अहर्निश कर्मयोगी का महाप्रयाण
After reliveing the post of Chief minister, Shri Sukhadia was the Governor of three important states of the south for nearly six years. Mr. Sukhadia was the governor of Tamil Nadu when the Congress party was in the fray after the expiry of the emergency and Mr. Morarji Desai was sworn in as the prime Minister of the first non-Congress government in the country on March 24, 1977. He was the first politician in the country who resigned as governor on telephone with the change of power in Delhi. On this, Shri Desai said, "What’s the hurry Sukadia ji? will see later."
It is a well-known fact that the person who is the governor is not a member of a particular political party and the personal bonding of Sukhadia ji and Morarji Desai was known to everyone. But Mr. Sukhadia, who as a firm beliver to the high-fidelity of democracy, simply overturned and said the prime Minister very humbly that if you want to take one or two day time to make alternative arrangements, is a different thing, or, by a scheduled date he will consider his resignation as accepted.
He returned from Madras to Udaipur and jumped into the forthcoming elections in the state Assembly without any rest. In the months of May-June, when summer shows its raging form in the state, Mr. Sukhadia put his bed on the roof of a closed jeep and blew the conch of his party's candidates in the villages. Mr. Sukhadia was the only leader of the Congress who have touched all the areas of the all the Assembly constituencies of the State, when most of the regional leaders were confined to their respective constituencies.
In January, 1978, a meeting was held in New Delhi to consider the changed circumstances and to decide the direction of the party. Mr. Sukhadia himself could not attend because of his ill-will, but he sent two of his near supporters to attend the meeting, including Shri Hiralal Devpura. In that meeting, the Congress gets divided. One president, Shri Brahma Anand Reddy and the new Congress President Mrs. Indira Gandhi. It is the new Congress which is present as the Congress (i) till date.
Senior leaders of the Congress, Shri Ramkishore Vyas, Navalkishore Sharma, Shivcharan Mathur, Jagannath Pahadia, Ramnarayan Chaudhari, Janardhan singh Gehlot and Shriram Gotewala have accepted membership of the Congress (i). When Shri Hirusal Devpura returned to Udaipur and informed Mr. Sukhadia, in the same words, Shri Devapura, "Mr. Sukhadia, after a long silence, I told me that in politics, everybody have the right to act according to understanding, so you can chose the new path you have now. But I myself would like to remain in the same old Congress despite having faith in Indira Gandhi's leadership capacity. In my view, the Congress organisation is more overweight than any influential and great man."
For nearly a year and a half, Mr. Sukadia remained in the old Congress. Later, when he realised that the old Congress had no impact on the Indian people's psyche, he joined the Congress (i) on 7th July, 1979 at the request of Smt. Indira Gandhi with his other colleagues.
In August, 1979, when the Janata Party government at the centre fell on account of its contradictions and the new Lok Sabha elections were made in January, 1980, Mr. Sukhadia elected as Lok Sabha member from Udaipur for the first time by a huge majority.
With Mrs. Indira Gandhi's re sworn as prime minister, news about Mr. Sukhadia was in full swing in the political spheres about being a cabinet minister or any other important ministry, but Mr. Sukhadia had no such passion. In his words, "Many times, the discussions of taking me to the union cabinet were there, the newspapers also have all of this, and there may be such a desire of friends and well wishers, but as far as my own wish is concerned, now only as parliamentarian, I want to try to do whatever I can for Rajasthan. Even because of the growing age and the declining health, I am not able to handle myself more responsibly now. Now, the least responsibility is for me would be a better option."
Shri Sukadia had disclosed this internal eruption to his ex-fan, Shri Manikchand Kothari, in October 1980 when he came for rest and health benefits in Jaipur after the restoration of the prostate gland surgery in Delhi.
On December 21, 1981, the Government of India conferred the status of Cabinet minister with the nomination of chairman of the one-man committee to Shri Sukhadia for alternative revenue regime in place of sales tax. In spite of his reluctance, Shri Sukhadia accepted this post at the request of Mrs. Gandhi and was working on this post till death.
