The Hindu : Front Page : K.R. Narayanan passes away

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 10, 2005

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Front Page

K.R. Narayanan passes away

Special Correspondent

"Nation has lost a true nationalist, democrat and a messiah of the downtrodden''

PTI FILE PHOTO

PEOPLE'S PRESIDENT: K.R. Narayanan as President spoke from his heart on social issues and improvised and innovated without turning activist in office.

NEW DELHI: The former President, K.R. Narayanan, died on Wednesday at the Army Research and Referral Hospital here, after a brief illness. He was 85 and is survived by his wife and two daughters.

According to the Commandant of the Hospital, O. P. Mathew, the former President breathed his last at 5.45 p.m. He was admitted to the hospital on October 29 — two days after his 85th birthday — and was suffering from pneumonia and renal failure. He had been on life-support system since October 31.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the hospital to inquire about Mr. Narayanan's health after receiving news about his deteriorating condition. The Prime Minister, who was on his way back home from Chandigarh, made a stopover at the hospital.

Within hours of his death, the Union Cabinet met and placed on record his services to the nation. President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam led the nation in paying tribute to Mr. Narayanan. The President was attending a function of the National Legal Services Authority when news reached him about the death of his predecessor. Immediately, a two-minute silence was observed and both Mr. Kalam and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee — who was also present — offered their condolences at the function.

Mr. Narayanan, the country's 10th President, held the highest office in the country for five years beginning July 25, 1997. Starting his career in journalism, he strode the world of academics, diplomacy and politics with equal ease.

During his long and distinguished career, he held key positions as India's Ambassador to China and the United States, and Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University.

After retirement from the Foreign Service, he entered politics and won three successive Lok Sabha elections from Ottapalam in Kerala on a Congress ticket.

He was a member of the Union Council of Ministers in the Rajiv Gandhi Government and became the country's Vice-President in 1992.

As news broke of the death of the former President, condolence messages began pouring in. Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat said that with the passing away of Mr. Narayanan, "the nation has lost a true nationalist, an acclaimed democrat and a messiah of the downtrodden.''

Further, the Vice-President described his rise from a humble background to the highest echelons of national politics as a "saga of strong resolve, dedication and commitment'' and a "tribute to the finest spirit of Indian democracy.''

In his message, Mr. Manmohan Singh said that Mr. Narayanan's "tenure will always be looked upon as a landmark, for his role in preserving and protecting the Constitution and our secular ethos and for passionately articulating the concerns of the underprivileged sections of our society''.

The former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said India had lost a seasoned diplomat and a statesman.

"His inspiring life is a story of victory of hard work and positive attitude over social and economic hardships.''

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