Thousands pay tribute to Shukla

Raipur, June 12, 2013

Thousands of people paid rich tribute to former union minister and octogenarian Congress leader Vidya Charan Shukla when his body was brought from his Budhapara-based old residence Shukla Bhawan to Congress Bhawan at 10 am on Wednesday. 

On the occasion were present Shukla’s family members including his daughter Pratibha Pandey, son-in-law Jyoti Swaroop Pandey, grandson Vinayak Pandey, nephew and MLA Amitesh Shukla, Anadi Shukla, Rajeev Dubey, Noni Shukla, Koshlesh Shukla, Kamlesh Shukla, etc.

The atmosphere in the Congress Bhawan was melancholic. Union minister of state and acting PCC president Charandas Mahant, CLP leader Ravindra Choubey, Ajit Jogi and senior Congress leaders were present in party office since morning. 

Several Congress workers failed to control their emotion when they saw party’s national leaders AICC treasurer Motilal Vora, Chhattisgarh Congress incharge BK Hariprasada, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, Mirza Irshad Baig and Suresh Pachouri entering party office. 

The tribute programme continued in Congress Bhawan for about two and a half hours. At 12:30 pm, Shukla’s procession Congress Bhawan and reached Radheshyam Bhawan via Kotwali Chowk, Jaistambh chowk, Shashtri chowk, Ghadi chowk, Shankar Nagar chowk and Telibandha at 3 pm. 

PWD minister Brijmohan Agrawal, Raipur North MLA Kuldeep Juneja, RMC mayor Kiranmayi Nayak also accompanied Shukla’s family members on Swarg Rath throughout the procession. 

When the procession reached Jaistambh chowk, large number of people paid tribute to Shukla. Large number of old-age people whom Shukla had helped either financially or through other modes in the past too gathered at Jaistambh chowk and remembered his magnanimity. 

When the procession reached Ghadi chowk, the advocates garlanded his body.

The police administration had pressed adequate security from Congress Bhawan to Radheshyam Bhawan. Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar, DGP Ramnivas, 

The prominent Congress leaders who paid tribute to Shukla were PCC programme coordinator Bhupesh Baghel, Dhanendra Sahu, Parasram Bhardwaj, TS Singhdeo, Ramgopal Agrawal, Gurmukh Singh Hora, Shiv Kumar Daharia, Dharmjeet Singh, Tamradhwaj Sahu, Shakrajeet Nayak, Ingrid McLeod, Agni Chandrakar, Bhajan Singh Nirankari, Devendra Bahadur Singh, Premsai Singh, Rajkamal Singhania, Pushpa Devi Singh, Ambika Markam, Ganga Potai, Ramchandra Singhdeo, Devvrat Singh, Pawan Diwan, Arun Vora, Subhash Sharma, Vidhan Mishra, Ramesh Warlyani, Rajendra Tiwari, Shailesh Nitin Trivedi, Nirmala Yadav, Subhash Dhuppad, Domendra Bhediya, Anil Verma, Inderchand Dhariwal, Pankaj Sharma, Amit Pandey, Shiv Singh Thakur, Mahendra Chhabda, Sushil Anand Shukla, Tarun Chatterjee, Jaswant Claudius, Ghanshyam Raju Tiwari, Motilal Sahu, Chouleshwar Chandrakar, Sanjay Pathak, Amir Ali Farishta, Ashok Raj Ahuja, Kalpana Patel, Nivedita Chatterjee, etc.

BJP, several political parties, others pay tribute

The BJP leaders and representatives of other political parties too paid tribute to Shukla at Congress Bhawan. The BJPians who bid adieu to Shukla included former Rajya Sabha member Shrigopal Vyas, state BJP vice president Sachchidanand Upasne, Sandeep Sharma, Rajiv Agrawal, Subhash Tiwari, Kailash Murarka, Shirajuddin, Shahnaz Begum, etc. RSS office-bearer Purnendu Saxena also reached Congress Bhawan for Shukla’s final darshan. 

Besides, Nationalist Congress Party members led by their state president Satish Jaggi, Chhattisgarh Swabhiman Manch members led by Mahesh Dewangan, Saurabh Tiwari, Sundar Lahre, Shivsena members Shibu Shukla, Hiraman Banjare, Pratibha Pandey, Anil Verma, backward class representatives Gayatri Gwalwal, Suraj Nirmalkar, CCCI members Amar Girwani, Gurjeet Singh Sandhu, Mangilal Maloo, Pawan Wadhwa, UN Agrawal, Kanhaiyya Agrawal too reached Congress Bhawan for Shukla’s final darshan.

Similarly, representatives of Badhte Kadam, Kinnar Samaj, Raipur municipal corporation, police department, Bohra Samaj, Chhattisgarh Yatayat Mahasangh also reached Congress Bhawan.

What senior Congress leaders said about Shukla..

We will fulfil his dreams: Vora

AICC treasurer Motilal Vora said veteran Congress leader Vidya Charan Shukla’s demise was a major loss for Congress. “Even at 84, he was active. He was always ready to go on party tours – be in Chhattisgarh or elsewhere. Just five days back we heard that his health was improving and then reports of his demise flashed on June 11. We are committed to fulfil what he had dreamt for Congress,” he said.

We will fight for tribal rights in CG: Hariprasada

Chhattisgarh Congress incharge BK Hariprasada said Shukla was senior leader who sacrificed his life for the party. “The Congress is a party that produced leaders who set examples through abdication and sacrifice. Shukla was one such leader who too did the same for the party,” he said. “The Congress will fight for tribal rights in Chhattisgarh and accomplish the unfinished task of its leaders who lost their lives in naxal attack on May 25,” he added.

He had unique identity in country: Diggi

AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh said Shukla one of the few leaders in the country who established his unique identity. “He became Lok Sabha member for the first time in 1957. He dealt several important portfolios in Centre. I never dreamt of the incident like May 25 but it happened and Shukla faced it courageously. He even struggled for life for 16-17 days. The Congress is with his family,” he added. Terming naxal attack on Congress parivartan yatra as cowardice he said his party would fight with the Maoists adopting non-violence and complete unfulfilled goals of deceased party leaders.

People, party workers loved him: Pachouri

Former union minister Suresh Pachouri said Shukla was loved by party workers and common people and hence he was known as Vidya bhaiyya. “It is difficult to believe that he will leave us so soon. He showed courage during naxal attack that was really gruesome. He had excellently dealt flood situation in Hoshangabad when he was union minister of state for defence department.

We vow to strengthen democracy: Nikhra

Deputy leader of opposition in Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Rameshwar Nikhra said he came to Raipur to salute Shukla’s martyrdom. “Even at 84, he worked for party and country.  Despite receiving bullet injuries he fought with death as a warrior. We take a pledge to strengthen democracy and party principal till we live,” he said.

He was party’s mentor: Mahant

Union minister of state and acting PCC chief Charandas Mahant said Shukla was party’s mentor and was always available for guidance whenever approached. “His demise is a loss that cannot be compensated in party. His demise is a country’s loss. The Congress will give priority in fulfilling his dreams,” he said.