Shakuntala Devi might have earned the ‘human computer’ moniker from the world but to Indira Gandhi, Pranab Mukherjee was her mobile human computer.
Pranab Mukherjee earned the epithet after he instantly blurted out the country’s five-year plans in half an hour to Israeli leader Golda Meir, while Prime Minister Gandhi was absolutely clueless.
Indira Gandhi sought defence cooperation from Israel in 1971 war against Pakistan.
To Indira Gandhi, Pranab Mukherjee was not just the “shortest finance minister delivering the biggest budget speech” but the most reliable and dependable person she could bank upon because of his knowledge, his reading, depth of understanding both politics and economics and above all a person who was loyal and had a rare composure to take on pressure and deflect troubles.
Indira Gandhi had a motherly fondness and affection for Pranab da, Congress leader Abdul Mannan recalled. “I have heard from Pranab da how Indiraji affectionately rebuked him for coming to the headquarters in a casual T-shirt. She advised him that it was important for public figures to be immaculately dressed.” From that very day, Pranab da donned either bandhgalas, suits in the South Block or traditional dhoti-kurta in AICC, party programmes or in Parliament.
Indira Gandhi also indulged Pranab Mukherjee by bringing gifts for him, which was mostly pipe, when she went abroad. Once Indira Gandhi had joked that it was easier to get smoke out of his mouth than words (which journalists would have loved to hear), referring to his habit of smoking like a chimney.ADVERTISEMENT
After Indira Gandhi’s demise, Pranab Mukherjee’s importance got eclipsed for a short while during Rajiv Gandhi’s times. “He was extremely hurt. He would tell people in his close circle that no one drives out a dog or a domestic help like the way they did it with him, no showcause, no explanation,” said Rajya Sabha MP and close confidante Sukhendu Shekhar Ray.
“I remember the treatment meted out to him in the Congress party’s Centenary celebration in 1985 in Mumbai. Pranab da was speaking on the dais. When he was halfway through, Rajiv Gandhi took the microphone and announced lunch, saying Pranab Mukherjee will finish his speech post-lunch. The Congressmen in the audience dispersed as the veteran stood still, insulted,” said Trinamool Congress MLA Prabir Ghosal, who was close to Mukherjee.
“We would find him depressed, down, spending time with books. If he had a visitor he would latch onto him for hours, never letting him go. Often I would tell him if he was contemplating retirement from politics. He with his crackling humour would quote Shelley’s Skylark if winter comes, can spring be far behind,” Ray added.
Pranab Mukherjee indeed did a skylark and like a phoenix rose from the ashes to play many more memorable innings in the country’s politics. He was the most trusted person of Sonia Gandhi, who having faith in her mother,-in-law’s judgment befriended Pranab and brought him to her core circle.
Pranab Mukherjee’s relation with Mamata Banerjee was an interesting mix of bitter-sweet emotions. Mamata Banerjee felt she was like a younger sister to this great son of Bengal and naturally had every right to crib, pester and be pampered and indulged. Whenever she would be in Delhi she would make sure to cook the choicest Bengali cuisines and fishes for Pranab da.
After Pranab Mukherjee became the President of India, when Mamata Banerjee as chief minister organised a programme to commemorate him, she gifted him a sweet-meat— notun gurer sandesh (from jaggery) weighing five kilos. She wouldn’t let him fly off to the Raisina Hills without the sandesh. A special flight was arranged to take the sweetmeat, shawl and other gift items. President Pranab Mukherjee savoured the sweet for days, the sweet taste of jaggery making him nostalgic of his village and of the people of Bengal, far away from home.