economics professor (emeritus) H S Shergill, who was a student from 1964-66 in Panjab University - the last batch that Dr Manmohan Singh taught - remembered how his students worshipped him. "He used to come well-prepared for lectures and his delivery of speech was very clear. As a young faculty member, he was worshipped by students of not only the economics department but others too. He would not waste any time in gossiping. Research was where his focus remained." he said.
'Refused money for trip'
Dr Manmohan Singh's room in the department of economics was still intact and being shared by Prof M R Khurana, who would retire this month. Sharing his memory about Manmohan Singh when he had come for a seminar, Khurana said, "The department is blessed to have had him as a mentor. I remember I had organized a national seminar at PU in 2002 and invited him. I tried to give him money for the conveyance as he had specially flown down to Chandigarh but he refused politely, saying it was his very own university."