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I K Gujral
My association with Krishan Kantji dates back to our school days. He was my junior and the classmate of (brother) Satish Gujral.
We were friends as both our families were involved in the freedom struggle. His father Lala Achint Ram and my father were together in Multan and Gujarat jails.
My mother and his mother Satyavati (96) were also incarcerated together several times.
My heart goes out to his old mother who sat beside Kant holding him in her arms as he rested in eternal peace. I do not know how she must be coping with it.
In his death I have lost a personal friend. Only two days back after the swearing-in of Dr A P J Abdul Kalam as the President of India, I had a talk with him in the evening.
He seemed cheerful and had no health problems in particular. I believe he was diabetic.
His wife Suman told me that he was working till 2 am in the morning and she left him there. When he did not get up in the morning till 7.30, he was rushed to the hospital. He probably had a cardiac arrest during his sleep.
He was a great parliamentarian who led Rajya Sabha with distinction.
Krishan Kant along with Chandra Shekhar, Mohan Dharia and Ram Dhan were called the Young Turks in the Congress party and ones responsible for collecting signatures to make Mrs Indira Gandhi the prime minister in 1969 when there was a split in the party.
Ironically it was Kant who opposed Mrs Gandhi's declaration of emergency in 1975 and was thrown out of the party for it.
When he became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1972, he initiated the move to have a forum of parliamentarians for scientific study and also took up cudgels against the criminalisation of politics.
He took part in Jayaprakash Narain's movement against the Emergency and joined the Janata Party when it was formed in 1977. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Chandigarh in the general election that year.
In 1997, we decided to approach him for the post of the Vice-President of India for his contribution to the freedom struggle and Parliament. I was then the prime minister of India, and very glad when he accepted our offer.
I really feel sad to have lost a close friend of mine.
(Onkar Singh spoke to former prime minister I K Gujral)
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