By Ataullah Faizan
Bhopal, March 8, 2011
Arjun Singh was a great leader of Congress. He was thrice chief minister of Madhya Pradesh and was elected for the third term when he was shifted by the high command as governor of Punjab and then became Union human resource development minister. Arjun Singh died recently after prolonged illness at Delhi.
The death was indeed a setback for the Congress and not the opposition parties including BJP, which rules Madhya Pradesh. But showing great humanitarian gestures Madhya Pradesh chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan postponed the programmes of 52nd birthday, which fell on the next day while state BJP president Prabhat Jha visited the state Congress headquarters to pay homage to the departed soul.
As soon as news of Arjun Singh’s death was flashed on Friday, the Madhya Pradesh government announced a three-day state mourning and declared holiday on the next day.
Though Arjun Singh belonged to the rival party, the BJP government headed by Shivraj Singh Chouhan decided to give full respect to him after his death. The chief minister usually celebrates his birthday on low-key. But this time, he cancelled even these low-key celebrations in honour of Arjun Singh. The only programmes Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended were that he went to old age homes and orphanages shared some moments with destitues and orphans as part of his birthday. This is indeed a great gesture by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. In my opinion, Congress and all other parties and their leaders must take inspiration from this grand gesture by the CM and stop politicking in such matters.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh BJP president Prabhat Jha set another great precedent by visiting the headquarters of state Congress to pay homage to Arjun Singh. It was for the first time that a president of a rival party had visited the office of another party in the history of Madhya Pradesh.
Other BJP leaders including Urban Administration and Development Minister Babulal Gaur and Bhopal MP Kailash Joshi, also a former chief minister, have also remembered Arjun Singh emotionally. Guar said: 'It is my personal loss. He was a national leader, an able administrator and my friend. He has given a lot to Madhya Pradesh in the field of education.'
Joshi said that despite their differences, Arjun Singh was always polite to him. 'Even after my differences with him on Churhat lottery issue, whenever he met me, it was with warmth. He respected public feeling and sorted out several issues very sensibly. The impact of his death will affect the state for a long time,' said Joshi, currently an MP.
It may be mentioned that Arjun Singh, 80, was three-time Congress chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. He first became chief minister June 8, 1980 and remained for full term till March 10, 1985. On his second term he took oath on March 11, 1985 but remained for one day only and the Congress replaced him with Motilal Vohra. Again on Feb 14, 1988 he became chief minister for the third time, this time his tenure lasted eleven months 10 days. He was the longest serving Congress chief minister after Digvijay Singh who completed two full terms.
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