#Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee

[bookmyblogsss]

Highlights of Recommendations on Simultaneous Election- “One Nation, One Election”    

On 14th March 2024, the Kovind panel submitted a recommendation for a Simultaneous Election or “One Nation, One Election” to the president of India, Draupadi Murmur, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.     

What Is Simultaneous Elections?   

Simultaneous Elections are a process in which all the elections from the Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, Panchayats, and Municipalities are conducted simultaneously across the nation.   

The simultaneous polls are expected to accelerate development and social cohesion, deepen the “foundations of the democratic rubric,” and finally lead to the much-needed “fundamental transformation” in Indian Politics. The “One Nation, One Election” can be started in 2029.   

India can be considered perennially in election mode as around 5-7 elections are happening every year.   

Former President Pranab Mukherjee had shed light on the need for simultaneous elections by stating- “With some election or the other throughout the year, the normal activities… come to a standstill…If political parties collectively think, we can change it.”  

[bhaskarlive]

Pranab’s 4-volume autobiography encapsulates India from 1970s to present

Never known to spend an idle moment during his five-decade journey in politics, during which he witnessed first-hand the evolution of a new India, Pranab Mukherjee, the country’s 13th President who died on Monday, had penned four volumes of his autobiography after his term ended in 2017, three of which have been published by Rupa, while the fourth is the process.

This is a rare first-hand account of the events that have shaped India in the past 50 years and will serve as a valuable source material for academics, political scientists and the layman alike through the eyes of a man who never hesitated to call a spade a spade – and suffered the occasional pinpricks but eventually came out smiling.

A powerful orator and scholar, Mukherjee’s intellectual and political prowess as well as remarkable knowledge of international relations, financial affairs and parliamentary process are widely admired. He has been acclaimed for his role as a consensus builder on difficult national issues through his ability to forge unity amongst the diverse political parties that form part of India’s vibrant multi-party democracy.

Here, in descending order, is a brief description of the four volumes and key extracts from the first, second and third volumes:

[go-21newstv]

Pranabda watched Muktodhara with us at the Rashtrapati Bhavan: Rituparna Sengupta - Times of India

Pranabda watched Muktodhara with us at the Rashtrapati Bhavan: Rituparna Sengupta – Times of India

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Rituparna Sengupta, whose film Muktadhara was hosted by Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2012, expressed her grief on the former Indian President’s passing away . “Pranab Mukherjee’s wife, Suvra Mukherjee, used to like my films a lot. She was quite fond of me. I met her a few times while visiting Delhi also. She wanted to watch Muktodhara and we were invited to screen our…

[newsupdated]

Pranabda watched Muktodhara with us at the Rashtrapati Bhavan: Rituparna Sengupta - Times of India

Pranabda watched Muktodhara with us at the Rashtrapati Bhavan: Rituparna Sengupta – Times of India

Rituparna Sengupta, whose film Muktadhara was hosted by Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2012, expressed her grief on the former Indian President’s passing away . “Pranab Mukherjee’s wife, Suvra Mukherjee, used to like my films a lot. She was quite fond of me. I met her a few times while visiting Delhi also. She wanted to watch Muktodhara and we were invited to screen our film at…

[richmeganews]

Former President Pranab Mukherjee receives 'Bharat Ratna' for his role in Indian politics

Former President Pranab Mukherjee receives 'Bharat Ratna' from President Ram Nath Kovind for his role in Indian politics. Watch full video to know more.

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[ashutentaran]

Pranab Mukherjee is an Indian politician who was the 13th President of India from 2012 to 2017. He has been a member of the Indian National Congress and has been popular among the people of India for taking some of the groundbreaking decisions during his presidency like the decision of rejecting Pakistani terrorist Kasab’s mercy plea and his hanging.

[sukhabor]

Desk Report, sukhabor.com: Former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee had warm ties with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family. One of his speeches in 1971 and his memories of Bangladesh’s liberation war form one of the last long articles Mukherjee completed before his death in August. It is a part of an anthology of essays in honour of the birth centenary year of Hasina’s father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

[thegulfindians]

Yusuffali offers condolences on Pranab Mukherjee's death

Yusuffali offers condolences on Pranab Mukherjee’s death

  Yusuffali MA, Chairman of Lulu Group, has condoled the passing away of former President Pranab Mukherjee who died on August 31.

