India would keep a 7 day official State Mourning after the death of Former PM Inder Kumar Gujral at Medanta Medicity Hospital Gurgaon on Friday. Gujral was 93 years old and was complicated by Respiratory Infections.
“While passing a resolution, the union cabinet decided that the departed leader will be given a state funeral,” said an Indian government official.
The cabinet, at a special session, expressed profound sorrow at the death of I K Gujral.
Tributes and Condolences have poured in from all shades of political opinion.
Congress Leader Sonia Gandhi paid rich tributes to Gujral who was India’s prime minister for 11 months in 1997-98.
She added: “I know how much Indiraji valued him, both personally and as a colleague.”
“It is his qualities and the genuine warmth of his personality that made him such a widely admired and respected prime minister, cabinet minister, MP and ambassador,” she said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called him as “an outstanding public figure” who “served our country in various capacities with dedication, honesty and patriotism.
“In his death, India has lost an eminent son whose absence will be felt for all times to come.”
Vice President Hamid Ansari said India had “lost an intellectual, a scholar statesman and a gentleman politician whose liberal and humanist vision was rooted in the teachings of … our freedom movement”.
Defence Minister A.K. Antony recalled that Gujral “was instrumental in coming out with bold ideas for conflict resolution in our immediate and extended neighborhood”.
Gujarat CM Narendra Modi Tweeted,”Sad to hear about the demise of former PM Shri IK Gujral. My deepest condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace.”
BJP president Nitin Gadkari called him a versatile politician and a thinker. “Gujral was a staunch nationalist and a great patriot who had a thorough knowledge of international affairs.”
Since retiring from active politics in 1999, Gujral wrote his autobiography “Matters of Discretion” (Hay House) and was an active figure in the strategic and literary circles.
Gujral is survived by sons Naresh and Vishal Gujral, till recently a professor in the US, and three grandchildren. His younger brother is the famed artist and sculptor Satish Gujral. His wife Sheila predeceased him in July 2011.
The foreign minister in two non-Congress governments of V.P. Singh and H.D. Deve Gowda, Gujral became India’s 12th prime minister at the head of a rickety centre-Left United Front coalition on April 21, 1997.
Gujral gave way on March 19, 1998 to Atal Bihar Vajpayee. After one year or so, he retired from electoral politics.
In Dhaka, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Gujral was a “true friend of Bangladesh”.
She recalled Gujral’s contribution to the Ganga water-sharing treaty and strengthening of relations between Bangladesh and India.