K R
Narayanan
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President K R Narayanan's is a story that illustrates the adage that 'hard
work and talent brings success even in adversity'. Kocheril Raman
Narayanan was born into extreme poverty as the fourth of seven children.
His father Raman Vaidyan was a dalit practitioner of traditional
medicine. The family was so poor that sometimes there was not enough
food to serve everyone in the house. Needless to say, Narayanan's early
life was filled with struggle. Luckily for him, his uneducated mother
was keen on giving him a good education.
At the age of four, Narayanan was sent to the nearest English medium
school at a place called Kurichittanam. |
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Fundu Fact |
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Narayanan's official birthdate is Oct. 27, 1920 but this is not his
actual date of birth. Narayanan was born on the 4th of Feburary 1921
but the uncle who accompanied him to school on the first day
couldn't remember his date of birth so he randomly chose Oct 27,
1920. The date stuck and Narayanan later decided to keep it.
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He had
to walk for 10-15 km every day to his school and later to the C.M.S.
College in Kottayam. Often he was unable to attend classes regularly
because his father was unable to pay the fee before the due date.
Despite the drawbacks and the lack of facilities even at school where
the science teacher would say: 'Imagine this is a test tube', Narayanan
excelled at his studies and soon started financing his own education by
winning scholarships that took him through high school and college.
In 1943, he passed the B.A. (Literature) Honours examination from the
Maharaja's College in Thiruvanandhapuram, winning the first rank in the
University of Travancore (now the University of Kerala).
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Did you
know? |
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Narayanan
refused to accept the B.A Honours degree from the Travancore University.
As the topper of his course Narayanan would have got the job he wanted -
that of a lecturer at the Maharaja's College. But he was denied the job
as he belonged to a lower caste. Instead, the then Chancellor offered
him a clerical post in the University and a book worth Rs. 100.
Narayanan demanded an audience with the Maharaja of Travancore, who
refused to see him. In protest, Narayanan boycotted the college
convocation, refusing to accept his degree. Fifty years later, when he
returned to the University to address a gathering he was begged to
accept the degree. He agreed. |
After
working for a while as a part time teacher for a while Narayanan left
for Delhi. He tried working as a journalist and worked with The Hindu
and the Times of India for a while. Narayanan was keen on studying
abroad but the fees were too high for a boy of his circumstances and
there were hardly any scholarships for going abroad in those days.
Narayanan wrote a letter to the eminent industrialist J.R.D. Tata asking
him for a scholarship. J.R.D came to his help and Narayanan was able to
study at the prestigious London School of Economics and Political
Science. Narayanan studied at the London School under the famous thinker
Harold Laski. He completed his three-year economics degree in two with
first class honours, specialising in political science.
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When he
came back from London in 1948 he had a letter of introduction from the
famous Professor to the Indian Prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. Nehru
interviewed Narayanan for a full 20 minutes. After the meeting Narayanan
was walking in the corridor outside Nehru's office when he heard someone
clapping. It was Nehru, "You did not ask me what you wanted," he said.
"What you wanted to do." When Narayanan hesitated, the Prime Minister
told him to leave his résumé. Nehru offered Narayanan a job in the
Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and sent him to Burma.
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Fundu
Fact |
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Burma
was in the midst of a civil war when Narayanan was posted there. The
young officer almost didn't make it to his first post. When he was
flying to Rangoon his plane rocked slightly. On landing, he learned
Karen rebels had shot at one of the engines!! |
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In
Rangoon, Narayanan met and married a young Burmese woman named Usha.
Burma was to be first of many interesting and challenging assignments
like Tokyo, Thailand and Turkey. In 1976 he was named the Indian
ambassador to China, a major responsibility, given the tense relations
between New Delhi and Beijing at the time.
He retired from the Foreign Service in 1978 and was appointed
vice-chancellor of the Jawahar Lal Nehru University. Two years later the
then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi recalled him and appointed him
ambassador to Washington - a post he held for four years. |
In
1984 Narayanan was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Ottapalam
Constituency in Kerala. He was re-elected from the same constituency
in 1989 and 1991. He served as the Minister of State for Planning,
External Affairs, and Science and Technology
In 1992 he was elected as the Vice President of India. He occupied
the post from August 21, 1992 to July 1997 when he was appointed the
10th President of the country. Narayanan had won 95% of the votes,
comfortably defeating his rival, the high profile former Election
Commissioner T.N. Seshan.
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Narayanan Speak:
My elevation to high office should not be seen as a personal
achievement but as an instance in history where a person becomes a
symbol of the hope and aspirations of thousands of people in the
country. |
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What
a contrast!
Uzhavoor, the place where Narayanan was born in Kerala is not even a
speck on the map. His ancestral home, House No.456 in Ward 5 was a
small hut on a hill. Under its thatched roof were two small rooms
and a tiny kitchen. There was no electricity or telephone
connection, no water supply and no toilet. It may seem unthinkable
to many but a man who was born in such circumstances rose to occupy
the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President's house) through sheer dint of
merit. The Bhavan, by the way, is 340-room palace, one of the
largest official residences for any head of state. The Bhavan houses
the famous Mughal Gardens, nine tennis courts, a 14-hole golf
course, polo ground and cricket field. Not to mention a surrounding
man-made forest! |
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