Mr. Yusuffali described the former president as “a true stalwart in Indian politics, a world-renowned economist, a statesman, above all a person liked by all irrespective of party ideologies and differences. I had several occasions to closely interact with him right…

[jimmyanandhindustani]

Humble tribute to former President of India, #BharatRatna Pranab Mukherjee. His erudite learning and experience were an inspiration for a whole generation of Indians.

[africanglobe]

ARICANGLOBE – A statue of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the famed Indian independence leader, has been removed from a university campus in Ghana’s capital, Accra. University of Ghana lecturers began a petition for its removal shortly after it was unveiled in 2016 by India’s former President Pranab Mukherjee. The petition said Gandhi was “racist” and African heroes should be put first. In the wake of the row, Ghana’s government at the time said the statue would be relocated.

https://www.africanglobe.net/africa/ghana-removes-statue-notorious-racist-gandhi/

[zebrians]

Vantika Agarwal’s Thriving Chess Journey

Ranked 1st in India, 3rd in Asia and 17th in the world in FIDE rankings, Vantika Agrawal last year became a gold medal winner in the Chess Olympiad in which India and Russia were the joint winners.

Woman International Master at the age of 14, and gold medal winner at the age of 17, is a really astonishing thing to achieve at this young age, but this is how you will describe her incredible chess journey. From her very fast rise in the ratings to her consistent hard work as well as dedication, she is definitely on the fast road to being a great chess player.

This young girl has achieved a lot in this short time as her achievements are speaking for themselves and also she has been even awarded by Hon’ble Former President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee as well as Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji. Her crowning glory was the part of the Indian team for winning Olympiad gold for the first time ever.

Vantika Agrawal’s Successful Journey of Chess

Her journey of chess starts at a very early age as she won the gold medal in U-9 girls, Asian Schools Chess, 2011, Delhi. From there she has been winning one competition after the other.

Participating in Olympiad, Vantika was lucky to get a place on the Indian team. Her strategy proceeding into the competition was to just give her greatest performance and contribute as much as she could to the team. She did that pretty well by getting 3.5/4 in the league stage, where India ended first, taking down a robust Chinese squad.

As the Indian squad started into the playoffs, Vantika remained calm as well as confident. And when there was a tie in the final, all the players were happy and for Vantika it was really a dream come true. Even though it was online, but it was her first Olympiad. She even says that playing with her team has made her even more motivated.

For more Click Here 

[generalmentions]

REMEMBERING A FEW OF MY FACE TO FACE INTERACTIONS WITH SH PRANAB MUKHER JEE. The death of late Sh. Pranab Mukherjee rang the curtain down of an era of politicians and the techniques of politics. Pranab Da, as popularly known, was a seasoned politician, a political strategist, an educationist, a talented trouble shooter and above all the former President of India. He called it a day at the age of 84 on 31st August’ 2020 in the Army R & R (Research & Referral) Hospital, Delhi Cant. 

Like to share a few of my broad face to face interactions with him. It may be worthwhile to mention the background, specific to these interactions: If I correctly recollect, it was in Oct’ 1996 when Sh. Deve Gowda was the Prime Minister of India, that the Deptt of Science & Technology of Govt of India (DST), was under appreciable pressure, mainly from the states of Tamil Nadu and the then Andra Pradesh, to conduct a scientific investigation on the so called ‘Herbal Fuel’ claimed by Ramar Pillai of Tamil Nadu. Consequently GOI formulated a Parliamentary Committee comprising of pretty senior MPs which included S/Sh Pranab Mukherjee, Kamal Nath and another six to seven MPs from Congress, BJP and various other political parties. 

The committee was chaired by an elderly and senior respectable MP, who hailed from south - I don’t recollect his name. DST rightly decided to send the Parliamentary Committee members to Dehradun where the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) is located. Ramar Pillai was also instructed to proceed to Dehradun to demonstrate his claim to the committee in the presence of the scientists of IIP. There was an instruction to keep the whole matter confidential as a result the media, both print and TV, were not in knowledge of this specific event for reasons best known to the then Govt. DST gave full responsibility to one of its departments, Survey of India, to organize the whole event right from receiving the team of the MPs to their departure/send off.

