The 39th U.S. President, Jimmy Carter, died on December 29, shortly after the demise of the 13th Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, on December 26. Both leaders, known for their decency, had their contributions to history grossly underestimated. Each lost to populist, charismatic, right-wing leaders promising greatness to their demoralized nations: Ronald Reagan in the U.S. and Narendra Modi in India.

President Carter was born and raised in rural Georgia, growing up among mostly Black children. Manmohan Singh hailed from Gah village, now situated just off the Lahore-Islamabad expressway in Pakistan. Both brought to their adult lives values imbibed early: faith, tolerance, and hard work. Carter’s election as U.S. President was unexpected; he began campaigning as a relative unknown in Washington, though already Governor of Georgia. Similarly, when Congress President Sonia Gandhi presented Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister after the 2004 election victory, it stunned other aspirants.

PM Singh’s first term saw him fearlessly pursue his reform agenda and engage with the U.S., culminating in the India-U.S. nuclear deal, which unsettled his coalition. President Carter similarly took bold actions: tackling inflation, expanding conservation efforts by........

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