In Bikaner, there is a severe cold during winter. The day of January 29, 1982 was a bit too much. Shri Mohanlal Sukadia had come to attend the state level Panchayati Raj Sammelan at Bikaner. He was elected Lok Sabha member from the Udaipur parliamentary constituency at that time. The Panchayati Raj was established in Rajasthan during his chief ministership. He had done a lot to strengthen the Panchayati Raj in the state.
Shri Sukhadia attended the inaugural function of the exhibition held on the occasion and observed the various rooms at the exhibition site with full interest and dedication. On the second day, Shri Rajiv Gandhi was about to inaugurate the conference. Prior to his arrival at the site of Shri Rajiv Gandhi, Shri Sukadia went from the podium to the different sections made for the sitting of the district heads and the Pradhans, and stood there for a long time and spoke in a big spirit. He had been in power for almost twelve years, but on that day it seemed as if it had not been a long gap. All the faces were known to him, and all faces had a sense of immense reverence and affection for him.
When Shri Rajiv Gandhi was on the floor of the house with the then Union Home Minister Sardar Giani Zail Singh, Shri Sukhaadia also came to the stage. After some time, when his name was proclaimed to address the House, he started making speeches in his very familiar style which enthralled the audience. His speech was very poignant and heart-touching. But it seemed, he wanted to say a lot, but he were not able to. Even in that sizzle, he was sweating and repeatedly wiping the sweat from his face and neck with the handkerchief. He concluded his speech in the middle and sat down. At that time, he had little doubt that he had a heart attack. The then chief minister, Shri Shivcharan Mathur and others who were sitting beside him on the podium, urged them to go to the room under the platform and Rest. Doctos posted there for Shri Rajiv Gandhi and the knowledgeable Zail Singh was rushed to the stage to attend Shri Sukhadia. The Doctor said that Mr. Sukhadia should be taken immediately to hospital. Everybody was very concerned, but Mr. Sukhadia was smiling and saying that nothing has happened to him. You are getting upset in vain. His elder son in law, the then director of industry, Shri Mananlal Goyal, was also there. He urged him to go to hospital. E. C. G. tests detected that he had a serious and fatal heart attack. His daughter, Smt Pushpa Goel, took S. R. Mehta a senior and eminent doctor from Jaipur and immediately reached Bikaner. A reputed cardiologist from Bombay was also called via special aircraft by Bikaner. But despite all the measures, at the age of 66 years, this illustrious son of Rajasthan merged into the Brahma Bella of February 2.
On February 3, 1982 when his last rites were held at Udaipur, every corner of Rajasthan was there for a tear-filled eye. On that day, there is no stove in a house or a restaurant or hotel in Udaipur city. All the millions of people, leaders, sympathisers, friends were gathered around his of residence to pay homage to him. The state chief minister, former chief minister, other ministers, leader of opposition, parliamentarians, MLAs, industrialists, journalists were all there. The then home minister from Delhi, Giani Zail Singh, also arrived. Seeing the large masses, he said, "Sukhadia was really a big man."Mr. Sukhadia was surrounded by the crowds alive and having the love and respect of innumerable people. When they went from this world, with the same love and respect, millions of people gave him a final farewell.
Addressing Panchayati Raj representatives from all regions of Rajasthan at the Panchayati Raj Conference held in Bikaner two days before his death, he said, "I feel looking at the colourful turbans that appears in this meeting that the people of Rajasthan are accustomed to coping with the Battle of the Earth, and in this land there is a happy person born around the desert sands." Mr. Sukhadia was deeply in the power of Rajasthan's strong man and his ability to cope with adversity. On the basis of this capability and faith, Shri Sukhadia transformed Rajasthan's destiny line into the Golden line and fulfilled its dream of a modern and prosperous Rajasthan.
The Lokkavi late Meghraj Mukul of Rajasthan, while paying homage to Shri Sukhadia, said:
इतिहास लिख रहा है जिसकी गौरवा गाथा।
लोरी दे सुला चुकी जिसको धरती माता।।
ऐसा युग पुरूष न जाने फिर कब आएगा।
जो जन-जन की आत्मा में घुल रम जायेगा।।