 The Surveyor General of India detailed his team of officers as Liaison Officer (LO), one officer to each MP. There were about half a dozen of LOs to manage the event and I was detailed as Chief Liaison Officer (CLO) with the responsibility to be LO to the Chairman and overview the overall administrative control of the event which lasted for about 3 days. We booked their stay in Madhuban, the best star hotel in the town. I instructed the LOs to inspect rooms of their concerned MPs before leaving for the railway station, early in the morning. I along with the team of LOs received the MPs in the morning at Dehradun Railway Station and proceeded to the hotel. 

The hotel staff entertained the team of MPs in the common area of the hotel. At that stage I requested the Committee Chairman, clothed in a typical south Indian attire, to proceed to his room. What followed was a great surprise and, if I may say, a piece of great education for me. Though being the eldest in his team, both in age and protocol, the chairman silently said to me, “Sh. Pranab Mukherjee jee is a respectable MP and I would like to personally see his room before anything else follows”. Hearing from the elderly chairman of the committee about an MP, that too who was not from his political party, was eye opening and, if I may say, a piece of great education for me. He accompanied me upstairs and carefully inspected the room, even the attached wash room, meant for Sh Pranab Mukherjee. After his full satisfaction we went down stairs and I requested all MPs that they may proceed to their rooms.

 I accompanied the Chairman to his room and he told me that generally all of us, irrespective of the political parties we belong to, possess a lot of regard for Pranab Sahib. He told me to take care of all members, Mr Mukherjee in particular. During  that day the committee had substantial deliberation amongst themselves in confidence where LOs stayed out. The committee chalked out the programme for the remaining two days and instructed Director Forest Research Institute (FRI) and Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) to be ready as per the schedule.  

The next day, pretty early in the morning, the committee visited FRI and the Director made them to sit in the common room in one of the buildings and the grilled gates were closed. In the mean time the security supervisor came and contacted me saying that representatives of some TV channel wanted to come in. I went out and talked to them. They were lead by a lady who told me that she was from ZEE TV Channel and had just landed from Delhi.  I observed that they had been equipped with cameras and other related peripherals. They wanted to know if any Parliamentary Committee members were inside and added that they would like to talk to them. Without replying, I went inside and informed the chairman and asked him if I shall reply to them in negative. But he advised me not to do so and call their representative inside. The lady came in and the chairman was very courteous and told her not to disturb the committee for another one and a half day. He told her to be patient and the channel would be given appointment the next day in the evening. The lady was convinced and left along with her team.

The day was completely spent in FRI punctuated with the lunch and tea breaks. It was a typical Dehradun sunny day. During the tea break the committee came out for tea in the lush green lawn. I saw Pranab Mukherjee standing, dressed in a black Achkan and a tight fitting pyjama, with a black pipe in his mouth. He looked magnificent in the articulated attire. We were already introduced. I took the chance of interacting with him. I asked him why there was not any smoke coming out of his pipe. He told me that he was not smoking. I respectfully asked him but the pipe … He replied that he had given up smoking the pipe but was still carrying the pipe in a smoking style because this would help him in giving up the habit in due course. At that stage I also asked him about his early days We interacted a little more and in the meantime the committee resumed its work.

 The next day the committee reached Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) where Ramar Pillai had already arrived. The demonstration of herbal fuel was conducted in confidence with only the committee members and the scientists in attendance. All LOs were instructed to be out. Raman Pillai’s demo lasted for major part of the day and then he was asked to leave. The conclusions were drawn after deliberations between the Parliamentary Committee and the scientists and the meeting was called off. The committee members, accompanied by their respective LOs left for Madhuban Hotel where we found not only the ZEE Channel but representatives of other TV and the print media. The committee members went straight to the huge conference room 

The next eye opening surprise for me was when the chairman rather than taking the press conference questions requested Sh.Pranab Mekherjee to do so. At that stage I was asked to inform the media to be seated in the conferences room. The press conference lasted for a long duration and Pranab Ji handled the questions in an exemplary manner ensuring that the conclusion drawn by the committee related to the herbal fuel, whether true or hoax, was not revealed at that stage in spite of a lot of pressure from the media.

