Murli Deora knew how to get things done and with class

Murli Deora and I were elected to the eight Lok Sabha in December 1984. He had come to Parliament with a formidable reputation. The other luminaries were Sunil Dutt and Amitabh Bachchan. Under Rajiv Gandhi’s leadership the Congress’ tally in the Lok Sabha was standing at 413.

Friendship

Murli had the unique gift for friendship. He never pushed himself. His friends came from almost all sections of society. He seldom got into a flap. None of his obituaries have mentioned his organising the centenary of the Congress in Mumbai in December 1985. I had a marginal role to play.

Rajiv Gandhi asked me to look at the arrangements for some of the Congress workers at the Bombay Gymkhana Club grounds. I was not wholly satisfied. I informed Rajiv, who spoke to Murli. He was not put off and came to me with a smile, “This is not a NAM Summit where you put the delegates in five-star hotels. I have to provide accommodations for thousands.” He said it in a charmingly disarming manner.

A combative volume on the centenary was edited by the late Rafiq Zakaria. Murli Deora’s 4,000 word article, Bombay’s Place in the Congress was among the very best contributions for the volume. The two concluding paragraphs read, “The Congress lives. And it will continue to live, never ceasing to change. Over process of continuing with change today presides Rajiv Gandhi who was born in Bombay and embodies in himself its finest spirit of catholicity. The activities and problems of both have multiplied many fold, both in range and depth. And both have to and can do things many times over. So, where there is Bombay, there is the Congress.”

Murli was gracious enough to put my name among the speakers. I began my speech thus, “The Indian National Congress is the only political organisation capable of successfully combining tradition and innovation, the old morality with new technology. It is also the only national institution which can ensure change. Change cannot be left to chance – it must be conceptualised, structured and organised.”

Network

Murli had a vast network of friends, both in India and abroad. The president of Iceland, Olaf Grimsson was his personal friend. Several US senators, Congressmen, corporate bosses and media barons were among his intimate friends. He never bragged about this. That showed class.

In 2001, Murli arranged for a visit to New York and Washington for Sonia Gandhi. Murli, Manmohan Singh, Jairam Ramesh and myself accompanied her. We stopped in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, as guests of the President who took us for a sightseeing tour of the island. He actually acted as a guide with a microphone in his hand. Throughout, Murli kept himself in the background.

From Reykjavik, we flew to New York. The first caller was Henry Kissinger. Sonia addressed the Council for Foreign Relations – the most influential outfit on foreign policy. She answered several questions with confidence, combined with trepidation. Her elegance and good looks were tremendous assets.

Attention

In Washington, the delegation met Vice-President Dick Cheney, US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, and several senators at the capital. The Indian community gave a dinner in Sonia Gandhi’s honour. We did not trouble the consul general in New York or the embassy in Washington. Murli personally fixed these meetings. He had access to the White House, both houses of Congress, corporate barons, media moguls and influential opinion makers.

At the meetings of the trustees of the Jawaharlal Nehru’s Fund at Teen Murti House, Murli Deora and I sat next to each other. He seldom spoke. When he did, he was heard with close attention. He was an extraordinary fund raiser. More than once he helped the fund to avoid financial crises.

At least twice a month, I lunched with him at his bungalow in Lodhi Colony. Sometimes, Jairam Ramesh, Suresh Kalmadi and Shobhana Bhartia would join us. He was a wonderful host and the vegetarian food was excellent.

Murli Deora wore several hats. He was the boss of the Mumbai Congress Committee for 22 years. He was the youngest mayor of Bombay 1977-78. He was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council before coming to Parliament. He was a director of LIC. From 1995 to 1996 he was the international president of Parliamentarians for Global Action. He served as minister of petroleum and natural gas in UPA-I and minister of corporate affairs in UPA-II.

He won four Lok Sabha elections and was in his third term as a Rajya Sabha MP when he passed away. Murli Deora leaves a void in many lives and institutions, both at home and abroad.

Nothing can soften the blow that has fallen on his wife and sons, except to say that their grief is widely shared by a very large number of his friends, admirers and colleagues.