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Speech by Vice Admiral P.J. Jacob(Retd.), Chairman, Global India Foundation, on the occassion of the felicitation of Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Hon'ble Minister of External Affairs, Govt. of India by Global India Foundation

Ladies and Gentlemen. My task today has been made a lot simpler because a distinguished personality of the stature of Shri Pranab Mukherjee really needs no introduction.
On behalf of the Global India Foundation, we are gathered here to felicitate Shri Mukherjee on being awarded the prestigious Padma Vibhusan, the second highest civilian award which is awarded to recognise exceptional and distinguished service to the nation in any field. I daresay that there would be very few more deserving awardees than Shri Mukherjee in the field of public service.
Son of Late Smt.Rajlakshmi Mukherjee and Late Shri Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee, Pranab Mukherjee was born on 11 December 1935 in Mirati, Kirnahar in Birbhum district of West Bengal. Late Shri Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee was a freedom fighter and was imprisoned for more than 10 years for his nationalist views and activities. He was an active participant in all mass movements organised by the Congress Party since 1920. A member of the AICC and a member of the Legislative Council of West Bengal (1952-1964), late Shri Mukherjee also served the Party as the President of the Birbhum District Congress Committee. Shri Pranab Mukherjee thus grew up in a nationalist and political environment and this has influenced and guided his political ideas and activities.

Vice Admiral P.J. Jacob (Retd.) Chairman, Global India Foundation addresses the gathering

Shri Pranab Mukherjee was educated in Vidyasagar College, Suri, Birbhum and in Calcutta University. He possesses Masters degree in History and Political Science and LL.B. degree. He has also been honoured with a D.Ltt. (Honoris Causa). He began his career as a teacher and journalist. He was associated with publications such as Deser Dak (Call of the Motherland) and ran the very famous Palli O Panchayat Sambad (News from Rural Areas and Panchayats) for a number of years. He has authored a number of books including Midterm Poll (1969), Beyond Survival: Emerging Dimensions of Indian Economy (1984), Off the Track (1987), Saga of Struggle and Sacrifice (1992) and Challenges Before the Nation (1992). The last two publications have been widely acclaimed as the first hand resource book on Indian National Congress-its history, ideology and philosophy. Shri Mukherjee was Trustee of Bangiya Sahitya Parishad (1984-1990) and President of Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sammelan (1995-2001). He served as the Chairman of the Planning Board of the Asiatic Society, Kolkata from 1984-1986 and during 1992-1996. He is a Trustee of Bidhan Memorial Trust, Kolkata since 1998
Shri Mukherjee has had a prolific parliamentary career of nearly four decades, having first become a Rajya Sabha member in 1969. He has held various portfolios in the Union Council of Ministers in ministries as diverse as Industrial Development, Shipping and Transport, Revenue and Banking, Commerce, finance, defence and external affairs. His innate ability for political organization and coordination has been recognised through various Congress regimes, and he has been intimately involved with the leadership and organisational structure of the Congress Party for a long time. He has been a Member of the Congress Working Committee, the highest policy making body of the Party since 1978. He has also held a number of important portfolios in the AICC.
His achievements in the political arena have been lauded both in India and abroad. Shri Mukherjee is well respected within the party; according to biographer Rasheed Kidwai, "Congress leaders regard him as a living encyclopedia. He is an authority on all subjects from food processing to culture to diplomacy to social policies.” He also has "a reputation as a number-crunching politician with a phenomenal memory”. In 1997 he was voted Outstanding Parliamentarian. During his tenure as the Finance Minister, he was rated as one of the best five Finance Ministers of the World according to a survey of Euromoney magazine.
His International roles include member of the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund, of the World Bank, of the Asian Development Bank, and of the African Development Bank.. He has also presided over the SAARC Council of Ministers Conference.
As the chairman of the Global India Foundation, I must place on record that we are indeed privileged that a person of Shri Mukherjee’s eminence has given us his unstinting patronage and valuable guidance.It would not be out of placefor me to mention that we had the privilege of briefing Shri Pranab Mukherjee on a study on Defence procurement procedures undertaken by us when we were members of the National Security Advisory Board . It was after that interaction that we a diverse group of professionals including retired civil servants, service officers, businessmen and academia from all over India, formed the Foundation as an initiative to contribute in India's efforts to realise its aspirations of playing a meaningful and constructive role in regional and global affairs and promote international interdependence. The Foundation will strive to enhance the spirit of Indianness through its projects and explore measures to strengthen national resilience in its various facets. Shri Pranab Mukherjee’sss statesmanship and farsightedness epitomises the objectives that we are striving to achieve in the GIF.
The Global India Foundation is visualised as a medium to ensure that our efforts towards these ends are appropriately channelised and a multi-pronged strategy with a calibrated approach is adopted to fully realise India's potential.
On behalf of the Foundation, I would like to wish Shri Mukherjee all success in his endeavours, and I am sure that his leadership would also help the Foundation grow from strength to strength.