Thaindian News

Kolkata, Aug 29 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh might be saddened that none of his three daughters followed him in becoming an economist, but he never forced his wish on them, says his daughter Upinder Singh.
Upinder Singh, a professor in Delhi University’s history department, also said growing up as the children of a brilliant academician was a “bit of a problem as we knew we have to do well”.

She would have loved to follow in her father’s footsteps but did not opt for economics as “I was terrified of mathematics”, Upinder Singh told reporters here on the sidelines of the launch of her book “A History of Ancient and Early Mediaeval India”.

“He never said he was disappointed. But he might have been sad as he may have been hoping that at least one of us to become an economist. But he did not force us (to study economics,” Upinder Singh maintained.

Manmohan Singh’s other daughters are Daman Singh, who has penned a novel, and Amrit Singh, who is a civil rights activist in the US.

Replying to a query, Upinder Singh said she had never “given a thought” to whether her father had inspired her to write books.

“Well, he is an economist, I am a historian. And when I write I don’t have my father at the back of my mind. But I do see that when I was a child, I used to see a lot of books in his study. Maybe that played a role in shaping my career,” said the historian.