This obituary was written by my dad when Shyama Charan Shukla passed away in Chhattisgarh in February 2007. I came across it while surfing a news-site, posting it here.
Pandit Shyamacharan Shukla,the veteran of Congress politics of central India passed away 15 days back..
I am writing this just to share my experiences of interaction with the literally towering leader .I was taken to his Shankar Nagar(Khamardih) house by one of his non-political followers when I landed at Raipur from Kashmir after formation of Chhattisgarh.I was conducted into the inner room of the bungalow ,where Pandit Shukla was having his evening breakfast.Large number of his admirers and followers were in the hall .Pandit Shukla inquired about my background-Bihar and told about his Bihar connections too.
He offered me tea,which he prepared himself after inquiring about sugar quantity.He offered me fried items,like chana,daal,besan made sev etc.We discussed about Chhattisgarh politics for about 45 minutes.Since,the state was new,he told about the various leaders and their role in state politics.He was NOT at all critical of any leader and told about the importance of individual leaders.He told about the irrigation networking created during his chief ministership and suggested some ideas about how to develop the infant state.He talked about industrial potentialities and also agricultural growth of Chhattisgarh.He shared some of his experiences in Congress poltics-vis-a vis,Ms Sonia Gandhi.
He appeared to be an attentive listener too as he invited my ideas too.Pandit Shukla must have consumed three cups of tea from the Pot during the meeting.
What touched me most about Pandit Shukla was his gesture of coming out of his room to seem me off.He did not listen to my request to say good bye from the room itself.One may not believe,but he came to my car ,barefoot and left only after I was in the car and the engine was switched on.He was the tallest politician ,like Biju Patnaik.Like Bijubabu,Pandit Shukla has also great heart,he was hospitable like Bijubabu .
The greatness of the man who was thrice the chief minister of undivided Madhya Pradesh was evident in my first encounter itself.
Pandit Shukla could not get due from the party in the fag end of his life.His life could have been longer.He could not be appointed Governor of a state,though his name was in circulation for the last three years.He was Pandit in all respects. Late Rajiv Gandhi as prime minister had attended the funeral of Jagjivan Ram at his village in Ara and his petroleum minister,Chandrashekhar Singh at Munger.One was expecting, Soniaji's presence at the funeral of Pandit Shukla.
ends
Pandit Shyamacharan Shukla,the veteran of Congress politics of central India passed away 15 days back..
I am writing this just to share my experiences of interaction with the literally towering leader .I was taken to his Shankar Nagar(Khamardih) house by one of his non-political followers when I landed at Raipur from Kashmir after formation of Chhattisgarh.I was conducted into the inner room of the bungalow ,where Pandit Shukla was having his evening breakfast.Large number of his admirers and followers were in the hall .Pandit Shukla inquired about my background-Bihar and told about his Bihar connections too.
He offered me tea,which he prepared himself after inquiring about sugar quantity.He offered me fried items,like chana,daal,besan made sev etc.We discussed about Chhattisgarh politics for about 45 minutes.Since,the state was new,he told about the various leaders and their role in state politics.He was NOT at all critical of any leader and told about the importance of individual leaders.He told about the irrigation networking created during his chief ministership and suggested some ideas about how to develop the infant state.He talked about industrial potentialities and also agricultural growth of Chhattisgarh.He shared some of his experiences in Congress poltics-vis-a vis,Ms Sonia Gandhi.
He appeared to be an attentive listener too as he invited my ideas too.Pandit Shukla must have consumed three cups of tea from the Pot during the meeting.
What touched me most about Pandit Shukla was his gesture of coming out of his room to seem me off.He did not listen to my request to say good bye from the room itself.One may not believe,but he came to my car ,barefoot and left only after I was in the car and the engine was switched on.He was the tallest politician ,like Biju Patnaik.Like Bijubabu,Pandit Shukla has also great heart,he was hospitable like Bijubabu .
The greatness of the man who was thrice the chief minister of undivided Madhya Pradesh was evident in my first encounter itself.
Pandit Shukla could not get due from the party in the fag end of his life.His life could have been longer.He could not be appointed Governor of a state,though his name was in circulation for the last three years.He was Pandit in all respects. Late Rajiv Gandhi as prime minister had attended the funeral of Jagjivan Ram at his village in Ara and his petroleum minister,Chandrashekhar Singh at Munger.One was expecting, Soniaji's presence at the funeral of Pandit Shukla.
ends
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