Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 20
Former Union Minister and Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Dr Karan Singh today regretted that he could not become either Prime Minister or President of India.
Taking part in a panel discussion following release of his book “An Examined Life, Essays and Reflections” by former PM Dr Manmohan Singh, Dr Singh regretted: “I could not become Prime Minister or President of India.”
After saying that he had no ambition, he said he could not become Congress’ nominee for the post of President even though his name was favoured by Dr Manmohan Singh.
Without dwelling on the issue, he said his chances of becoming the PM were sealed when Sanjay Gandhi, younger son of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, came to the forefront of Congress affairs during the Emergency.
The former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir expressed the regret on his own volition as part of his closing remarks during the discussion related to his standout contributions during his long years in public life.
Journalist Vir Sanghvi moderated the discussion in which former diplomat and JD(U) Rajya Sabha
MP Pavan K Verma and social theorist Ashis Nandy also took part.
Lauding Dr Karan during the discussion, Verma said even though the former was born in aristocracy, he was wedded to republican ideals and his background of aristocracy came in the way of him becoming the President.
Lauding Dr Karan’s literary and scholastic achievements, Dr Manmohan noted his contributions in the upkeep of democracy. “There is so much for world leaders to learn from his ideas,” he said, referring to the ideas enunciated by Dr Karan during his long years in public life.
Hailing Dr Karan as a “literary statesman”, the former Prime Minister said he had a multi-faceted personality and had deep quest for inter-faith harmony that kept democratic ideals alive.
from The Tribune http://bit.ly/2WXWTem
via Today’s News Headlines
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