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Krishan Kant passes away

By Our Special Correspondent

Krishan Kant's mother and others beside the Vice-President's body at his residence in New Delhi on Saturday. — Photo: S. Subramanium

NEW DELHI JULY 27. The Vice-President, Krishan Kant, died here this morning after suffering a massive heart-attack. He was 75 and his term as Vice-President was to have lasted 24 more days.

The family members called in a doctor when Mr. Kant did not wake up till 7 a.m. and he was rushed to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. Despite the best efforts by a team of doctors, he could not be saved and was declared dead at 8.45 a.m. Mr. Kant is survived by his wife Suman, two sons, a daughter and his 97-year-old mother.

Mr. Kant is said to have died in sleep some time around 3 a.m. though this was not detected till 7 a.m.

According to an AIIMS spokesman, all measures of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, including internal and external pace-makers, were ineffective as there was complete dissociation of electrico-mechanical activity.

As the news of the death spread, there was a stream of VVIP visitors to the hospital as well as to his residence at Maulana Azad Marg. A shocked nation was trying to come to terms with the sudden death of Mr. Kant, the first Vice-President to have died in office.

The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Deputy Prime Minister, L. K. Advani, the RJD leader, Laloo Prasad Yadav, the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Sushma Swaraj, and the former Prime Minister, I.K. Gujral, visited the hospital and offered their condolences to the family members.

The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, consoling Suman Krishan Kant, after laying a wreath on the Vice-President, Krishan Kant's body in New Delhi on Saturday. — Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

Later, Mr. Vajpayee chaired an extraordinary Cabinet meeting at his residence and a resolution was passed recording the deep appreciation of Mr. Kant's services to the nation.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Ms. Sushma Swaraj said a state funeral would be accorded to the departed leader at Nigambodh Ghat cremation ground at 4 p.m. on Sunday. The Government has declared a three-day state mourning till Monday.

During this period, the national flag will fly at half-mast and there will be no official entertainment. All Central Government offices were closed today. "In his passing away, the nation has lost a great patriot who made an outstanding contribution to public life. He imbibed the spirit of patriotism very early in life, having been imprisoned by the British when he was only 15 for his active participation in the Quit India Movement. He imparted the same zeal to his many socio-political activities after Independence,'' the Cabinet resolution said.

In his condolence message, the President, Dr. Kalam said that in the passing away of Mr. Kant the nation had suffered an irreparable loss and "is deprived of a man of great eminence and scholarly persuasion and, above all, an excellent human being.'' "Holding important positions in public life, he not only made splendid contributions to strengthen secularism and parliamentary democracy but also exerted himself to uphold ethics and values in the mainstream of our body polity,'' the President said.

The Prime Minister said the untimely demise of Mr. Kant has left the entire nation in a state of shock.

"It is the end of an era. He fought Britishers first and later fought for democracy during emergency. Till yesterday, he was with us and today we are condoling his death,'' Mr. Vajpayee said.

The Leader of the Opposition and Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, said that Mr. Kant presided over the Rajya Sabha with "engaging tolerance, goodwill and high distinction.''

He "never deviated in his commitment to serve the people of India with exceptional devotion. He leaves a void in our national life which would be difficult to fill.''

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