Delhi Alongside Cuban Atively Late Hour of 10 Pm, Pref- Launch the Second Volume of Many Oxford-Educated .O"" He Kicked the Habit Nearly 30 Later
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' ( 9,"2 # + : + : : VRGR '%&((!1#VCEB R BP A"'!#$#1!$"#0$"T utqBVQWBuxy( ,*214;<= )%*+*)+ ,)-.! %)-/0 2."6 7-( 1>7 1- -7% 1 (77,(,0(67(10 0 =7 721011( 2 , ? ,1 27 > 21>1?>2( A6* 7 0,* ,!4 (1 (1 20( 1 -1( (10 >(11? @1>11 ; .)*:<4% !5< ;1."#1 $ ! %' 7 ' >& ," . # " + " "# 22 ranab Mukherjee was never A people’s leader, he loved that a journalist was not sup- tinguished India? I have called the only Pa domineering presence in adda (idle talk) which Bengalis posed to sleep, or even have gathering one I know. I hope you groom *.") " Bengal politics; in fact, he was enjoy for hours at end. This was dinner, by 10 pm, he said he seated some others #+ hardly a political presence in a daily source of inspiration normally came home around overlooking after 243,,1 )234 his home State at all. But his degree skills, she reinducted nomic matters. and provided an opportunity to this hour, had a bath, did puja the Mogul you.” endearing persona and mag- him into the Cabinet and party Many were initially sur- rummage through his phe- for an hour, before sitting down Gardens was an ," ." nificent erudition made him, hierarchy. prised that a man who rose nomenal memory, which for dinner. He walked me to the honour I will notwithstanding his strong Very soon, ditto with Rajiv from the ranks of a school- stunned friend and foe alike. sitting area and over two cups probably never " rural Bengali accent, a highly Gandhi who unceremoniously teacher in Midnapore, West On a personal note, I recall of coffee we resumed our adda. get again. While "+ respected bhadralok, a semi-lit sacked him from his first Bengal, to stand shoulder to when he called me to the A few weeks later, I got a leaving I asked, “Why # ". pipe hanging loose from his lips Cabinet, only to reinstate him shoulder at the first UNCTAD Rashtrapati Bhawan at the rel- call from him requesting me to me?” He said, “How . " being a cartoonists’ delight till with full dignity a few months in New Delhi alongside Cuban atively late hour of 10 pm, pref- launch the second volume of many Oxford-educated .O"" he kicked the habit nearly 30 later. By the time he was rein- legend Fidel Castro. But over acing his invitation by saying his memoirs. Addressing a dis- journalists do we have in . years back. ducted, he had risen to a stature the years, he made all Indians " ."" He became a trusted lieu- befitting none else. Having proud of his deft handling of + tenant of Indira Gandhi with- held the External Affairs port- economy and politics. It was .2243 .3+,2,1 in a few years but fell out later folio for close to a decade, and said that it was not possible for QR ,24 after she was advised by former widely reputed for his knowl- anyone to negotiate with a colleagues to get rid of the edge of international trade and tiger to part with its skin but "!4 5+ diminutive but highly intelli- finance, Pranab Mukherjee was Pranabda would achieve that clot in his brain and later alist and the trusted Man 6 gent and ambitious politician. the acknowledged don of com- and leave the tiger smiling in developed a lung infection. Friday of three Congress Prime "". However, realising his 360 plex matters on global eco- the end. ormer President Pranab Pranab Mukherjee was the Ministers, Pranab Mukherjee’s . FMukherjee breathed his last 13th President of India from climb up the political ladder # on Monday after battling var- 2012 to 2017 and was conferred stopped just short of his ambi- "2 ious ailments, including coro- with the highest civilian award, tion to occupy the PM’s post *.")+ navirus, for almost 20 days. His Bharat Ratna, by the Narendra in 2004, and instead fortunes "" son Abhijit Mukherjee Modi Government. sent him to the highest office "" + R announced the demise of the President Ram Nath Rashtrapati Bhavan as the "# 84-year-old Mukherjee who Kovind, Vice President M country’s first citizen. # was admitted to Army hospi- Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Though he had many . +7 tal in the national Capital on Minister Narendra Modi, for- facets in his over five decades "+ August 10. mer VP Hamid Ansari, Union of a political career, he was 2 232,34, )42 A people’s person till the Ministers, UPA Chairperson Congress’ troubleshooter " end, “Citizen Mukherjee” Sonia Gandhi and several oth- through the decades and one of tweeted that he had tested pos- ers led the nation in condoling the country’s most respected " itive for Covid-19 on August the death of the former politicians. Demonstrating his " . 