‘Pappaji has surpassed our wildest dreams’

Unable to divert the attention of first-born Manmohan away from books, Gurmukh Singh Kohli, a dry fruit trader, would jibe: ‘‘Bas,...

Unable to divert the attention of first-born Manmohan away from books, Gurmukh Singh Kohli, a dry fruit trader, would jibe: ‘‘Bas, toon tei pardhan mantri banenga.’’ (This way, you will become a prime minister.) Today, Manmohan’s younger brothers Daljit and Surjit couldn’t help but remember those words as they sat in front of the TV to watch Kaun Banega Pradhan Mantri beamed live from Parliament House.

‘‘Our father wanted Pappaji (that’s what they call Manmohan), his eldest son, to help him in business, but he never bit the bait,’’ says Surjit at the family’s palatial house in the posh Ranjit Avenue.

Daljit recalls how Manmohan was the odd one in the family of 10 siblings. ‘‘He was the only studious one among the us. We were awfully proud of him when he went to London School of Economics to complete his PhD.’’ But it was in Amritsar that he laid the base for his formidable scholarship. Manmohan, says Surjit, did his schooling from the local Hindu Sabha School before graduating from Hindu Sabha College. He went to Hoshiarpur to complete post-graduation in Economics.

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The brothers, who run factories manufacturing pistons, say they called it a day the moment they heard whispers about Sonia’s refusal to accept the PM’s post, and a friend called up to say that their brother would most likely be the next choice for the post.

His sister, Narinder Kaur, says Pappaji is much loved for his warm and down-to-earth nature. Sending out a silent prayer for her brother, his youngest sister, Nirwan, tells you how he is a father figure to all his siblings. ‘‘He treats me like a daughter, and makes it a point to attend all family functions no matter how busy he is.’’

The sisters admit they had never dreamt he would become prime minister. ‘‘This is like a mid-summer night’s dream,’’ says Narinder. A low-profile person, Manmohan, who was born at Beri Wali Gali, Kot Mitt Singh, has never made much of his Amritsar connection. Which is why few in the city associate him with Guru Ki Nagri.

But nonetheless, a wave of joy swept the city as the news trickled in. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti was among those who expressed their happiness at the prospect of Manmohan becoming the prime minister.