 I also remember that the next issue of ‘India Today’ had a cover page photo of the Parliamentary Committee along with some of the LOs. The next interaction was after about 11 years, in the year 2007, on my return from Rawalpindi after my second visit to Pakistan when I was deputed as Director International Boundary Directorate and dealt with the International boundaries related to our country. India and Pakistan had successfully conducted the joint survey of SIR CREEK area as a matter of confidence building measure when Sh. Manmohan Sing was the PM of India and Gen Musharraf The President of Pakistan. Sh. Menon was The foreign Secretary of India and Sh. Pranab Mukherjee was the Minister of External Affairs. 

While in GHQ Headquarters (Rawalindi) I had the privilege of signing the joint survey map on behalf of India, along with my Pakistani counterpart, in the capacity of Director International Directorate and the maps were exchanged between the two countries. Quoting an excerpt from my book (‘The Silence Speaks’) in this regard:“ Back at the office we were summoned by Mr. Shiv Shankar Menon, the Foreign Secretary, Govt. of India. During our meeting he saw the ‘Joint Survey Maps’, that we had exchanged, with utmost attention and appeared fully satisfied. I told him that nothing much had happened, as the issue could not be fully resolved. He on the other hand emphasised that something very good has happened adding that so far, discussions were merely token in nature quoting various records, which did not make much sense. However, this time round there was an authenticated, jointly surveyed map exchanged which now enabled both the sides to objectively state areas of difference. He went on to say that it was a job very well done. 

He asked the Surveyor General to be ready to give a presentation to the then Foreign Minister, Honorable Sh. Pranab Mukherjee, who then went on to become the President of India. After a few days, we went to the main conference hall of the MEA and awaited the arrival of the Foreign Minister. After a brief introduction, the Surveyor General of India and the Chief Hydrographer made their presentations. The Foreign Secretary told us to show the jointly surveyed maps, to the Honorable Minister, which were exchanged between the two countries. Sh. Pranab Mukherjee was very happy and applauded the Surveyor General and the Chief Hydrographer for an excellent job”.Pranab Mukherjee encouraged each one of us and left the conference room with smiling lips.

[richmeganews]

Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee to be honored with Bharat Ratna Award

Former President Pranab Mukherjee will be honoured with the Bharat Ratna Award. The investiture ceremony will take place either on 20th or 21st April. Listen in to know more!

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[johnvazhathara]

In Kerala, a humane lockdownLockdowns should be imposed only after adequate preparation and planning

17/05/2021 





At a time when several States are already under one form of lockdown or another, it seems facile to debate whether there should be a national lockdown or not. Indians are witness to never-before-seen sights of bodies floating in the Ganges, drought of medical oxygen, collapsing health infrastructure, a faltering vaccination drive, and the pandemic stretching its tentacles rapidly into rural areas.

With a national positivity rate of about 20% and over 4,000 daily deaths, India must do what it needs to do — a national lockdown if unavoidable; if not, regional lockdowns/micro-containment zones. It should, however, ensure that the implementation of any lockdown is humane and protects the interests of those likely to be worst affected. Lockdowns should be imposed only after adequate preparation and planning, involving experts. Moreover, adequate notice should be given to the affected people so that they have enough time to prepare themselves.

The Kerala model

The lockdown in Kerala offers some important lessons. Realising that night curfews and weekend lockdowns were insufficient to halt the rapid rise in infections, a complete lockdown from May 8 to 16 was announced on May 6. This provided the State with about two days to prepare for the event as compared to the national lockdown imposed last year with a four-hour notice.

From the beginning of the pandemic last year, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took command and was the main face of the government’s response. Through daily press briefings, he provided detailed information on the rate of infections and fatalities; the availability of beds, ICUs, oxygen and vaccines; as well as measures taken to deal with the crisis. This paid handsome dividends in the recently concluded Assembly elections for the Left Democratic Front. The people liked the idea of a strong leader presiding over their interests and acting as a guardian in a time of crisis. Assured now of a second term, Mr. Vijayan has provided a smooth continuum in leadership and decision-making. He has continued his daily press briefings and communicated the gravity of the situation with facts and figures, steps being taken by the government, and the need for the public to cooperate.

