New Delhi: A quintessential party loyalist and the trusted Man Friday of three Congress prime ministers, Pranab Mukherjee’s climb up the political ladder stopped just short of his ambition to occupy 7 Race Course Road, instead sending him to the Rashtrapati Bhavan as the country’s first citizen.
Mukherjee, India’s 13th president, Congress’ troubleshooter through the decades and one of the country’s most respected politicians, died on Monday after a 21-day illness and five decades in public life. He was 84.
A people’s person till the end, Citizen Mukherjee’ used Twitter to communicate to the world that he had tested positive for COVID-19 on August 10. It was his last post, and his last words to the public.
Demonstrating his ability to quickly adapt to situations as they arose, Mukherjee was at ease with the new mode of communication. Twitter was a platform he used often, to express his condolences on the death of leaders and friends, greet people on festivals or wish them on their birthdays.
Some politicians don’t fade into the background. And so it was with the scholarly Mukherjee too. He remained a presence to contend with even after he demitted the office of president, often making headlines as he attended book launches and delivered lectures.
It was a life of many firsts and accomplishments for the West Bengal-born politician, famed for his encyclopaedic memory, razor sharp intellect and deep insights into issues.
In 1982, he became India’s youngest finance minister when he was just 47. In the years that followed, he served as India’s minister for External Affairs, Defence, Finance and Commerce and was the first Indian president to have done so.
Mukherjee managed the rare distinction of serving three prime ministers as minister — Indira Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh ever the Congress’ trusted Man Friday as it evolved over the decades.
Mukherjee was also India’s only non-prime minister who was leader of the Lok Sabha for eight years. He was also leader of the Rajya Sabha from 1980-85.
There were other landmarks in a remarkable political career, which started in 1969 as a Rajya Sabha member for the Bangla Congress which subsequently merged with the Congress.
When he became president in 2012, Mukherjee was heading 24 of 39 GOMs (groups of ministers). Between 2004-2012, he chaired 95 GOMs.
Mukherjee was famous in political circles as a consensus builder. He inspired trust among leaders across the political spectrum, an asset that proved handy at the time of his election as president.
It was a many splendoured political career, which ended at the presidential palace. But the prime minister’s post eluded him, even though it was a position he openly aspired for.
In his book The Coalition Years , Mukherjee acknowledged that he had hoped to get the post in May 2004 after then Congress president Sonia Gandhi herself declined the position.
Born on December 11, 1935 in the small village of Mirati in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, Mukherjee received early lessons in life from his freedom fighter parents.
His father, a Congress leader, endured great financial hardship and was sent to jail several times for his role in the freedom struggle.
In 2019, he was conferred India’s highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna by the BJP government, a development that became a subject of intense political debate.
Ending his political career as president of India, he left his mark on the highest office of the land too.
Mukherjee’s tenure as president will stand out for the tough stance he took on mercy petitions. Of the 34 mercy petitions presented to him, he rejected 30.
He will be remembered for the steps he took to make the Rashtrapati Bhavan closer to the people. He opened it up for the public and made a museum. (PTI)
