India today stronger than before: PM Manmohan farewell speech

New Delhi: Taking a bow as the Prime Minister of the country for the last time, Manmohan Singh thanked the country for the love and support that he received in the past ten years.

"Whatever I have got, I have got from this nation, a nation that instated a child born out of Partition to the highest position," he said.

In the last ten years, we as a country have seen many successes and achievements that we should be proud of. Today, India is a far stronger country in every respect than it was a decade ago.

He also exuded confidence that better times await the country. "As I leave office my abiding memory is the love and kindness I have received from you. This country empowered me to rise to high office. This is a debt I will always bear with pride. The emergence of India as a major powerhouse is an idea whose time has come. India will show the world the way," he said.

Wishing the new government luck for the future, Singh said that he respected the verdict of the country. "Before the judgment of the Almighty there is the judgment in the court of the people that all public servants have to submit to. I respect your verdict. My life in public office was always an open book and I served this nation to the best of my abilities," he said.

Combining tradition with modernity and culture with will, the country is going to have a great future. I wish the new government is successful in its works and the country benefits," Singh added.

In a final attempt to list out the achievements of his government, the outgoing PM said that the country had grown in the past 10 years. "In the last 10 years, we have achieved a lot and the country is better on several fronts than it was earlier. But there are several areas we can progress on in future together," he said.