Shri Pranab Mukherjee, veteran Congressman and former President of India expired on August 31, 2020, at the age of 84. In an illustrious career spanning five decades Pranab Da, as he was fondly called by friends and well-wishers, served as the minister for defence, external affairs, commerce and industry, and finance. Mukherjee was one of the last Congress leaders to have closely worked with former Prime Minister of India, Smt. Indira Gandhi.
As one of the most respected politicians in India, Pranab Mukherjee made friends cutting across political thoughts and had close friends in Congress, BJP, RSS, Communists, etc. Pranab Da first came to prominence in early 1970s when he became a minister in Indira Gandhi’s cabinet. He made headlines with a crackdown on Bombay’s underworld don Haji Mastan. In 1982, Indira Gandhi appointed Pranab Mukherjee as the Finance Minister, replacing R. Venkataraman.
Mukherjee was one of the famous finance ministers that India ever produced and had a stellar innings in that role. He surprised the world when he rejected a $1.1 billion instalment of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan. Mukherjee was a cautious reformer who would stoke up expenditure while controlling inflation simultaneously. He was instrumental in opening the NRI investment window which elevated India’s image as a destination for foreign funds. Pranab also played a key role in framing the India-US civil nuclear agreement despite opposition from several quarters.
Mukherjee was instrumental in spearheading administrative decisions on right to information, right to employment, food security, energy security, information technology, telecommunications, etc. He set up the UIDAI and metro rail through chairmanship of over 95 groups of ministers constituted for the same. Setting up rural banks in 1975 and EXIM Bank of India and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (1981 – 1982) were among his crucial decisions which would shape the future of India.
Recognizing his services the Government of India honoured him with Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian award in 2008 and Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award in 2019. He was recognized as the best finance minister in the world in 1984 as per Euromoney magazine survey, Finance Minister of Year for Asia in 2010 by Emerging Markets, the daily newspaper of record for World Bank and IMF. Indeed Mukherjee missed some opportunities of becoming Prime Minister of India. At a book launch former Prime Minister of India Shri Manmohan Singh confessed that Mukherjee was more qualified to become the Prime Minister than he. Nevertheless, Pranab Mukherjee was awarded when he was elected as the President of India in 2012.
Shri Mukherjee was afflicted with Covid-19 before a surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain. He was in critical condition and on ventilator support at Indian army’s Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi. Mukherjee who expired on August 31 following a period of prolonged illness is survived by his sons Abhijit Mukherjee, a Congress MP from West Bengal, another son Indrajit Mukherjee, and a daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee, a Kathak dancer and Congress politician. Pranab’s wife Suvra Mukherjee whom he married in 1957 had expired in 2015 when Mukherjee was the President of India.
Several political analysts believe that had Mukherjee been elevated as the Prime Minister during the period when Congress was in power at the centre then his political adroitness would perhaps have prevented the eventual walkover that Shri Narendra Modi secured in 2014. History however had different plans to unfold.
