The Central government has designated land at Delhi’s Rashtriya Smriti Sthal within the Rajghat complex for a memorial dedicated to former President Pranab Mukherjee, who passed away in August 2020. Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter, Sharmistha Mukherjee, expressed heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the “gracious” and “unexpected” gesture.
On January 1, Sharmistha received an official letter from the Land and Development Office (L&DO) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, approving the site for the memorial as part of the Rashtriya Smriti complex. After personally meeting PM Modi to convey her thanks, Sharmistha shared, “This gesture reflects the respect Baba always valued. He believed state honors shouldn’t be requested but offered. PM Modi’s thoughtful decision to honor my father’s memory is immensely touching.”
Pranab Mukherjee served as India’s 13th President from 2012 to 2017, after a distinguished political career spanning five decades. A senior Congress leader, he held key portfolios, including Finance Minister from 2009 to 2012, before being elected President. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor, in 2019. Sharmistha also highlighted her disappointment with the Congress party’s lack of institutional acknowledgment of her father’s passing. She noted that while Sonia Gandhi sent a personal letter, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) failed to hold a formal condolence meeting for her father, despite his 45 years of service to the party and 30 years as a CWC member.
“When KR Narayanan passed away, Baba himself drafted the CWC condolence resolution. It felt jarring that no similar meeting was held after Baba’s demise,” Sharmistha remarked. Despite her criticism, Sharmistha expressed deep gratitude for the government’s decision, emphasizing its symbolic importance in honoring her father’s legacy.
