On his last day as Union Finance Minister, shortly before driving down to 7, Race Course Road, to hand over his resignation personally to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Pranab Mukherjee emerged from North Block around 4 p.m. into the blistering sun, climbed onto a soap box and addressed the media, expressing his readiness to “embark on a new journey.”
But it was not an off-the-cuff statement: “I … feel a tinge of sentiment at the thought of leaving behind my life as a political activist, spanning over four decades. I will miss my colleagues in the Ministry of Finance,” Mr. Mukherjee said, reading from a prepared text, adding, “And I will also miss not being stopped while getting into my car and getting out of my car in front of the Ministry of Finance by you all.”
Recalling the “great distance” he had travelled from a “remote village” in Bengal, he said, “I know that not every decision I have taken might have been right. But I have taken those decisions always keeping in mind the simple and poor people I knew from my childhood.”
At 7, Race Course Road, he spent half an hour with the Prime Minister, a man with whom his relationship goes back to the days when the latter was Governor of the Reserve Bank and he was Union Finance Minister under another Prime Minister.
Dr. Singh’s letter accepting Mr. Mukherjee’s resignation was affectionate and gracious. “Our government owes a deep debt of gratitude to you for your invaluable contribution to its work over the last eight years,” the Prime Minister wrote, adding, “It is a testimony to your extraordinary abilities and your stature in public life that you have carried an onerous range of responsibilities with ease and accomplishment.”
Acknowledging that he and his Cabinet colleagues had benefitted from his “wise counsel on innumerable occasions,” he said they would all deeply miss his presence, while expressing confidence that the country would continue to benefit from his “wisdom, knowledge and decades of experience in public life.”
Mr. Mukherjee and Dr. Singh were then joined by Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pawan Kumar Bansal and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office V. Narayanasamy to discuss some of the procedural elements of the presidential election: the Prime Minister also signed one of the 50 sets of nomination papers that will be required for the formal nomination slated for June 28 before Mr. Mukherjee sets forth on a countrywide campaign.
For the 76- year-old Pranab Mukherjee, the United Progressive Alliance’s Presidential candidate, his last day as a Minister of the Union began like any other — with a morning walk on the lawns of his 13, Talkatora Road residence and his customary puja.
But even though on Tuesday, there were no “official” meetings linked to the Finance Ministry over which he presided over for the last three-and-a-half years (all the real work was wound up on Monday), he kept his other appointments — with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung, Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and the controversial ex- Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor P. K. Abdul Aziz who had come to know Mr Mukherjee after he had proposed a branch of AMU in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district — a project which is still stuck.
Mr. Gurung, who had come to seek Mr. Mukherjee’s counsel on whether to participate in the coming Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) elections, promised the backing of his MLAs in the West Bengal assembly to support Mr Mukherjee’s bid for the Presidency. Mr. Narasimhan, who also met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, briefed Mr. Mukherjee on the political situation in Andhra Pradesh, where the Telangana movement rages on even as the YSR Congress grows in strength in the rest of the state.
Through the day in North Block, Mr. Mukherjee met officials and members of his personal staff. As officials and journalists thronged the corridor leading to his office, a steady stream entered and left: group photographs were taken, while many journalists who came in to bid farewell even got friends to photograph them, standing next to Mr Mukherjee, on their cell phones.
The tone was nostalgic: Kaushik Basu recalled that when he was appointed as the Finance Minister’s Economic Adviser, he had been concerned that he may not be able to match the punishing hours Mr. Mukherjee kept as he himself was a late riser. But he was later reassured as Mr Mukherjee’s hours of work, he said, were from 10 am in the morning till midnight!
After he met the Prime Minister, Mr. Mukherjee drove home for one more meeting with members of his personal staff: in the evening he also received telephone calls from his well-wishers — these included Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and Janata Dal — United Sharad Yadav. He then went to the Congress War Room on Gurdwara Rakabganj Road to discuss the strategy for his election as President before returning home for dinner.
Keywords: Pranab's resignation, Presidential polls
When the Indian economy is in very bad shape, media praises the Finance Minister. The praise perhaps is a reward for making way for Rahul Gandhi to the height of power in the country.
Where is Pranab going, is he leaving the country or retiring, he is only moving next door to become President, and all this waste of time by Congress leaders to divert the corruption problems and high inflation.
Presidency is swansong for people relieved from active politics and Pranab is fortuante to be rewarded with Presidency of India, the largest democracy in the world in lieu of his fidelity with Gandhi family. Though he was not a great statesman and leader of masses as he could win one general election i.e. in last elections. He was not a great economist and perhaps relieved because he was more standing against and sometime vocal also against misdeeds by his cabinet colleagues. Presidency and Governorship is for non-political people who guards constitution but Nehru family have made it a defunct post by keeping a person who never dares to speak against misdeed of Congress. Pranab will be any lameduck personality going into isolation.
finally, Pranab's will to become prime yet not successful, but he have to remain satisfy on presidential election.. hope he will do good as in national interest. Ministers like Jairam Ramesh are facing avoidance from government. Still he is doing well. My opinion for presidential position must be from opposition.
Sir, your paper is very much biased in favour of this FM who is now aiming to become the President of Indian Republic.But he has done for the Country more harm to the Nation, specially the lower middle class & the poor, than any other FM by presenting his budgets from the years of 2008-09 onwards in the 2nd UPA regime.He has given goodies only to the rich Govt's senior level officers! One can easily verify this from the gradual deterioration of Nation's GDP, Rupee vs dollar rate, extent of deficit financing and resultant inflation on date of his handing over. But for our PM, his exit now has created void!? We can not now say what The Great Amighty would decide for him?
All the best for Pranab da. Please undertake your responsiblities by being politically neutral.
Thank God. Indian economy is saved
Great moment in the life and living of Pranab Mukherjee leaving active politics to be the guardian of India's Constitution and supreme commander of armed forces.The elevation of an ordinary village boy to the number one citizen of this great country speaks volumes on Indian people,democracy,rule of law,secularism and above all equal opportunity to one and all.The nostalgia developed bear testimony to the sagacity,wisdom and foresightedness of our leaders like Gandhiji,Nehruji,Ambedkarji and living leaders of downtrodden.
It is a very hollowed statement which any politician makes, especially our Indian politicians are good at adding sentimental touches to their farewell speeches. Did we ever see any other world leader who spoke in this manner after retirement from their offices? As a Finance Minister he failed to control the fall of rupee and the inflation rose to the heights.
As a politician he had in mind votes,power and party politics.Now is a chance for him to raise above such thinking and do really some good for the people.He would be having as a President of this country to meet and talk to all sewctions of society like children, women,seniors and even politicians.He should put proper ideas into their heads to lead a pure,simple and responsible life in their own areas.Also he might have lot of opportunties to tour other countries small and big.he could also speak to them on these subjects with Indian culture in his heart.For these things he must start equipping himself with sufficient knowledge in those areas. He would be able to find time for these.But it is important he should slowly start forgetting his memories of the political past.
26 th june
As a generation, people 60 years and older are making decisions affecting whole swathes of population well under 20 years and younger. Older people have not so far delivered a better world for the next generation. On what basis should we continue to keep these oldies in power and vest them with decision making powers that will screw up our world for the younger generation. Dada's contributing age was finished about 15-20 years ago. Now at the helm of finance he could not pull India out of its morass and policy paralysis. What is he going to do as a President, at an even older age? God save this country and the world! One consolation is that neither the PM nor the first citizen is from 'the family'.
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