I. K. Gujral

Gujral married Shiela Bhasin in 1945. She was his friend from college and a poet by profession, an acclaimed one at that. The couple had two sons together - Naresh Gujral and Vishal Gujral. Sheila died in 2011.

He was diagnosed with a lung infection in 2012 and was admitted at Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon, Haryana. His condition worsened at the hospital and soon he was declared quite critical. He passed away within a few days.

Inder Kumar Gujral was born in 1919 in Jhelum, Pakistan, to Avtar Narain and Pushpa Gujral. He was born into the family of freedom fighters - his parents took active part in the freedom struggle. Even his brother and sister, Satish and Uma, joined the freedom struggle.

In 1942, Gujral was sent to jail for taking a part in the Quit India Movement. He finished his studies from D.A.V. College, Hailey College of Commerce and Forman Christian College University, Lahore, Pakistan. He became a member of the Communist Party of India during college days.

Gujral became the vice-president of the New Delhi Municipal Committee in 1958.

In 1964, he joined the Indian National Congress and became a member of the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Parliament in the same year.

During the tough times of Emergency in 1975, he was the Minister of Information and Broadcasting and was put into the important position of taking care of media during a time of censorship in India and was in total control of Doordarshan.

From 1976-1980, Gujral served as the Ambassador of India to the U.S.S.R. Gujral left the Congress party in 1980s and joined Janta Dal.

From 1989-1990, he served as the Minister of External Affairs during the reign of V. P. Singh, and again in 1996, he became the Minister of External Affairs during the rule of H.D. Deve Gowda.

”The Gujral Doctrine” that he developed as an instrument of foreign policy, remains the highlight of his career. It stresses on the importance on maintaining friendly relations with the neighboring countries. This doctrine earned him a great deal of respect.