By Law Kumar Mishra
Veteran Congress leader Motilal Vora, who became a victim of the deadly Corona on Monday–a day after he celebrated his 93rd birthday, was a Titan in the Congress. Almost the last surviving Congress leader of his era!
As a journalist of a Hindi daily working as a stringer at Durg in Chhattisgarh, Motilal Vora rose to become two times Chief Minister of undivided Madhya Pradesh, Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Union Health and Civil Aviation Minister. Vora Ji, as he was fondly called by his admirers, was treasurer of the Congress for 18 long years.
His death is the second major loss to Congress within a month. Ahmad Patel, his successor treasurer, died on November 25. Both Corona casualties
Vora was both a stringer and also distributor of the then premier Hindi daily at Durg, before he plunged into politics by becoming a member of the Durg municipality.
I have very few recollections of Vora. During my posting as Times of India Correspondent at Bhopal in the 90s, I had covered a debate on the budget demands of the forest department in the assembly. Next morning, when I went to the state assembly, a young man, Arun Vora, was waiting for me in the Press Room.
He introduced himself and said he was son of Motilal Vora, Governor of UP. He told me Babuji has asked to meet you and express gratitude for giving space to my (Arun) speech on the debate. I had no introduction to either father or son till then.
Another small incident, I was returning from Roshanpura Chowk and passing through 45 Bungalows, I saw a bungalow with a name plate of Vora. The former CM was there. He offered me tea and biscuits. He made a request” Mishraji, can you drop me at the PCC office, my driver has not come and I have to attend an urgent meeting.” I drove him to PCC headquarters at Shivaji Nagar.
Yet another incident, I along with two other Bhopal based journalists was returning from New Delhi and had booked tickets in Tamil Nadu Express. Suddenly, we saw policemen on the platform and we preferred to keep away from them. We saw, they were escorting the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. When Vora saw us, he asked about our journey and the coach numbers. When we told we were in the sleeper coach and had reservations, he took our tickets, gave it to the ADC and advised him to travel in the sleeper coach as “my three friends will be with me in the first class air conditioned coach.”
In Raipur, RJD president Lalu Prasad had come to address the convention of Yadavas and it coincided with the Eid festival the next day. Lalu went to the palatial bungalow of the leading physician at Civil Lines, Dr Allu Farista for lunch. While other leaders occupied their chairs offered by the Farista family, Motilal Vora did not follow. When pressed further, the most senior member of the family told us “Vora ji was our Munshi (clerk)…that is the reason for his reluctance to occupy in presence of his Masters.”
Ajit Jogi had suffered a massive heart attack in his Motilal Nehru Marg bungalow. He was rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. As news flashed on TV sets, Mrs Sonia Gandhi was among the first to rush to the hospital, only two SPG men were present and the verandah leading to the emergency ward was blocked by a rope only. We saw Vora sitting on a chair on the verandah, while Sonia Gandhi was talking to Mrs Renu Jogi. Mrs Gandhi was insisting she would leave only after Dr Trehan reached. Vora ji was seen requesting “Madam, aap chale jayiye, Main dekh raha hoon.”
Vora was in the same chair till 3 am and talking to the doctors and para medicals. There was no sign of fatigue visible on the Octogenarian Treasurer. He told me, “Yah to mera routine hai.” He used to leave AICC late in the night, a true Munshi, after finalizing the accounts.
AS union civil aviation minister, he had facilitated the Congress beat reporter of a Hindi daily of New Delhi by giving him contracts for supply of cotton (Rui) in Indian Airlines flights for passengers. Now, this practice is over.
During one of his visits to Patna, through AICC spokesman, Premchandra Mishra, he invited me for lunch at Raj Bhawan, discussing contemporary politics of Bihar. Over Papad, I recollect he took three, past, present and future of Congress in Bihar.
(The author is a senior journalist now based in Patna)
Facts revealing beautiful story Rahulji must go through it.