Biography of K.R.Narayanan- Former President of India

Father: Kocheril Raman Vaidyar, A Traditional Indian Siddha and Ayurvedic Physician

Mother: Punnaththuraveettil Paappiyamma

Community: A Dalit Community of Kerala

Date of Birth: 27th October 1920 at Perumthanam /Uzhavoor Village in Kottayam, Kerala

Date of Death: 09th November 2005 (At the Age of 85 Years) at Delhi

Studied at :
The University of Kerala- B.A. and M.A.
London School of Economics: B.Sc.(Studied with Scholarship)

Spouse:

Ms.Usha- a native of Burma, originally named Ms.Ma Tint Tint, an activist in Young Women’s Catholic Association/YWCA, met by K.R.Narayanan when he was working in Rangoon, Burma as an IFS- officer.

Children: Two Daughters

Occupation:
The 10th President of India- From 25 July 1997  To  25 July 2002

After his studies, K.R.Narayanan worked in the Indian Foreign Services/IFS, in Jawaharlal Nehru’s Administration,as ambassadors to:

• Japan,
• United Kingdom,
• Thailand,
• Turkey,
• People’s Republic of China and
• United States of America.

The former Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had mentioned that  K.R.Naryanan was one of the best diplomats of India.

K.R.Narayanan entered politics and as a member of the Indian National Congress/INC, he became the Member of the Parliament/M.P. and had been a Minister of State in the Indian Union Cabinet under the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

And in the year 1992, K.R.Narayanan had been elected as the 9th Vice-President of India and in the year 1997 he became the 10 the President of India.

K.R.Naryanan had been the Vice President of India, when Dr.Shanker Dayal Sharma was the President of India and

H.D.Deve Gowda and P.V.Narasimha Rao had been the Prime Ministers of India.

When K.R.Narayanan was the President of India  Kishan Kanth had been the Vice President of India and I.K.Gujral and A.B.Vajpayee had been the Prime Ministers.

K.R.Narayanan had been an independent and assertive President of India.

He had neither been a ‘rubber stamp’ President nor an ‘aggressive’ President.

According to his own description about himself, K.R.Narayanan  had been a ‘Working-President’, who had been working within the four corners of the Constitution of India.

After India became independent from the British rule, the ‘Father of the Nation’-Mahatma Gandhiji had told that India would become a ‘real’ independent nation,  only as and when a person from a ‘Dalit’ -Community could become the President of India.

Mahatma Gandhiji’s dream/ idea became real,  when K.R.Narayanan belonging to a ‘dalit’ community became the President of India in the year 1997, during the ‘Godlen Jubilee’ /50 Years’  celebrations of India’s Independence.

The ‘K. R. Narayanan Foundation’ / K.R.N.F was  founded in December 2005, aiming at propagating the ideals and perpetuating the memory of  K. R. Narayanan as a mission of collective action to provide better future to the most vulnerable sections of Kerala Society – women, children, disabled persons, the aged and other disadvantaged groups – by providing educational training, protecting their health and environment, improving their living conditions and strengthening their family and community.

Quote of K.R.Narayanan:

“As the President of India, I had a lot of painful experiences, of occasions when I could do nothing for the people and the nation, because of the limitations of power.” – K.R.Narayanan

Related Readings:

List of Presidents of India From 1950 Till Date

List of Vice Presidents of Indian From 1950 Till Date