Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew was a torchbearer of hope, not just for his country, but for all of Asia.
"The passing of Lee Kuan Yew, is not the passing of an individual, but indeed, of an era. He was a torchbearer of hope, not just for Singapore, but for all of Asia," Prime Minister Modi wrote in the condolence book at Yew's funeral.
"Today, the flame is no more, but this was a torch that lit the lamp of hope in many new nations. As long as these lamps flicker, he will continue to inspire, eternally. His personal life was an inspiration for many like me. I bow to this committed Karma Yogi, this great man. On behalf of all Indians, I pay homage to him," he added.
Yew, who transformed the tiny island outpost into one of the wealthiest and least corrupt countries in Asia, breathed his last on March 23. He was 91 years old.