Pranab Mukherjee — A Tribute to One of the Greatest Personalities
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Mr Mukherjee’s contribution to the country, saying the former president had “left an indelible mark on the development trajectory of our nation”.
Pranab Mukherjee assumed the office of the President of India, on 25th July 2012 and continued till 25th July 2017. He became the President of India after four decades of political life and is the first Bengali to hold this office.
Mukherjee held many important positions. He served at the Finance Minister of India from 2009 to 2012, before becoming the President. He was a senior leader of the Indian Congress.
Pranab Mukherjee is also a noted author and has written many books including ‘Off the Track’, ‘Challenges before the Nation/Saga of Struggle and Sacrifice’ and ‘The Coalition Years’.
Pranab Mukherjee was born on 11th December 1935, in Mirati in the Birbhum district in West Bengal, India, into a Brahmin family. His parents Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee and Rajlakshmi were freedom fighters.
He has a MA degree in political science and history. He completed these in the Suri Vidyasagar College, then affiliated to the University of Calcutta. He then continued his education and received an LL.B degree from the department of law at the University of Calcutta.
He began as an upper-division Clerk in the Office of the Deputy Accountant-General(Post and Telegraph) in Calcutta. Pranab Mukherjee embarked on a professional career as a college teacher when he began teaching political science at the Vidyanagar College in 1963. He also worked as a journalist for some time. He then ventured into politics and became the member of the Rajya Sabha.
EARLY POLITICAL CAREER
It was former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who recognized Pranab Mukherjee’s potential and helped him join her party, the Indian National Congress. Mukherjee became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1969. He was re-elected to the house in 1975, 1981, 1993 and 1999. He was appointed Union Deputy Minister of Industrial Development in Indira Gandhi’s cabinet in 1973.
He was the Finance Minister from 1982 to 1984. As Finance Minister, Mukherjee signed the letter appointing Manmohan Singh as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India who later became the Prime Minister of India.
Pranab Mukherjee also had the distinction of being the Minister for various high-profile Ministries including Defence, Finance and External Affairs in the Manmohan Singh government too.
TENURE AS THE PRESIDENT
Mukherjee was nominated as the presidential candidate of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in June 2012.
In order to file his nomination for the presidential poll, Mukherjee resigned from the government. He comfortably defeated P.A Sangma, winning 70 per cent of the electoral-college vote. Mukherjee was sworn in by the Chief Justice of India on 25th July 2012, becoming the first Bengali to hold the post of President of India.
He was the 13th President of India.
As the president of India, he promulgated the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013. He rejected 24 mercy pleas, including those of extremist militants like Ajmal Kasab.
After completion of his tenure as the President, Pranab Mukherjee didn’t intend to stand for a second term, owing to his failing health.
He is a multifaceted personality, an eminent politician as well as a great author. Mukherjee’s works narrate the political situations witnessed by the country over the years.
The current president, Ram Nath Kovind, called Mukherjee “a colossus in public life” who served India “with the spirit of a sage”.
DEATH
India’s former president Pranab Mukherjee died 21 days after it was confirmed that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The 84-year-old was in the hospital to remove a clot in his brain when it was discovered he also had Covid-19.
Before serving as president between 2012 and 2017, Mr Mukherjee held several important portfolios during his 51-year political career.
Let us honour this great personality and make him proud!
We, at MUNner’s Daily, salute this great personality and pray that his soul rests in peace! We also sincerely hope that his guiding principles help our nation make great strides!
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