#Pranab Mukherjee memoir

[baitdragon]

An honest account of life and times of Mohsina Kidwai

Looking at the participation of women and especially Muslim women in politics and their representation in the Parliament, it’s surprising to know that only 20 Muslim women have been elected as Members of Parliament since inception.

She won from Azamgarh, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, in 1978, a year after Congress had suffered a resounding defeat, leaving Nagaur (Rajasthan) and Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh) for Indira Gandhi. And none of its candidates including Sanjay Gandhi could win.

Mohsina Kidwai, the president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, hailing from a conservative, elite Muslim family of Awadh, won. Her success gave a fresh lease of life to Congress. Within no time, once again in 1980, Congress not only back in power but also won a majority in most of the State Assemblies.

Mohsina Qadwai not only saw Indian politics from 1960 to 2016 but was also part of its ups and downs and she described them all in the name of My Life in Indian Politics in Hindi and English.

Her memoirs have been documented by senior journalist and author Rashid Kidwai.

Thereafter Congress remained active under Indira Gandhi and later Rajiv Gandhi till 1989. Both these leaders included Mohsina Kidwai in their cabinets. During her tenure as a union minister, Mohsina handled her work with transparency leaving no scope for allegations of any sort.

She had already served in the Uttar Pradesh cabinet and also led the State unit of the party.

Kidwai presided over Congress in UP in the most difficult times. As AICC General Secretary she tried her best to keep Congress — from Kerala to Himachal, including Bihar and Chhattisgarh, — in power and she was often successful.

Mohsina Kidwai made her debut at the age of 28 when she was elected a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council in 1960. At that time her father-in-law Jamilur Rahman Kidwai was the pillar of Congress politics in Uttar Pradesh.

Interestingly, Mohsina Kidwai’s record as a leader and political career is clean; her family never had to face embarrassment in terms of even allegations of corruption, etc.

She went on to emerge as a staunch Muslim, enlightened, and secular leader. Undoubtedly she had the support of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and above all the encouragement and political guidance of his father-in-law Jameel Kidwai. Those who know her personally, have an appreciation for the role her husband Khalilur Rahman Kidwai played in her rise.

In her case, it was Khaleel Kidwai was the quintessential man behind every woman’s success.

In the book, you will find commendable impressions about famous faces of Indian politics including Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Digvijay Singh, AK Antony, Bhupesh Baghel, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Sharmila Tagore, and Shabana Azmi.

Similarly, Mohsina Kidwai has spoken about her colleagues and contemporaries in detail and to some extent candidly. These include Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Arjun Singh, ND Tiwari, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Pranab Mukherjee, Ahmed Patel, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Chandrashekhar, Devegowda, IK Gujral and Madhavrao Scindia, who worked with him. Sachin Pilot’s name also figures in the book.

It would have been better if she had shed some light on the events and incidents during the time of Rajiv Gandhi and Narasimha Rao, which to some extent led to the downfall of the Congress.

The book portrays Mohsina Kidwai as a sensible and skilled politician; an ideal wife, a good mother, a good sister, and a caring woman for her family.

The choice of words for her daughters and sons-in-law is endearing. She has dedicated the book to her late husband Khalilur Rahman Kidwai. He wrote:

“I dedicate this book to my husband late Khalilur Rahman Kidwai who always inspired me to fly towards my dreams and serve society and the nation. Khalil, your Rooh (soul) has always been with me.

Mohsina Kidwai and her biographer Rashid Kidwai not only belong to the Kidwai family of Barabanki but both of them are related to Maulana Abdul Majeed Dariyabadi, whom the former called Dada. Dada happened to be the maternal grandfather of Rasheed Kidwai.

Like Mohsina Kidwai has left her mark as a determined and strong leader, Rashid Kidwai has done a yeoman’s work in journalism and as an author.

Anyway, thank you Mohsina Kidwai for sharing important developments of Indian politics and her life on her 90th birthday, and to Rasheed Kidwai Kidwai for bringing it to the fore.

This book has been published in English and Urdu and should be translated into Hindi for more people to read. This biography is an honest account of not only Kidwai’s journey but of an era of Indian politics.

