Pranab Mukherjee, man for all seasons, dead
Seven-day national mourning declared; funeral will held today in Delhi
Former President of India and stalwart of Indian politics Pranab Mukherjee, who was often called the “man for all seasons”, died at the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi on Monday after ailing for some weeks. He was 84. His son Abhijit Mukherjee announced the news of his death.
He is survived by his son
Abhijit and daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee.
Speaking about his long journey, Pranab Mukherjee once said: “I have seen vast, perhaps unbelievable changes during the journey that has brought me from the flicker of a lamp in a small Bengal village to the chandeliers of Delhi.”
Pranab Mukherjee’s funeral will be held at the Lodhi Road crematorium in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The government announcolour will be flown at halfmast and there will be no official entertainment.
Mukherjee, who was found to be coronavirus positive, was admitted to the Army R&R Hospital, where he also underwent surgery for a blood clot in the brain.
Mukherjee’s condition, however, deteriorated over weeks and he was put on ventilator support.
“With a heavy heart, this is to inform you that my father Pranab Mukherjee has just passed away in spite of the best efforts of the doctors of R&R Hospital and prayers, duas and prathanas from people throughout India,” his son tweeted.
Mukherjee was conferred the Padma Vibhushan in 2008 and the Bharat Ratna in 2019. His political career spanned nearly five decades. Mukherjee, who started as an election manager, reached the top of the pyramid when he became President in 2012. He served as President till 2017.
During his long political career, Mukherjee donned many hats. He served as external affairs minister, finance minister, defence minister, commerce minister, besides being leader of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
MUKHERJEE HIT THE headlines in 2018 when he accepted an invitation to be chief guest at an RSS function.
Mukherjee was born on December 11, 1935 at Mirati, a village (now in Birbhum district of West Bengal). He studied history, political science and law at Calcutta University.
His political journey began in 1969 when he became the election manager of V.K. Krishna Menon, who was contesting as an Independent. Indira Gandhi got him into the Congress and sent him to the Rajya Sabha. His rise under Mrs Gandhi was meteoric. At 47, he became India’s youngest finance minister in 1982. He was one of the few leaders who stood by Indira when she imposed Emergency in 1975 and when she split the Congress in 1978.
After the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984, he fell from favour as then PM Rajiv Gandhi and his coterie felt Mukherjee, as the seniormost Cabinet minister, saw himself as the rightful heir to the throne. Rajiv not only dropped Mukherjee from the Cabinet but also expelled him from the party. In his memoir The Turbulent Years: 1986-96, Mukherjee wrote that he was “shellshocked and flabbergasted”.
Mukherjee formed his own political party — Rashtriya Samajwadi Congress — in 1986. In 1989, Mukherjee was recalled and he merged his outfit with the Congress. Rajiv Gandhi later said many things told to him about Mukherjee were “untrue”. In Mukherjee’s words – “to return to the question of why he (Rajiv) dropped me from the Cabinet and expelled me from the party, all I can say is that he made mistakes, and so did I. He let others influence him and listed to their calumnies against me. I let my frustration overtake my patience.”
After Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, Mukherjee returned to the government as external affairs minister under P.V. Narasimha Rao, while then RBI governor Manmohan Singh became finance minister.
Once again he missed the coveted throne when Sonia Gandhi chose Dr Singh to lead the UPA. Even if he was “upset”,
Mukherjee did not let that influence his work and in 2004-2014 he was heading most of the groups of ministers. Speaking at the launch of Mukherjee’s book The Coalition Years, Dr Singh said: “He (Pranab) had reason to feel upset but he respected me and we have a great relationship which will continue till we live.” There were rumours that it was Rahul Gandhi who took the final call.
The Gandhi family also seemed reluctant at first about nominating him for President. Some say the Gandhi family (postIndira) “could never fully trust Pranab da”. Mukherjee wrote: “She (Sonia) told me frankly, ‘Pranabji, you are the most eminently suited for the office, but you should not forget the crucial role you are playing in the functioning of the government. Could you suggest an alternative?’”
Then came something which virtually forced Sonia’s hand. Mamata Banerjee, at a joint press conference with Mulayam Singh Yadav said their presidential nominees were A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Dr Singh and Somnath Chatterjee. Ms Banerjee revealed that Sonia Gandhi had proposed the names of Hamid Ansari and Mukherjee, which were “unacceptable” to them.
Realising they could not lose the presidential election, several meetings were held among UPA partners, and the Left proposed Mukherjee’s name, which was seconded by others. Sonia endorsed his candidature.
Mukherjee wrote in The Coalition Years: “After briefing the meeting on the presidential election, Sonia Gandhi bid me an emotional farewell… Thereafter, with a mischievous smile, she looked at me and said: ‘Along with that, of course, I will miss some of his tantrums’.”
Mukherjee hit the headlines in 2018 when he accepted an invitation to be chief guest at an RSS function.