The response to the second wave at the national level and in Delhi has been marked by confusion, conflicting authorities, lack of transparency and no clear assumption of responsibility or willingness to answer uncomfortable questions. People have been forced to use personal networks to scrounge for oxygen and beds in hospitals. In refreshing contrast, in Kerala, there is clarity on where the buck stops. Most Chief Ministers value their engagement with the media and are open and accessible. It is, however, not known how many of them engage with the media on the COVID-19 issue as intensely as Mr. Vijayan does and that too on a daily basis. The Prime Minister, Home Minister and Health Minister as well as Chief Ministers of the worst-affected States would be well advised to follow suit and see transparency as an important part of the COVID-19 response toolkit. A direct, open and proactive approach in this regard would go a long way in building popular trust and confidence that the crisis can be overcome.

A commendable aspect of the current lockdown in Kerala has been a clear articulation of the principle that no one in the State should suffer from hunger or lack of medical attention. To this end, food kits are being delivered to homes. Community kitchens and Janakeeya hotels (people’s hotels) have been opened. First-level treatment centres and second-level treatment centres have been set up to ensure that patients are screened and treated appropriate to their symptoms. Only the most serious cases reach the district and specialty COVID-19 hospitals. Domiciliary care centres have also been created to provide shelter, food and treatment to those who do not have the space at home to be quarantined. In private hospitals, 50% of the beds have been declared as COVID-19 beds. Focused efforts are underway to assure migrant workers that they need not flee to their hometowns in panic because of the lockdown. Communications in Hindi have been issued, clarifying that they will be provided food as well as vaccination.

Similar to the ‘Mumbai model’, beds are allotted through centralised control rooms in each district. These rooms also monitor requirements of oxygen and ambulances. Orders have been issued pegging the cost of RT-PCR testing and treatment charges in private hospitals at a reasonable level. The Kerala High Court has stepped in to supervise the government’s response. It has dismissed challenges from private labs to the reduction of charges and in response to a PIL, approved a rate card for hospitals prepared by the government. Coming down on private hospitals, the court pointed out how shocked it was at the usurious charges levied by some for the simplest of services.

Having empowered local bodies and devolved finances to them long before the crisis, elected officials at the grassroots level are Kerala’s first line of defence in the fight against COVID-19. Panchayat members and municipal councillors, irrespective of their political affiliations, function as foot soldiers. They look out for fresh infections amongst their constituents, motivate people to get vaccinated, supervise the implementation of the lockdown and ensure the supply of medicines and provisions to those in need. Commendably, the Opposition led by the Congress has called upon everyone to work together. Leaders from both the Opposition and ruling party have been setting up help desks, providing ambulances and organising food packets.

As a new government assumes office on May 20, the crisis will continue to be the most important item on its agenda. While good systems have been set up, there are complaints that the health workers are unable to cope. There are also reports of oxygen shortages in some parts of the State. There is fear that if numbers continue to rise, bed and oxygen shortages will become unavoidable.

Preparing for future waves

Clearly, the war against COVID-19 is going to be long-drawn and even a well organised State like Kerala will be kept on its toes. The second wave will pass but preparations still need to be made for a third and fourth wave. More lockdowns will be inevitable until such time the vaccination programme makes adequate progress and herd immunity is acquired. What is important is to mitigate the impact of these lockdowns on the lives of the poor by guaranteeing food and equitable access to healthcare. The Kerala model deserves attention in this regard. There are also best practices from other States which could be emulated across the country, such as the Tamil Nadu government’s announcement of incentives for healthcare workers.

Twelve Opposition parties have in a joint letter urged the Centre to immediately begin a free universal mass vaccination campaign and ensure uninterrrupted supply of medical oxygen and vaccines. They have also called for the invoking of compulsory licensing to expand domestic vaccine production. The convening of an online meeting of non-BJP Chief Ministers to support and reiterate these demands would be good follow-up to the letter. This could serve as a useful exercise in cross-learning amongst States. It could also reinforce the need to protect the people and formulate a just and equitable response to the pandemic.

Venu Rajamony is former Ambassador of India to the Netherlands and former Press Secretary to President Pranab Mukherjee

[ashutentaran]

Pranab Mukherjee is an Indian politician who was the 13th President of India from 2012 to 2017. He has been a member of the Indian National Congress and has been popular among the people of India for taking some of the groundbreaking decisions during his presidency like the decision of rejecting Pakistani terrorist Kasab’s mercy plea and his hanging.