[newsbunddle]

Pranab’s-eye view: Arunachal crisis to PM note ban appeal

Pranab’s-eye view: Arunachal crisis to PM note ban appeal

From telling the BJP government in 2016 that he would have to dismiss the then Arunachal Pradesh Governor J P Rajkhowa if he didn’t resign after the Supreme Court pulled him up, to advising Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to leave his “penchant” for sitting on dharna over “frivolous issues”, and disclosing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi met him after announcing demonetisation to seek his…

[everythingshouldbereality]

Pranab Mukherjee's upcoming book triggers Twitter spat between his son, daughter - Here's what happened

Pranab Mukherjee’s upcoming book triggers Twitter spat between his son, daughter – Here’s what happened

Image Source : INDIA TV Pranab’s daughter Sharmishta Mukherjee took to social media slamming her brother for creating ‘unnecessary hurdles’ in the book’s publication. Late President Pranab Mukherjee’s soon to be released book ‘The Presidential Years’ has triggered a public spat between his son and daughter. The book, excerpts of which were released by the publisher recently, is expected to hit…

[bbbnews]

Pranab Mukherjee's Son Says Want To Go Through His Memoir Before Release

Pranab Mukherjee’s Son Says Want To Go Through His Memoir Before Release

Former President Pranab Mukherjee died in August. New Delhi: Pranab Mukherjee’s son Abhijit Mukherjee wants to go through his memoirs before they are out and has asked the publishers to hold its release before he gives his written consent. The surprising request comes days after the release of excerpts in which the former President appeared to blame Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh for the…

[newzzhub]

Pranab Mukherjee's Son Says Want To Go Through His Memoir Before Release

Pranab Mukherjee’s Son Says Want To Go Through His Memoir Before Release

Former President Pranab Mukherjee died in August. New Delhi: Pranab Mukherjee’s son Abhijit Mukherjee wants to go through his memoirs before they are out and has asked the publishers to hold its release before he gives his written consent. The surprising request comes days after the release of excerpts in which the former President appeared to blame Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh for the…

[thenorthlines]

Pranab vs Sonia-Rahul: Who won?

Pranab vs Sonia-Rahul: Who won?

Shekhar Gupta Pranabda hasn’t given us any indication of the tough period when he realised Sonia Gandhi had decided to give the presidency not to him, but to then vice-president Hamid Ansari. He wrested the presidency from her, and handed her the biggest defeat of her UPA years, observes Shekhar Gupta. Reading the fourth volume of the late Pranab Mukherjee's memoir The Presidential…

[digitalfime]

Pranab Mukherjee’s bonhomie with PM Modi revealed in memoir

Pranab Mukherjee’s bonhomie with PM Modi revealed in memoir

New Delhi: Just six months into power as the Prime Minister in 2014, Narendra Modi got a surprise ‘birthday gift’ from then President, the late Pranab Mukherjee. On a presidential trip to Vietnam while speaking before the Indian diaspora, Mukherjee praised the Modi government for chartering new credible economic policies leading to growth in the GDP, containing inflation and positive signs like a…

[techiesaha]

'Indian Voter was Tired of Uncertainties, Narendra Modi-led BJP Fulfilled That Need': Pranab Mukherjee's Memoir

[newsmatters]

'Indian Voter was Tired of Uncertainties, Narendra Modi-led BJP Fulfilled That Need': Pranab Mukherjee's Memoir

‘Indian Voter was Tired of Uncertainties, Narendra Modi-led BJP Fulfilled That Need’: Pranab Mukherjee’s Memoir

Indian voter was tired of uncertainties of the coalition governments and Bharatiya Janata Party led by Narendra Modi fulfilled that need, former President Pranab Mukherjee said in the fourth volume of his autobiography ‘The Presidential Years: 2012-2017’ which was released on Tuesday. “BJP emerged with a simple majority on its own in the Lok Sabha for the first time and was thus able to form the…

[bbcbreakingnews]

Modi earned his PM stint; no need to over-publicise surgical strikes: Pranab memoir

