By IANS,
Mirati (West Bengal) : Mirati, a sleepy village in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, has suddenly woken up to festivities after its famous son, union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, was named a candidate for the president’s post.
“We are very happy at the moment. We had anticipated the announcement and already arranged for massive festivities. People have been bursting firecrackers since the announcement was made on TV,” the minister’s nephew Apremeya told IANS.
Son of Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee and Rajlakshmi Mukherjee, Pranab Mukherjee was born 11 December, 1935, in this village, around 170 Km from Kolkata.
“Our house is being decorated. My mother (Ruby, Mukherjee’s sister-in-law), who is close to ‘kaka’ (uncle), is elated at the news and will be preparing his favourite dishes once he comes home,” said Apremeya.
The minister’s elder sister Annapurna Banerjee, reminiscing about his childhood, said he was a mischief maker.
“He was naughty since childhood. He would often spent hours swimming in the ponds or climbing trees. He would hardly study and I often ended up beating or scolding him. I did not spare him even when he was a grown-up. I once beat him when he was in the university,” she said.
Mukherjee, one of India’s most versatile politicians, was Friday named by the United Progressive Alliance as its presidential candidate, virtually ensuring his entry to the Rashtrapati Bhavan next month.