Congress resurrects memories of former chief Sitaram Kesri on his 25th death anniversary

Several saw the sudden interest in Kesri, as the Congress’ smart move to honour a dyed-in-the-wool politician from Bihar, ahead of the Assembly elections there.

New Delhi: At 24, Akbar Road, where he was manhandled at least twice and binned to insignificance in party history so far, Congress on Friday resurrected the memories of its former chief Sitaram Kesri on his 25th death anniversary by paying tributes, with Rahul Gandhi taking the lead.

Several saw the sudden interest in Kesri, who was “unceremoniously” ousted as party president in 1998 to pave the way for Sonia Gandhi, as the Congress’ smart move to honour a dyed-in-the-wool politician from Bihar, who promoted politics of social justice, ahead of the Assembly elections there.

Rahul paid floral tributes at a black-and-white-portrait of Kesri, who died in 2000 at the age of 81, at the old party headquarters at 24, Akbar Road. Senior leaders K C Venugopal and Gurdeep Singh Sappal, among others, were present at the function. Kesri’s grandson Rakesh, a businessman, was also present.

While a Congress delegation had gone to Dhanapur where his body was cremated in 2000, the party had never commemorated his birth or death anniversaries in the past, as he had a chequered past with the party.

His ouster as party chief on March 14, 1998 through a contentious meeting of Congress Working Committee (CWC) masterminded by leaders like late Pranab Mukherjee was followed by some party workers booing him and even trying to pull off his dhoti while returning home in his damaged car.

A year later at a meeting of the CWC to expel Sharad Pawar and others for rebelling against Sonia on foreign origin issue, he was once again manhandled by some workers who suspected that his sympathies lied with the rebels and had to return home to change his torn clothes.

Congress’ attempt to reclaim Kesri’s legacy comes at a time Rahul is espousing social justice politics, of which the late leader was a master. Senior journalist Harish Khare had recalled in 2000 after his death that Kesri was an “unapologetic advocate of Mandal politics”.

While V P Singh had taken the decision, political commentator Rasheed Kidwai said the implementation of Mandal Commission recommendations was done by Kesri as Social Justice Minister in P V Narasimha Rao government, who used to complain that he never got his due for this. In the party, he promoted OBC leaders like Ashok Gehlot and N Dharam Singh.

In his book ‘24 Akbar Road’, Kidwai had said, “Kesri died a disturbed and disillusioned man. He could not reconcile himself to his unceremonial ouster. There was much that he wanted to say, but he suffered an asthma attack and then slipped into a coma. Kesri’s end came on 24 October 2000. He was eighty-one. His faithful dog Ruchi died the same evening.”