BADAL: Mourns death of former PM Inder Kumar Gujral

Chandigarh, November 30, 2012: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today expressed profound grief and sorrow over the sad demise of former Prime Minister of India Inder Kumar Gujral, who passed away at Delhi after prolonged illness.

In a condolence message, the Chief Minister described Gujral as a true patriot, an eminent statesman, able administrator and distinguished Parliamentarian besides a fine human being with rare qualities of head and heart.

Badal said, “Gujral was a true son of the soil as he was instrumental in waiving off the long pending debt of Punjab during his brief stint as Prime Minister of the nation”. Recalling his long association with Gujral, the Chief Minister said that the former Prime Minister was ever ready to resolve any issue related to Punjab. He said that the Punjabis would ever remember Gujral’s immense contribution in ushering an era of unprecedented development and progress in the state.

The Chief Minister said that Gujral’s forthright initiatives in fostering goodwill, trust, peace and amity in Indian Subcontinent especially in strengthening Indo-Pak relations would ever be remembered by one and all. Later these initiatives popularly known as ‘Gujral Doctrine’ were widely admired in the international polity in bringing peace and friendship besides improving bilateral ties between India and Pakistan, which originally laid the foundation of  the ongoing steps taken in the form of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) to further smoothen relations between both the countries.  He said that being a multi faceted personality Gujral was an institution in himself, who played a proactive role in promoting the ethos of democracy by strengthening the bonds of national integration, communal harmony and universal brotherhood besides a true champion of freedom of Press. Having deep regard and passion for Punjabi culture, language and literature, he was a true votary of Punjab, Punjabi and Panjabiat, added Badal. 

Terming Gujral’s demise as a personal loss, the Chief Minister said in his death a void has been created in the national as well as international polity, which was hard to be filled in near future. He said in the passing away of Gujral he has lost a true friend, a guide and a philosopher to whom he always held him in high esteem and reverence.

Sharing his heartfelt sympathies with the members of the bereaved family especially his son and Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujral, the Chief Minister prayed to the Almighty to grant eternal peace to the departed soul and give courage to bear this huge loss in this hour of crisis. 

Meanwhile, Bikram Singh Majithia, Revenue and Public Relations Minister, Punjab today mourned the demise of former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral (92), who passed away at Gurgaon after a prolonged illness.

In a condolence message, Majithia said that the demise of Gujral, a great diplomatic politician, has left a void in the political arena of the country. He said that Gujral’s contribution to the nation, especially for Punjab would always be remembered for generations to come. He said that it was Gujral, who waived a huge debt of Punjab and brought economic prosperity in the state. He said that Pushpa Gujral Nari Niketan in Jalandhar and Pushpa Gujral Science City on Jalandhar-Kapurthala Road were his immense contribution to Punjab.

Sharing his heartfelt sympathies with the bereaved family, Majithia prayed to the Almighty to grant peace to the departed soul and strength to the family members to bear this irreparable loss.