Harprit Kaur's wish to host lunch or dinner for her elder sister and Manmohan Singh remains unfulfilled

PM's 'very Kannadiga' sister-in-law no more

Harprit Kaur's wish to host lunch or dinner for her elder sister and Manmohan Singh remains unfulfilled

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's sister-in-law Harprit Kaur passed away yesterday in Hubli, and her wish to host a lunch or dinner with her 'phulkas' and 'chholey daal' for her elder sister Gurusharan Kaur and her husband remained unfulfilled.

Singh had plans to visit the Kannada-speaking-family after he took over as prime minister for a second term in May last year.

He was expected in a couple of months and Harprit was preparing to offer him his favourite Panjabi dish.

"My uncle Manmohan used to visit us regularly once or twice a year, before he became prime minister," said Harmit Singh, eldest son of Harprit. "He could not make it because of security issues though he wanted to spend time with us during festivals."

Harprit moved to Hubli with her husband Harman Singh Kohli in 1968, and the family runs an automobile spare parts unit. Kohli has three sons and all of them live together as a joint family.

"We are 13 in the family," said Harmit, who looks after two restaurants along with his brothers.

The family speaks fluent Kannada with the sons having studied in a Kannada medium school.

"In all respects, we are Kannadigas," said Harmit. "Mother used to struggle a bit, but we are all comfortable only in Kannada, after Punjabi."

When Harmit called him with the news, Manmohan attended the call and expressed his deep remorse at not having been able to meet Harprit at her residence of late.

He is not coming down to attend Harprit's funeral, while his wife Gurusharan will be there for the last rites, to be performed next Friday.

It has been six years since the families met, though Harprit was in regular touch with her sister and brother-in-law over the phone.

While Harprit's family missed the swearing-in ceremony of Manmohan Singh in 2004, they wanted to witness the occasion when he again took over as prime minister last year. However, they could not make it because of Harprit's health problems and the family celebrated at their Hubli residence after watching Manmohan taking oath.

Manmohan had promised to have lunch with the family, but it was not to be with Harprit.

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