10. It was his last post and his President saying the country ability to quickly adapt to sit- " last words to the public. has lost a statesman. uations as they arose, “With a heavy heart, this is While Pranab Mukherjee’s Mukherjee was at ease with the . # to inform you that my father house in Birbhum’s Mirati vil- new mode of communication. .)+ ." Shri Pranab Mukherjee has lage in West Beny wore a sad, A politician of the past era, just passed away in spite of the forlorn look after the passing Mukherjee realised the signif- ". best efforts of doctors of RR away of the former President, icance of social media tool " . " Hospital and prayers, duas and sources in Government said he and used Twitter a platform to . prarthanas from people will be cremated in the nation- reach out to people and always . ."". ension flared up at the throughout India. I thank all of al Capital. The Centre expressed his condolences on + Talready volatile Line of you folded hands,” Abhijit announced a seven-day nation- the death of leaders and friends, #)3129)32,&,3412 Actual Control (LAC) in Mukherjee tweeted. al mourning period —August greet people on festivals or wish Ladakh when the Chinese The late President was 31 to September 6. them on their birthdays. " # $ &$' troops tried to intrude into operated for the removal of a A quintessential party loy- Continued on Page 2 L India at the Pangong Tso (lake) &'K) *') ) + on the intervening night of August 29-30. The alert Indian Leh highway to enable the #123,2*423 troops foiled the aggression. military convoys to move fast. Not willing to let things go The Chinese have also 1*25,43+ !"# "$% &! out of hand, the two sides held deployed additional troops " '( Brigadier-level meeting on there leading to surcharged ,*)3)4 )*+,,- Monday and decided to main- atmosphere in the region. tain peace and abide by pacts Both sides have enhanced ! to de-escalate. vigil all along the 4,000 km long " # % & Denying that its troops LAC from Ladakh in the west eeping the LAC bristling "#()" crossed the LAC, China to Arunachal Pradesh in the Kwith tension, China has * +," claimed that India violated its east. Moreover, the Indian undertaken construction of - " territorial integrity. China also armed forces are now on alert helipads and bunkers at war- ."# demanded that India immedi- mode to meet any challenge, footing all along the border. ately withdraw its troops to sources said. Satellite imagery from ." " maintain peace. A three-month face-off is open sources said China has " Given the situation at the already on the northern bank built a heliport near Doklam, # " . LAC in the region where stand- of the Pangong Tso between which lies on the tri-junction . + off is on for the last more than “Finger 4” and “Finger 8” sec- of India, China and Bhutan three months and the latest tor. Despite agreeing to disen- near Sikkim in the east. #% ". #&%' “provocative” step on the gage in the several rounds of Besides this, China is also #/ %''!%&# southern side of the Pangong military-level talks, the Chinese building at least two helipads in *12- ," Tso by the Chinese, the Indian have refused to withdraw their eastern Ladakh — one in * """ Army has rushed more troops troops from there. They also Tianshuihai, which is near the " ." to the region, sources said. have of late erected more tents Galwan Valley and the Aksai " "" Also, movement for gen- and built bunkers indicating Chin region, and the other in /. ## 0 eral traffic was restricted on the their intent. Rutog County, near the north- , *1() nearly 400-km long Srinagar- Continued on Page 2 ern bank of Pangong Tso. ""!- . + ! economy. R According to the data, n a virtual freefall, India’s gross value added (GVA) IGDP collapsed 23.9 per cent !"# growth in the manufacturing in the April-June quarter year- sector contracted by 39.3 per on-year, the biggest shrinkage Ahead of GDP data, the outlier as all other sectors, cent in the first quarter of in 40 years, as the coronavirus fresh clash at LAC with China including manufacturing, con- 2020-21, from 3 per cent lockdowns battered an already spooked the market, which struction and services, suf- expansion a year ago. slowing economy. Most rating was also apprehensive about a fered steep declines. However, farm sector GVA agencies and RBI had project- poor growth data. India’s economy had grown grew at 3.4 per cent, compared ed a sharp contraction in India’s The news of Chinese by 5.2 per cent in the same to 3 per cent in the corre- GDP for the first quarter of aggression turned the senti- quarter of last fiscal, as per the sponding period of 2019-20. 2020-21. ments negative and BSE flag- data released by the National Construction sector GVA Even before the coron- ship Sensex plunged over 1,615 Statistical Office (NSO).