It wasn’t just in his office that Malayalis found a connection with the late Manmohan Singh; many were closely associated with him at his home as well. Among them, one name stands out -- G. Muraleedharan Pillai.  A native of Pala, he has remained by his side for over two and a half decades.

The long list of Malayalis who worked with Manmohan Singh includes prominent figures in Indian politics and administration. From cabinet ministers like AK Antony, Vayalar Ravi, E Ahamed, KV Thomas, Shashi Tharoor, and Mullappally Ramachandran to KC Venugopal, the Malayali presence was significant. High-ranking officials such as Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar, Principal Secretary TKA Nair, National Security Advisor MK Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, Commerce Secretary Gopal Krishna Pillai, Urban Development Secretary N Ramachandran, Planning Commission Advisor Paul Joseph, and Secretary Sudha Pillai also played pivotal roles during Singh's tenure.

At the same time, KG Balakrishnan served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, PDT Achary held the position of Lok Sabha Secretary General, and Christy Fernandes was the Secretary to the President of India.

However, among this illustrious group, G Muraleedharan Pillai or  GM Pillai, was the sole individual who remained a constant companion to Manmohan Singh for an enduring 26 years. A native of Ramapuram in Kottayam, GM Pillai began his journey with Singh in 1998 when the latter assumed the role of Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. Over time, he became one of Singh’s most trusted aides, serving as Deputy Secretary and later as Director of Prime Minister's office during Singh’s decade-long tenure as Prime Minister of India.

Hailing from the Idakkanal family in Ramapuram, Pala, GM had joined Singh on deputation from the National Security Council.