NEW DELHI: India needs to tackle Pakistan through “deft handling” rather than “romanticising its political approach” and the country gained little by “over-talking” the surgical strikes of 2016, the late Pranab Mukherjee has written in his memoirs that also recall his “very cordial ties” with PM Narendra Modi who he said earned his prime ministership by leading BJP to a historic win. “India must pursue its Pakistan-related policies with utmost care and deft handling, and not through romanticising its political approach. Surgical strikes conducted by Indian forces across the border have been normal military operations in response to Pakistan’s continued aggression. But there is really no need to over-publicise them — something that has been done ever since the Indian military conducted two strikes inside Pakistani territory since 2016. We gained nothing by overtalking on these operations,” Mukherjee wrote. The former President said Modi had earned the prime ministership and referred to his predecessor Manmohan Singh as “essentially an economist” named as PM by Sonia Gandhi. “Modi, on the other hand, became PM through popular choice after leading BJP to a historic victory in 2014. He is a politician to the core and had been named BJP’s prime ministerial candidate as the party went into campaign mode. He was then Gujarat’s CM and had built an image that seemed to click with the masses. He has earned and achieved the prime ministership,” he said. Offering a ring side view of politics and political leaders, Mukherjee said he had come to expect the unexpected from Modi. “It was evident that one could expect the unexpected from Modi, because he had come with no ideological foreign policy baggage. He was to continue with these surprises: he made a sudden and unscheduled stop at Lahore in December 2015 to greet his then Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the latter’s birthday; and he initiated an annual informal summit with the Chinese president — one was held at Wuhan in China in 2018 and the other, more recently, at Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu in 2019. I personally feel that PM Modi’s stopover in Lahore was unnecessary and uncalled for, given the conditions that prevailed in India-Pakistan relations,” he said. Mukherjee said every PM had a style of functioning. Lal Bahadur Shastri, he said, took positions that were very different from that of Nehru, despite being from the same party. Nehru, Mukherjee said, dealt with Nepal very diplomatically, and “rejected” an offer to be made an Indian province. “After the Rana rule was replaced by the monarchy in Nepal, he wished for democracy to take root. Interestingly, Nepal’s king, Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah, had suggested to Nehru that Nepal be made a province of India. But Nehru rejected the offer on the ground that Nepal was an independent nation and must remain so,” Mukherjee said, noting that Indira Gandhi would have reacted differently. Mukherjee completed his memoir ‘The Presidential Years, 2012-2017’ before his death last year. The book, published by Rupa Publications, was released on Tuesday. “BJP emerged with a simple majority on its own in the Lok Sabha for the first time and was thus able to form the government, though it still did so by co-opting its allies. Only Piyush Goyal… was confident that BJP would get no less than 265 seats, and that the number could go up to 280. I didn’t and still don’t know the reasons for his optimism,” he wrote. Mukherjee acknowledged that Modi maintained the constitutional tradition of keeping the President informed and seeking his advice. “I have had very cordial relations with PM Modi during my tenure. However, I did not hesitate to give my advice on matters of policy during our meetings. There were several occasions when he echoed concerns that I had voiced. I believe he has managed to grasp the nuances of foreign policy quickly,” he wrote.

source https://bbcbreakingnews.com/2021/01/07/modi-earned-his-pm-stint-no-need-to-over-publicise-surgical-strikes-pranab-memoir/

[sachkiawaaj]

DNA Exclusive: Pranab Mukherjee`s memoir elucidates how Narendra Modi `earned and achieved` prime ministership

DNA Exclusive: Pranab Mukherjee`s memoir elucidates how Narendra Modi `earned and achieved` prime ministership

New Delhi: Former president Pranab Mukherjee said in his memoir that Narendra Modi became prime minister “through popular choice” unlike Manmohan Singh “who was offered the post by Sonia Gandhi”. In his memoir “The Presidential Years, 2012-2017” which he completed before his death last year, Mukherjee wrote Narendra Modi “earned and achieved” the prime ministership. The 197-page book, which was…

[akshanxbajpai]

DNA Exclusive: Pranab Mukherjee's memoir elucidates how Narendra Modi 'earned and achieved' prime ministership

DNA Exclusive: Pranab Mukherjee’s memoir elucidates how Narendra Modi ‘earned and achieved’ prime ministership

New Delhi: Former president Pranab Mukherjee said in his memoir that Narendra Modi became prime minister “through popular choice” unlike Manmohan Singh “who was offered the post by Sonia Gandhi”. In his memoir “The Presidential Years, 2012-2017” which he completed before his death last year, Mukherjee wrote Narendra Modi “earned and achieved” the prime ministership. The 197-page book, which was…

[officialnews2o]

Would Have Ensured Mamata Remained Part of UPA-II if I Continued as FM: Pranab Mukherjee's Memoir

[newsmatters]

'Had differences with Modi, but we knew how to manage': Pranab Mukherjee in memoir

‘Had differences with Modi, but we knew how to manage’: Pranab Mukherjee in memoir

Image Source : ANI/FILE ‘Had differences with Modi, but we knew how to manage’: Pranab Mukherjee in memoir Former President and veteran Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee in his memoir, probably the last in the series, wrote that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not discussed the issue of demonetisation with him prior to his announcement on November 8, 2016 but it did not surprise him as…

[sachkiawaaj]

Congress failed to recognise end of its charismatic leadership: Pranab Mukherjee in last book

Congress failed to recognise end of its charismatic leadership: Pranab Mukherjee in last book

NEW DELHI: The Congress’s failure to recognise the end of its charismatic leadership was among the many reasons for its 2014 Lok Sabha polls defeat, according to former president Pranab Mukherjee who felt lack of extraordinary leaders reduced the establishment to a “government of averages”. Mukherjee made these comments in his memoir “The Presidential Years, 2012-2017” which he wrote before his…