Equally memorable Sir, if I may point out on this occasion, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, despite some reported differences with former Finance Minister, P Chidambaram, wrote a wonderful foreword to Shri Chidambaram’s book, published in 2018, titled ‘Speaking Truth to Power. My Alternative View” – a collection of his political essays and views. Pranab Da in that foreword to PC’s book wrote: “At a time when politics has increasingly become acrimonious, with people ready to abandon argument for innuendo, Chidambaram’s columns reinforce the importance of civility in public discourse and that criticisms must be directed towards policies and not personalities.” This memory also popped up as I happened to review Mr. Chidambaram’s book for the ‘Deccan Chronicle’.

It may be equally worth recalling here Sir, as a tribute to Pranab Babu, another incident in Tamil Nadu after he became President of India in July 2012. The Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly was slated for November 30, 2012, when Ms. J. Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister. The opposition DMK led by Kalaignar M Karunanidhi had then decided to “boycott” that function as, Kalaignar had said, “we have not been accorded due respect” by the ruling party in organising that function. Pranab Da had been invited as the Guest of Honour for that function in the Assembly, but for the DMK which played a key role in his Presidential election, to keep away from that event was painfully ironic, arising out of compulsions of State politics.

Pranab Da, coming to know of these developments, on his touch down in Chennai that day for the function, first drove straight to Mr. Karunanidhi’s CIT Nagar residence, greeted him, spent some time with the DMK patriarch and then went to the Assembly for the celebrations, sidestepping protocol.

Pranab Da’s statesman-like gesture that day demonstrated classical Tamil poet Saint Thiruvalluvar’s dictum that a discourtesy is gracefully returned with courtesy. In his thought-provoking speech in the Assembly that day, Mr. Mukherjee aptly described the State Assemblies as “cradles where great leaders are born.” One felt like sharing these memories on this occasion.

Yours sincerely,
M.R. Venkatesh / Sept 3, 2020