New Delhi. Today is the 86th birth anniversary of former President of India Pranab Mukherjee. He was the 13th President of India. He was born on 11 December 1935. A stalwart of Indian politics, Mukherjee had a political career spanning over five decades. During this time he played various roles for the government and his party. He was known as the ‘Man for All Seasons’. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha five times and was elected twice to the Lok Sabha.
Pranab Mukherjee was born in a Brahmin family in Mirati village near Kirnahar town in Birbhum district of West Bengal. His father’s name was Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee and mother’s name was Rajalakshmi Mukherjee. Pranab’s father was active in the Congress party since 1920 and was a member of the West Bengal Legislative Council from 1952 to 64 and the President of the Birbhum (West Bengal) District Congress Committee. His father was a respected freedom fighter who had also served a prison sentence of more than 10 years as a result of the Khilafat of British rule.
It is said that Pranab Mukherjee was of a stubborn nature since childhood. During his early education, he got double promotion due to his stubbornness. Pranab’s parents wanted to enroll him in class II of the school located in Mirati village, but Pranab flatly refused to go to school. Pranab Mukherjee wanted his admission in the school located in Kirnahar but the school was from class 5th. To take admission in this school, he took the examination and also showed it by passing it. After which he got admission in class 5.
Pranab Mukherjee was educated at Suri Vidyasagar College in Birbhum, which was then affiliated to the University of Calcutta. He earned a master’s degree in history and political science as well as a law degree from the University of Calcutta. He has also been a lawyer and a college professor. He also holds an honorary D.Litt degree. He started his career first as a college lecturer and later as a journalist. Along with this, he also worked as a journalist in Desher Dak. He was also the trustee of Bangiya Sahitya Parishad and president of All India Banga Sahitya Sammelan.
Mukherjee started his political career after founding the Bengali Congress in 1967. He formed a United Front coalition against the Indian National Congress. In 1969, he became a member of the Rajya Sabha for the first time on a Bengali Congress ticket. In 1972, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi brought Mukherjee into the Indian National Congress as the Bangla Congress merged with the oldest party.
Mukherjee reformed the government’s finances and helped pay the final installment of India’s first IMF loan. He was voted the world’s best finance minister by Euromoney magazine in 1984. At the same time, he appointed Manmohan Singh as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India while being the Finance Minister.
At the same time, Mukherjee founded the National Socialist Congress in 1986 after being sidelined in the party after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Three years later, the RSC merged with the Congress.
Mukherjee held several important portfolios including defence, finance and foreign affairs in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government. He led the negotiations of the India-US Nuclear Agreement between 2005 and 2008. As Secretary of State, he was successful in signing the US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement.
After the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, Mukherjee took an active part in mobilizing world public opinion against Pakistan. As President of India, Mukherjee rejected seven mercy petitions, including the mercy petitions of Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru.
Pranab Mukherjee served as the President from 25 July 2012 to 25 July 2017. The special thing is that Pranab Mukherjee is the third person, after Dr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and Giani Zail Singh, who had cast his vote as a presidential candidate. At the same time, Mukherjee was awarded the Bharat Ratna on 26 January 2019, Pranab Mukherjee.
Pranab Mukherjee became the first former President to attend a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) event in 2018, where he spoke about the values of inclusion.
Mukherjee passed away on 31 August 2020 at the age of 84 following brain surgery. He had also been infected with COVID-19.