Malkani passes away

LT Governor of Pondicherry K.R. Malkani 82 passed away today at 4.30 p.m. following a cardiac arrest. He is survived by two sons and a dau...

LT Governor of Pondicherry K.R. Malkani 82 passed away today at 4.30 p.m. following a cardiac arrest. He is survived by two sons and a daughter. Malkani was admitted to the ICU of Government General Hospital in the afternoon after he complained of chest pain. The news of his demise was announced at 7.30 p.m., after a Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy.

A week-long official mourning has been declared in the union territory, and tomorrow will be a public holiday here. Malkani8217;s body will be in Pondicherry to enable the public to pay homage.

A prolific writer, journalist and veteran RSS activist, Malkani took charge on July 31, 2002 as the 15th Governor of Pondicherry. Born on November 19, 1921, in Hyderabad in Sindh, Malkani, after post-graduating in economics and political science, joined the RSS in 1941. In the BJP, he rose to become its vice-president in 1991 and remained in that post for three years. Later he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1994.

Malkani was also the editor of Motherland Daily and the Organiser weekly for some time. He was also the general secretary of the Editors Guild of India. A champion of Hindu culture and Indian tradition, Malkani bore the brunt of government wrath during the Emergency and was detained under the MISA from 1975 to 1977.

A fellow of the Harvard University, Malkani was also a prolific writer and authored five books and several articles. He even published a book last year 8212; India First 2002. Other works include, The Midnight Knock in 1977, The RSS Story in 1980, The Sindh Story, 1984, Ayodhya and Hindu Muslim Relations, 1993.

As the Lt Governor of Pondicherry he had performed remarkably well and was hailed as the people8217;s governor, thanks to his accessibility and his no-nonsense approach. One of the first things he did on assuming charge was to dismantle many air-conditioners in the Raj Bhavan. People having grievances could meet him freely and present their grievances. Malkani carried out surprise visits to institutions like hospitals to see whether things were in order, sometimes inviting complaints of political interference. However, he had earned all round goodwill.