Manmohan Singh’s interest was not only limited to economics. He loved Gurbani Kirtans and used to ask about local politics of Bengal, said a Calcuttan who had met the former Prime Minister a few times at the home of Montek Singh Ahluwalia, who was Singh’s deputy at the now disbanded Planning Commission.

Satnam Singh Ahluwalia, the general secretary of Behala Gurdwara, is the nephew of Isher Judge Ahluwalia, Montek’s late wife. Satnam remembered that on one occasion at least, Singh asked him about the Gurbani Kirtans, the ragas on which the kirtans were composed and the instruments accompanying the recitals.

Community members also remembered seeing Singh at the Rashbehari Gurdwara when the former Prime Minister was there for the condolence meeting of his brother-in-law.

“Singh was very fond of listening to Gurbani Kirtans, the practice of singing the hymns from Guru Granth Sahib,” Satnam told Metro on Friday.

Guru Granth Sahib is the central religious scripture of the Sikhs.

“Around 2012-13, there was a kirtan session in Montek’s home in New Delhi’s Aurangzeb Road where Singh had come. At the end of the session, he asked me at length about the ragas and the instruments,” Satnam reminisced on Friday.

In that session at Montek’s home, the kirtans were sung to the tune of the ragas. A number of bowed instruments, which have come down from the Sikh gurus, were used.

“There are a number of bowed instruments like the Taus, Rabab, Saranda and Dilruba that have come down from the Sikh Gurus. In that session, we had arranged for the use of these instruments and the hymns were sung to the tune of the ragas. Singh was fascinated by this,” Satnam said.

“Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur and my aunt Isher Judge Ahluwalia also sung the kirtans in some of the multiple sessions at Montek’s home. Singh loved listening to the kirtans though he never sang them,” Satnam said.

Satnam said he had access to these private appearances of Singh and his wife because Isher Judge Ahluwalia was his aunt. Being devoted to the practices of Sikh religion, Satnam often got calls from Montek’s family when a kirtan session was planned.

“The families of Montek and Singh were very close,” he said.

Montek was secretary of the finance ministry when Singh, as finance minister, launched the economic reforms of 1991. Later, Montek was the deputy chairperson of the Planning Commission and supervised the preparation of the 11th (2007-08 to 2011-12) and 12th plans (2012-13 to 2016-17). The Prime Minister was the ex-officio chairperson of the Planning Commission.

Singh also had a keen interest about Bengal and Calcutta and the politics of this region, said Satnam.

In the interactions at Montek’s home, Singh would also talk about the glory of Calcutta as a city at one time. He would enquire about the nature of developments in Bengal.

“He would often ask me: ‘How is your Mamata didi doing?’,” Satnam said. “I would smile and let it pass.”

The former Prime Minister had briefly visited the Rashbehari Gurdwara after the demise of his brother-in-law. He had come for the Ardas (condolence meeting).

“It was a brief visit. He was still the Prime Minister at that time. He spoke with the family members, spent some time and left,” said a community member.