Pranab Da: The Ideal Statesman and Beyond
Written on September 3rd , 2020 by {"login"=>"jcbitshyd", "email"=>"journal@hyderabad.bits-pilani.ac.in", "display_name"=>"Journal Club, BPHC", "first_name"=>"", "last_name"=>""}There are only a few leaders in the Indian Political spectrum who will be remembered for time immemorial. And there are even fewer of those who were respected unconditionally across the aisle of the Parliament floor. Pranab Mukherjee belonged to this minority of those political leaders. Pranab Da, as he was affectionately called, started from the very bottom of the political hierarchy and rose to become the 13th President of our nation. Boasting a political career of over five decades, Mr. Mukherjee and his service to the country in the Government and the Parliament is indelible and will forever be enshrined in Indian history.
Pranab Da started from a very humble yet patriotic household in West Bengal. He changed roles from a college professor to a journalist before taking to the political stage. He was a hand-picked choice of the then-Prime Minister of India Smt. Indira Gandhi to lead the Congress. She took a young Pranab Da under her wing, and the rest is history.
Pranab Da's political career in the Congress saw the Party's peaks and the very worst of it. He was the Chanakya of the Indian National Congress, who remained the Party's guiding light for three generations of leaders from Indira to Rahul Gandhi. He saw the Congress Governments through the worst scenarios in Indian politics, from Emergency to Economic Crisis to the Party's embarrassing loss in 2014. But the most notable of his qualities through his long political career was his loyalty to the Congress party. In the roughest of times, he remained loyal to the Party and its working even if it meant burying his pride and personal aspirations. Indira Gandhi trusted him enough to state,
"Pranab Babu inhabits lots of secrets, but even if you press him hard, what will come out of his mouth is only smoke and not a secret.", referring to the days when he was often seen with his iconic smoke pipe.
He was a leader, the likes of which the Congress has never seen and is unlikely to see in the future.
Pranab Da's contribution to the nation can't be done justice in such a small piece. Over the five decades of service, he held the Cabinet's most critical offices, some even simultaneously. He served thrice both as Finance Minister and Commerce Minister of India and twice as the Minister of External Affairs. Apart from this, he also served as the Minister of Defence, Revenue and Banking, Shipping and Transport, and Industrial Development. He also acted as Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission.
In the Manmohan Singh Cabinet from 2004-2012, as the Union Finance Minister, he took bold decisions after the global economic crisis of 2008, which helped shield the Indian economy. He used his experience and knowledge in leading the Government's critical decisions on a range of issues like Administrative reforms, Right to Information, Information Technology, setting up of UIDAI, Metro Rail, etc.
Even after retiring from active politics, after becoming President, Pranab Mukherjee made sure he did whatever he could in his capacity for the nation. He promptly approved the execution of the convicts of the Mumbai 26/11 attack (Ajmal Kasab), Parliament House attack (Afzal Guru), and the 1993 Mumbai bomb blast (Yakub Menon). He also launched the President's twitter account to better connect with people.
His contributions got the deserved recognition when he was conferred with the Bharat Ratna in 2019.
By the time Pranab Mukherjee retired from active politics, he had the respect and admiration of each member sitting in the Indian Parliament. Even his arch-rivals throughout the decades admired his work. LK Advani, then leader of Opposition, quoted on the Parliament floor,
".........I can't imagine the state of the UPA Government without Pranab Da in-charge of it. I have always admired his knowledge and his way of handling the huge responsibilities on his shoulders."
Pranab Da summarized his life and times in a very few words in his last address to Parliament,
"For the past fifty years of my public life, my sacred book has been the Constitution of India, my temple has been the Parliament of India and my passion, the service of the People of India."
MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE