Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's remarks on the book in honour of Dr. Balram Jakhar 'Abhinandan Granth - Kalpavraksh'

"I deem it a great privilege in joining this distinguished gathering here in greeting Dr. Balram Jakhar on the occasion of his 85th birth anniversary. Dr. Jakhar is one of our tallest leaders in public life - in more senses than one! He has long been admired for his deep and sincere commitment to the cause of the Indian farmer. He is a scholar, a first rate administrator, a farmers' leader and above all a deeply secular and patriotic Indian.

Jakharji has been described by his admirers as Pandit Balram Jakhar because of his deep knowledge of agriculture. It is not often that one encounters a person with varied talents in the world of politics. It is a measure of his commitment to public life and to the world of ideas that he has been able to combine both.

I had the privilege and the pleasure of interacting with him both when I was the Governor of the Reserve Bank and as Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and later on as Finance Minister. I had the privilege of serving as Finance Minister when Dr. Jakhar was the Union Minister of Agriculture. His wisdom, his knowledge and his vast experience are truly a great national asset. I recall the keen interest he showed in planning for agriculture and in promoting our farmers' welfare. He has a deep understanding of the problems of farmers and always championed their cause at a time when the farming community looked for leadership. Today's generation does not know how deep was the crisis in Indian agriculture and our food economy in the 1960s. I remember those days when India lived from "ship to mouth" existence. It was the visionary leadership of Indiraji, ably assisted by Shri C Subramaniam and other leaders like Dr. Jakhar, that we were able to survive that crisis and come out victorious.

It was in those years of crisis that Lal Bahadur Shastri gave the slogan - "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan". Shri Balram Jakhar is a soldier on the agrarian front of great distinction. His generation liberated India from external dependence on food. Today, when we have launched a drive for the 2nd Green Revolution and we seek a quantum jump in agricultural production, in farmer's incomes and living standards, in rural infrastructure and agricultural research, the nation looks to leaders like Dr. Balram Jakhar for inspiration.

It is a recognition of the universal regard and respect Dr. Jakhar commands at the national level that he has been Speaker of the Lok Sabha consecutively for two terms. He shares this rare honor and distinction with the first Speaker of our Lok Sabha, the late Shri G.V.Mavalankar. He has left his imprint on the Lok Sabha, modernising its secretariat and enforcing greater discipline in the functioning of our Parliament.

In the late 1980s, he took the historic measure of establishing three Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committees to ensure better legislative scrutiny of Government policies. The success of these Committees and their successors in making our Parliament function better owes a lot to the vision of Dr. Balram Jakhar.

I am delighted to join all of you in wishing Dr. Balram Jakhar a long and purposeful life ahead. India needs such men of courage and conviction in our public life. Leaders who have their finger on the pulse of our people and who have the courage to think of the future. Far too much of our political life is focused on the here and now. Far too much of political discourse is obsessed with the past and ignorant about the future. We need people who can think into the future and look at the challenges of tomorrow and take the country forward. If we remain divided, defensive, disruptive in our discourse, our children and our grand children will not forgive us. They will find us wanting in the scale of history for not having had the courage to grapple with the real challenges of our time.

That is what leaders like Indiraji and Rajivji tried to do and in whose attempts men like Jakharji played a vital role. They led India forward through difficult times of uncertainty and change. We must all seek inspiration from their effort and courage and not shy away from dealing with the challenges that lie ahead. Our people expect great things from us, for that is why they still have faith in the institutions of democracy. The world is looking at India with renewed hope, as it did in the first decade after Independence. This is, I believe, is India's moment, let us not dither; let us not shy away in fear of some ghosts in our mind so that India may truly make its tryst with destiny.

I once again wish Balram Jakharji a long and healthy life and many many years in the service of the people of our great country."