A Sharp Mind & A Large Heart

Steeped in Delhi’s history, Arun Jaitley was the ultimate insider, troubleshooter,
political & legal strategist. He headed an array of key ministries in several govts,
the last one being finance. He had the complete trust of PM Modi. He was a
friend to many, across party lines. He was passionate about cricket and the law.
He loved good food – to eat and to feed. And he enjoyed a lively conversation.
Finance minister in Modi 1.0 and highly regarded parliamentarian Arun Jaitley
passed away shortly after noon on Saturday after a long struggle against
diabetes, and more recently soft tissue sarcoma. He was 66.
For a person battling multiple illnesses, Jaitley fought till the end, but succumbed
to a third cardiac arrest after being revived twice.
His passing was deeply and spontaneously mourned by leaders across the
ideological spectrum and by people from all walks whose lives he had touched
in the course of a sterling legal and political career spanning 45 years. A popular
student leader in Delhi University, he shot to prominence after his 19-month
incarceration during Emergency, and went on to head such diverse ministries as
I&B, commerce, law & Justice, and disinvestment.
His unifying as well as troubleshooting skills will be missed in government and
the BJP. His rousing speeches in Parliament will also be missed. A close associate
of PM Narendra Modi, Jaitley had his ear when it came to sensitive political
issues. Modi is said to have been very keen to retain him in his re-elected
government, and visited him at home the evening before the swearing-in on
May 30, but Jaitley knew his health was too precarious to allow him to do justice
to the responsibilities of office.
Jaitley leaves behind a legion of friends and admirers, almost every one of whom
had a story to tell on Saturday of his warmth, kindness and generosity. A great
debater, conversationalist, foodie and history buff, he was a wonderful host and
a loyal friend.
Sadly, his health was a problem. He was a longtime diabetic. He suffered from
serious complications following a weight loss surgery in 2014. Later, he was
diagnosed with kidney failure and a transplant was carried out at AIIMS in 2016.
Then, in January this year, he was diagnosed with a rare cancer called soft tissue
sarcoma. He underwent treatment in US and was doing well before a lung
infection worsened and eventually led to hospitalization.
As news of his passing spread, there was a rush of visitors at his Kailash Colony
residence. They included President Ram Nath Kovind, home minister and BJP
president Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, finance minister Nirmala
Sitharaman, party veteran and one-time mentor L K Advani, and Sonia Gandhi
and Rahul Gandhi of Congress.
Jaitley’s cremation will take place on Sunday afternoon at Nigambodh Ghat.
Can’t imagine I’m so far & my friend is gone: PM
PM Narendra Modi, who visited Arun Jaitley at AIIMS more than once and kept
constant tabs on his health, phoned his family from UAE and expressed his
condolences. Knowing that the PM was keen to attend the last rites on Sunday,
Jaitley’s wife, Sangeeta, and son Rohan insisted that he should go ahead with his
official engagements in Bahrain and at the G7 summit in France.
“Arun Jaitley Ji was a political giant, towering intellectual and legal luminary. He
was an articulate leader who made a lasting contribution to India. His passing
away is very saddening. Om Shanti,” the PM tweeted.” …I have lost a valued
friend, whom I had the honor of knowing for decades. He lived well, leaving us
all with innumerable happy memories. We will miss him.”
Later, in a speech in Bahrain, Modi said he had lost a friend with whom he was
always connected in his political journey. “I cannot imagine that I am here so far
and my friend has gone.” He said.
Met regularly for food & food for thought: VP
In an exclusive column for TOI, Vice president Venkaiah Naidu writes, “His clarity
of thought, strength of convictions, effective
Communications skills and presenting issues in perspective made Jaitley what
he rose to be … On a personal note, both of us were foodies. While dining we
used to talk and exchange notes on various issues. Our regular meetings were
both for food and food for thought.”
Bond with Modi & Shah forged in trying times Narendra Modi and Arun Jaitley
seemed to represent contrasting personalities, but they had much I common
too. Jaitley was among those who foiled the bid to replace Modi as Gujarat CM
after the 2002 riots. He was also at the forefront of the campaign to project
Modi as BJP’s PM candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Jaitley also shared a
strong bond with Amit Shah, dating back to the time when Shah faced legal
problems.