Ex-Indian PM Gujral dies at 92
1 December The China Post
Former Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral, who engineered a
thaw in the icy relationship with arch rival Pakistan during his time in
government, died Friday aged 92, the government announced.
βI am deeply grieved to inform the house about the demise of Inder
Kumar Gujral, the former prime minister of India. He passed away at 3:31
p.m.,β Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told the lower house of
parliament.Gujral, who served as prime minister in a coalition
government from April 1997 to March 1998, was admitted to Gurgaon's
Medanta Medicity hospital 11 days ago with a lung infection.The former
diplomat was born on Dec. 4, 1919 in the city of Jhelum, Punjab (now
part of Pakistan) into a family of Congress party workers.
He began his career in politics as a student leader and member of the
underground Communist Party of India. He was arrested in 1942 and jailed
for his involvement in the anti-colonial Quit India movement.Gujral
joined the ruling Congress party after India won independence and rose
through the ranks to become minister of information and broadcasting
under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from 1969-71 and 1972-75.The
soft-spoken Gujral ran foul of the Congress leadership when he refused
to censor radio bulletins during the state of emergency imposed by
Gandhi in 1975.
He then spent five years working as India's ambassador to the Soviet
Union from 1976 to 1980.Gujral left the Congress party in the 1980s and
joined the socialist Janata Dal, serving twice as India's foreign
minister before being appointed prime minister in a coalition government
in 1997.
He resigned from the post in 1998 after the Congress withdrew its
support for the government, forcing midterm elections. He effectively
retired from politics the following year.The urbane politician was best
known for the so-called Gujral Doctrine, an approach to foreign policy
based on peaceful accommodation, arguing that India should treat its
neighbors with generosity.
As premier, he attempted to improve India's strained ties with
Pakistan, saying it was time for both nations to leave the past behind
and forge a new relationship.Former colleague V. Narayanasamy, a
minister in the prime minister's office told NDTV news channel, βhe was
a very learned person.
I was lucky to have worked with him ... will always remember him.β
Gujral is survived by two sons, Naresh and Vishal. His elder son Naresh
is a member of the Punjab-based Shiromani Akali Dal party and was
elected to the upper house of parliament in 2007.
|