Former Prime Minister of India Inder Kumar Gujral passed away at the age of 92. He was born on December 4, 1919 in the city of Jhelum, Punjab (now part of Pakistan) into a family of Congress party workers.
Gujral, who migrated from Pakistan after partition, rose to become the Prime Minister. Earlier he become a Union Minister and then India's ambassador to the USSR.
Educated at DAV College, Haily College of Commerce and Forman Christian College, Lahore (now in Pakistan), he took active part in student politics.
This was the beginning of a long innings, both in the national politics and diplomacy.
Since he refused to kowtow to the powers-that-be, he was taken out of the ministry and sent by Indira Gandhi as ambassador to Moscow, a post he handled with tact and finesse. He continued even during the tenures of her two successors, Morarji Desai and Charan Singh.
As a prime minister, he attempted to improve India's strained ties with Pakistan, saying it was time for both nations to leave the past behind and forge a new relationship.
He is famous for the Gujral Doctrine . The Gujral Doctrine is a set of five principles to guide the conduct of foreign relations with India’s immediate neighbours as spelt out by Gujral, first as India’s External Affairs Minister and later as the Prime Minister. Among other factors, these five principles arise from the belief that India’s stature and strength cannot be divorced from the quality of its relations with its neighbours. It, thus, recognises the supreme importance of friendly, cordial relations with neighbours.
One more person down, who believed in peace within South Asia. He will be missed!
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