NEW DELHI: President Pranab Mukherjee’s 80th birthday was celebrated on Friday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi releasing two books and asking people to be “history conscious” and ensure historical heritage is passed on.
It appeared Modi was trying to draw attention to Mukherjee’s persona — steeped in a sense of history — and restoration work undertaken at the Rashtrapati Bhavan over the last three years, from the beginning of his tenure.
“We are not history conscious people. We belong to a country where every stone has a history but unfortunately today, neither there is an audience nor narrators to explain it,” Modi said, releasing Selected Speeches of the President: Vol III and The Presidential Retreats of India.
Complimenting the President on his 80th birthday, he termed him an ocean of knowledge.
“You talk to Pranab-da about anything — the country, cultural heritage, political personalities, important buildings — he will enlighten you with his knowledge. Even if you talk to him about music, he has a vast knowledge on that too,” Modi said, adding that he felt honoured have the opportunity to work with him.