The Last Stalwart of Bengali Politicians Bids Adieu

Who formed  the Rashtriya Samajwadi Party ? Who was voted the Best Finance Minister in the World by Euromoney magazine in 1984? Who was the only Finance Minister to have presented seven budgets? Who was the only Finance Minister to serve the post both, in the Pre-liberal and Post liberal era? Who was the only minister to handle four ministries- Commerce, Defense, External Affairs and Finance? 

For the next few years these questions will glare in various quiz events and general knowledge question papers.But the most colourful political personality of present time Pranab Mukherjee will not be with us. At the age of 84 he passed away in the Army Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi. He may be remembered as the thirteenth President of Republic of India or as a recipient of the most prestigious Bharat Ratna Award, but in the heart of millions he will be remembered as a rare kind of politician who succeeded in reaching the top most post of the country by means of sheer knowledge and perseverance. A firm believer of Nehruvian political ideas Pranab Mukherjee was very much successful in redefining his place as a Finance Minister of post liberal economy. He will be remembered as the last member of the obsolescent Bengali Bhadralok who never hid his identity as a Bengali or Hindu to find some political mileage nor did he hurt the feeling of any other community. He was not a mere politician. He will be remembered as a statesman.

It was a cool, misty day of winter in Mirati on 11th December of 1935 when he was born to Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee and Rajlalkshmi Mukherjee. Their family was originally from Bilwagram in the Nadia district . In 1880 his grand father bought some land and settled at Mirati in Birbhum district of India. Probably Mukherjee got an intense interest in politics as an inheritance. His father Kamada kinkar Mukherjee joined Congess in 1920 and remained active till 1966.He was a freedom fighter and was a member of West Bengal Legislative council from 1952 to 1964. Later Pranab Mukherjee started a football league in the name of his father in Jangipur. He was an alumni of Suri Vidyasagar College from where he earned his degree in Political Science and History. He completed both his M.A and LLB both from The University of Calcutta. He started his career as an upper division clerk in the office of the Deputy Accountant General (post and Telegraph). Later he served as a lecturer at Vidyanagar College, Calcutta. Before joining the politics he also worked as a journalist with the Desher Dak, a Bengali newspaper.

Though he joined politics in 1962 as a student of LLB but he most colourful phase of his political career of Mukherjee began in 1969. In this year Indira Gandhi was facing serious trouble with senior Congress leaders who saw that the party was losing its footholds across the country after the death of Jawharlal Nehru. On the other hand unemployment, rising prices and food crises laid the foundation of widespread discontent against the government. Indira's decision to support independent candidate V.V Giri instead of official Congress  candidate Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy as the presidential candidate led towards a major divide in Congress. Indira Gandhi formed Congress (O). During this turbulent time he was successful in campaigning for independent candidate V.K Krishnamenon in Medinipur by-election. The the prime minister Indira Gandhi recognised his talent and he became a member of Rajya Sabha in the same year on a Bangla Congress ticket. In the following years he successfully handled several important portfolios including Finance, Defence, External Affairs etc. In the UPA I government in centre he became the corner stone of the cabinet by successfully resolving many crisis situations. Therefore he earned the sobriquet 'Chanakya'.  At the end of the UPA I government he expressed his desire to exit the active politics and was elected as the President of India. Even as the President he secured highest respect for the post.

In the evening of the last day of August the nation was really shocked to know that he is no more with us. The last stalwart of Bengali politician bids adieu.