New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) Former president K.R. Narayanan’s wife Usha, who died here Thursday, was “one of the outstanding first ladies of our republic”, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in his condolence message.
“I am deeply grieved to learn of the sad demise of Usha Narayanan, former first lady of India,” he said.
Describing her as “a gracious and gifted personality”, Manmohan Singh said: Her passion for reading and writing was best reflected in her numerous literary pieces, which included the translation of several Burmese stories to English.
“A caring and compassionate person, she met the representatives of the victims of Gujarat riots of 2002 when they visited New Delhi and personally attended to them.
“In her unfortunate passing away, the country has lost one of the cultivated, cultured and civilized persons, whose commitment to Indian values shaped her personality, universal outlook and identity,” he said, extending condolences to her daughters Chitra and Amrita, her friends, associates and admirers.
Usha Narayanan died at 5.30 p.m. at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. A Myanmar national by birth, Ma Tint Tint adopted the name Usha and became an Indian citizen after marrying Narayanan in 1951.