Eighty-four years old, late former President of India Pranab Mukherjee was a man of unparalled experience in governance with the rare distinction of having served at different times as Foreign, Defense, Commerce and Finance Minister.
Inspired by his father’s contribution to the national movement, Pranabji in 1969 embarked into full time public life following his election to the Upper House of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) as a member of the Bangla Congress, which soon merged with the Congress Party.
Under the careful mentoring of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Mukherjee’s rise in his political career was prompt. Under her expert hand, he began in 1973 to fill administrative positions on increasing responsibilities in the cabinet. He was named to the important post of the Minister of finance department along with Deputy Minister, Industry, Shipping and Transport, Steel and Industry.
He assumed full-fledged office as Finance Minister of India for the first time in 1982 under the leadership of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and was the leader of the House in the upper House of Parliament from 1980 to 1985.
Later he was appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission 1991 to 1996. He served an additional four terms, although he left that chamber in 2004 and contested and won a seat in Lok Sabha. In July, 2012 he comfortably defeated P.A. Sangma to become the 13th President of India.
In addition to his government activities in India, Mukherjee was involved with a number of prominent international organisations, most notably occupying seats on the boards of governors of the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank during his two terms as finance minister.
Apart from this all a prolific reader, Mukherjee has authored several books on the India economy and Nation building. The many awards and honors conferred on him included India’s highest civilian award Padma Shri in August 2019, Second highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan in 2008 and many more.
He was rated one of the best five Finance Ministers of the world in 1984 according to a survey conducted by “Euro Money” Journal published from New York and was declared ‘Finance Minister of the year’ for Asia in 2010 by “Emerging Markets”, the journal of record for the World Bank and the IMF.
The Centre has also declared a seven-day national mourning period as a tribute to him.
“As a mark of respect to the departed dignitary, seven days state mourning will be observed throughout India from August 31 to September 6, both days inclusive. During the period of state mourning, the national flag will fly at half-mast on all buildings throughout India, where it is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said in an official release.
Prachi Vyas
