Pranab Mukherjee, an Indian politician who rose to high office alongside one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers, Indira Gandhi, has died. He was 84.
His death was confirmed on Monday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter.
Before undergoing brain surgery in recent weeks, he announced on Twitter that he had also tested positive for the coronavirus. He was later put on a ventilator and slipped into a coma, according to doctors who were treating him at a military hospital.
Though Mr. Mukherjee never became prime minister, the top post in India’s government, his ability to build consensus on contentious issues earned him the title of the indispensable man of India’s coalition-era politics. And he played a major role in the government of Mrs. Gandhi and the political career of her daughter-in-law, Sonia Gandhi.
In 2012, Sonia Gandhi, the head of the Indian National Congress party, cleared the way for Mr. Mukherjee to become president, a largely ceremonial job, while passing him over for the chance to be prime minister.
Many Indians see the Congress party as a protector of the nation’s founding secular values, a feeling that has become more prominent since the rise of Mr. Modi and his Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. But the party remains tied to the Gandhis, who are often perceived as a symbol of India’s Anglicized upper class.
Mr. Mukherjee, who was born on Dec. 11, 1935, in the small village of Mirati in India’s West Bengal state, fit right in. He was a college teacher and a journalist, and his father, Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee, was a Congress leader himself. His mother, who went by the single name Rajlakshmi, was also involved in politics.
Mr. Mukherjee quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the closest lieutenants of Indira Gandhi. He was criticized for being a loyal supporter of Mrs. Gandhi and playing his own small part in her government’s decision to send dozens of political dissidents to prison.
Decades later, Mr. Mukherjee wrote in his memoir about those tumultuous years, acknowledging that he did not understand “its deep and far-reaching impact” as a junior minister then and that the party ultimately paid “a heavy price” for it.
In 1980, Mrs. Gandhi picked Mr. Mukherjee as her finance minister. That would define his long political career, cementing his position as an important party leader for decades to come.
After Mrs. Gandhi was assassinated in 1984, he viewed himself as her rightful successor. Mrs. Gandhi, however, had chosen her son Rajiv Gandhi to become the next prime minister.
After being sidelined by Mr. Gandhi, Mr. Mukherjee left to form his own party, the Rashtriya Samajwadi Congress. But in 1989 he folded it into the Congress party after it failed to garner much support in his home state of West Bengal.
The party welcomed him back and in the next few years, Mr. Mukherjee became the chief architect who piloted Sonia Gandhi’s ascent to power. From then on, he held several cabinet posts, from foreign affairs and defense to finance, and he served on numerous key committees. He was called upon routinely to break political logjams or defuse controversies.
Under the Constitution, the president holds some meaningful powers, including the right to grant clemency to prisoners. During his five-year term, from 2012 to 2017, Mr. Mukherjee rejected 42 mercy pleas from prisoners on death row, out of a total of 49.
In 2019, he was awarded India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, for his public service over five decades.
The Coronavirus Outbreak ›
Frequently Asked Questions
Updated August 27, 2020
-
What should I consider when choosing a mask?
- There are a few basic things to consider. Does it have at least two layers? Good. If you hold it up to the light, can you see through it? Bad. Can you blow a candle out through your mask? Bad. Do you feel mostly OK wearing it for hours at a time? Good. The most important thing, after finding a mask that fits well without gapping, is to find a mask that you will wear. Spend some time picking out your mask, and find something that works with your personal style. You should be wearing it whenever you’re out in public for the foreseeable future. Read more: What’s the Best Material for a Mask?
-
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
- In the beginning, the coronavirus seemed like it was primarily a respiratory illness — many patients had fever and chills, were weak and tired, and coughed a lot, though some people don’t show many symptoms at all. Those who seemed sickest had pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome and received supplemental oxygen. By now, doctors have identified many more symptoms and syndromes. In April, the C.D.C. added to the list of early signs sore throat, fever, chills and muscle aches. Gastrointestinal upset, such as diarrhea and nausea, has also been observed. Another telltale sign of infection may be a sudden, profound diminution of one’s sense of smell and taste. Teenagers and young adults in some cases have developed painful red and purple lesions on their fingers and toes — nicknamed “Covid toe” — but few other serious symptoms.
-
Why does standing six feet away from others help?
- The coronavirus spreads primarily through droplets from your mouth and nose, especially when you cough or sneeze. The C.D.C., one of the organizations using that measure, bases its recommendation of six feet on the idea that most large droplets that people expel when they cough or sneeze will fall to the ground within six feet. But six feet has never been a magic number that guarantees complete protection. Sneezes, for instance, can launch droplets a lot farther than six feet, according to a recent study. It’s a rule of thumb: You should be safest standing six feet apart outside, especially when it’s windy. But keep a mask on at all times, even when you think you’re far enough apart.
-
I have antibodies. Am I now immune?
- As of right now, that seems likely, for at least several months. There have been frightening accounts of people suffering what seems to be a second bout of Covid-19. But experts say these patients may have a drawn-out course of infection, with the virus taking a slow toll weeks to months after initial exposure. People infected with the coronavirus typically produce immune molecules called antibodies, which are protective proteins made in response to an infection. These antibodies may last in the body only two to three months, which may seem worrisome, but that’s perfectly normal after an acute infection subsides, said Dr. Michael Mina, an immunologist at Harvard University. It may be possible to get the coronavirus again, but it’s highly unlikely that it would be possible in a short window of time from initial infection or make people sicker the second time.
-
I’m a small-business owner. Can I get relief?
- The stimulus bills enacted in March offer help for the millions of American small businesses. Those eligible for aid are businesses and nonprofit organizations with fewer than 500 workers, including sole proprietorships, independent contractors and freelancers. Some larger companies in some industries are also eligible. The help being offered, which is being managed by the Small Business Administration, includes the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. But lots of folks have not yet seen payouts. Even those who have received help are confused: The rules are draconian, and some are stuck sitting on money they don’t know how to use. Many small-business owners are getting less than they expected or not hearing anything at all.
-
What are my rights if I am worried about going back to work?
In his final address as president, Mr. Mukherjee said that he had received “much more” from the country than he had given and that its foundations as a pluralistic society was what made it the world’s largest democracy. “The soul of India resides in pluralism and tolerance,” he said.
He is survived by his daughter, Sharmistha, and two sons, Abhijit and Indrajit.
After stepping down as president, Mr. Mukherjee continued to play an active role in public life, often delivering speeches where he liberally quoted Mohandas Gandhi.
“I have no hesitation in stating that the ideas of truth, openness, dialogue and nonviolence espoused by Gandhiji provide the best way forward for a world confronted with intolerance, bigotry, terrorism and xenophobic politics,” he said in a lecture in 2019.
In one of his last speeches, in December 2019, he spoke about the importance of press freedom. “Democracy without a free press is like a blank piece of paper,” he said.
“We ought to remember that democracy will be the loser when and if we cease to hear voices other than our own.”
