Former Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh Selected For Top Japan Honour
Former Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh Selected For Top Japan Honour
Dr. Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister of India was chosen on 3rd November, 2014 for a top Japanese national award. Japan’s leading national award, The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers 2014 has been conferred on Dr. Singh. The award has been bestowed on him for his contribution to the strengthening of relations and promotion of friendship between India and Japan for around 35 years. Manmohan Singh has become the first Indian citizen to receive this rare honour.
Dr. Singh is one of the 57 foreign recipients who have been conferred this award for this year. The Grand Cordon of the Order of Paulownia Flowers was established in the year 1888 as the highest award under the Orders of the Rising Sun. This national award is presented by the Japanese government. The medal features rays of sunlight radiating from the rising sun. A wreath of Paulownia flowers adorn the medal as a wreath. The medal is worn on the left chest. This is a high level Nation Order. It is also a rare honour given to those recognised for their massive contribution.
During his tenure, PM Manmohan Singh has contributed to Indo-Japanese ties and he is the first Indian to receive this honour. Singh has been awarded “The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers” for a very "significant contribution to the enhancement of relations and promotion of friendship" between Japan and India for 35 years, a Japanese embassy statement stated.
This is a high level national order and the embassy statement noted that "Manmohan Singh is the first Indian recipient of this Order.” Dr. Singh also said he was truly honoured and "humbled by the love and affection showered upon me by the people and government of Japan.” Dr. Singh also stated that he dreamed of growth of prosperous bilateral relations between India and Japan and that "this is an objective towards which I have worked, not only in my tenure as the Prime Minister of India, but across the larger part of my career in public service”.
The former PM has served the nation for 10 years since 2004 and he said he was delighted to see a stable partnership form between India and Japan.
"India and Japan have a shared vision of a rising Asia. Over the past decade, therefore, our two countries have established a new relationship based on shared values and shared interests.
"I have no doubt that with the common efforts and initiatives of the people of Japan and India, we will scale greater heights in our bilateral relationship in future," Dr. Singh said in a statement.Born 26th September, 1932 in the Gah, now in Pakistan, Dr. Singh has worked tirelessly for the welfare of the nation. He is the first Indian PM since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected following the completion of a full 5 year term.
